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hederahemlock's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
3.0
Loved being in the Victorian setting. Not as terryfying as "The Silent Companion", and I didn't take to the twist as much as I did SD, but a nice read. Still looking forward to my next Purcell-read!
scrollingbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Another absorbing read from Laura Purcell.
Agnes eeks out a living creating daguerrotypes. But when her latest clients are murdered, not only does Agnes face financial ruin but she fears the murderer may attack those she loves.
The things I love about this book are:
1) The language. There are some beautiful passages of description along with pithy one or two-liners that are simply haunting.
"Simon does not speak of his surgical days. Sometimes Agnes wonders if that is why he has become so plump in recent years: he is swelling with all the words unsaid."
"Teardrops spot the dark material of her bodice, each a tiny, bloodless bullet hole."
2) The atmosphere. Purcell weaves a world that is easy for the reader to inhabit. It is an immersive read and a nice escape.
3) The plot twists and turns. OK, so I did put 2+2 together about halfway through, but I kept reading anyway. It was actually quite enjoyable to be presented with enough clues to solve a problem, rather than having a vital missing piece presented right at the end. This doesn't mean there aren't any surprises in the final chapters, because we learn things about two major characters that I hadn't foreseen and create a real A-ha moment.
Agnes eeks out a living creating daguerrotypes. But when her latest clients are murdered, not only does Agnes face financial ruin but she fears the murderer may attack those she loves.
The things I love about this book are:
1) The language. There are some beautiful passages of description along with pithy one or two-liners that are simply haunting.
"Simon does not speak of his surgical days. Sometimes Agnes wonders if that is why he has become so plump in recent years: he is swelling with all the words unsaid."
"Teardrops spot the dark material of her bodice, each a tiny, bloodless bullet hole."
2) The atmosphere. Purcell weaves a world that is easy for the reader to inhabit. It is an immersive read and a nice escape.
3) The plot twists and turns. OK, so I did put 2+2 together about halfway through, but I kept reading anyway. It was actually quite enjoyable to be presented with enough clues to solve a problem, rather than having a vital missing piece presented right at the end. This doesn't mean there aren't any surprises in the final chapters, because we learn things about two major characters that I hadn't foreseen and create a real A-ha moment.
erinlcrane's review against another edition
4.0
More of a 3.5 rounded up maybe. I appreciate Purcell’s writing style and how she captures the 1800s without weighing the text down too much. It’s a skill! But this definitely dragged at times, and I felt a little let down in the end. There were certain things tied together that I felt meh about.
I think I enjoyed Pearl’s story more than Agnes’. Pearl’s was the more tense, surprising, and strange. Also gruesome in ways that were very effective for me.
I did feel muddled for much of the middle of the story, such that I didn’t feel like I quite understood where it was headed. I like that feeling in a mystery story.
So far I appreciate *how* Purcell writes a story more than the plot events themselves, but that goes a long way with me. I’ll still check out her other works.
I think I enjoyed Pearl’s story more than Agnes’. Pearl’s was the more tense, surprising, and strange. Also gruesome in ways that were very effective for me.
I did feel muddled for much of the middle of the story, such that I didn’t feel like I quite understood where it was headed. I like that feeling in a mystery story.
So far I appreciate *how* Purcell writes a story more than the plot events themselves, but that goes a long way with me. I’ll still check out her other works.
konvineo's review
2.0
I can acknowledge that this is a well written book, and that it is not bad at all. This is absolutely a "it's not you, it's me"-type of situation. I thought this would be something different based on the blurb, but I might have misunderstood?
I thought Agnes and Pearl would develop a bond, and actually help each other, but that didn't happen. Actually Agnes was really shitty to Pearl.
I thought Agnes and Pearl would develop a bond, and actually help each other, but that didn't happen. Actually Agnes was really shitty to Pearl.
Spoiler
I'm also not a fan of the "'twas mental illness all along" ending of the book. It was kind of disappointing in my opinion.tania_1975's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
aritrigupta's review against another edition
4.0
[b:The Shape of Darkness|53814737|The Shape of Darkness|Laura Purcell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1595052727l/53814737._SY75_.jpg|84138458] is a bleak, powerful, mystical story of Agnes and Pearl, steeped in intrigue, murder and spirits.
Laura Purcell is one of the better gothic thriller writers I have read in a long, long time, and her stories are spooky, poignant, and bittersweet. Her narration, in this book, was equally powerful and thought provoking and atmospheric. The dark and dreary setting of Bath, the houses of Agnes and Pearl made for stupendous settings for the story to unfold.
Here are the things I absolutely loved
1)The characters were layered, complex and real, and Purcell left no stone unturned to make them seem like real people that we would come across in our lives– their perils, their little joys, their fears – there was so much attention to detail to these things. The frailty of Pearl and Agnes, and the impact that the people around them had on both worked as significant factors that worked great for the story.
2)It was so atmospheric, that at times, I couldn’t shake off the dreadful Bath air. Intertwining spirituality with the serial murders was another plot point that I must applaud.
3)I loved the twists – none of them seemed forced, like a natural turn of the story for a woman so addled with fears and pain
I had just one complaint, and that was the pacing. The story, at times, seemed sluggish, and it took me longer than average to finish the book. However, this one small fault took nothing away from the overall book. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a great Gothic mystery and is prepared to be swept into a story of silhouettes, shadows and murders, of unrequited love, of obsession and consequences, of a myriad of secrets and their burden.
Kudos to the audible narrator – she was marvelous!
Laura Purcell is one of the better gothic thriller writers I have read in a long, long time, and her stories are spooky, poignant, and bittersweet. Her narration, in this book, was equally powerful and thought provoking and atmospheric. The dark and dreary setting of Bath, the houses of Agnes and Pearl made for stupendous settings for the story to unfold.
Here are the things I absolutely loved
1)The characters were layered, complex and real, and Purcell left no stone unturned to make them seem like real people that we would come across in our lives– their perils, their little joys, their fears – there was so much attention to detail to these things. The frailty of Pearl and Agnes, and the impact that the people around them had on both worked as significant factors that worked great for the story.
2)It was so atmospheric, that at times, I couldn’t shake off the dreadful Bath air. Intertwining spirituality with the serial murders was another plot point that I must applaud.
3)I loved the twists – none of them seemed forced, like a natural turn of the story for a woman so addled with fears and pain
I had just one complaint, and that was the pacing. The story, at times, seemed sluggish, and it took me longer than average to finish the book. However, this one small fault took nothing away from the overall book. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a great Gothic mystery and is prepared to be swept into a story of silhouettes, shadows and murders, of unrequited love, of obsession and consequences, of a myriad of secrets and their burden.
Kudos to the audible narrator – she was marvelous!
huckabees222's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
jane_stani's review against another edition
2.0
I found this overly complicated, to the extent that it wasn't clear what was going on most of the time. And the end, rather than clarifying everything, was just more tortuous and not very credible revelations. Not as good as Laura Purcell's other novels.
dappeltje's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0