bookobsessed_emily's review against another edition
5.0
A psychological masterpiece. I will be thinking of this book for years to come.
wanderaven's review against another edition
5.0
I mean, what to say? It's French, it's my heart.
I see others, though, who say they're long-term fans saying they didn't like it and I have to imagine they've been fans for different reasons I'm in love with French. For all the reasons they didn't like it (shifting perspectives from her usual, slow reading, languid, long scenes), I relished that it just felt like a heavier investment in all that I love about her. French has, since the first book, been categorized in the publishing world as a literary mystery writer, and whether you find that categorization as insulting or whether it justifies your particular worldview on publishing as an excuse to read a mystery, those of us who understand why that term is used understand its meaning - - and understand that The Wych Elm just takes us deeper into that literary connotation. French doesn't care whether you're anxious to find out the heart of the mystery (or maybe she does, but she's going to make you work for it - delicious, immersive, creepy work), as she would rather take you into the hearts and minds of all the characters and their inner lives and narratives and relationships.
If you've previously loved French's work but find this one not to your liking, there's a good chance that you loved her for her claustrophobic, dank Dublin murder squad meeting rooms and clever detectives and for her distinctive plots and twists. Perhaps you previously cared less about her delving into the conflicted and unreliable brains of those detectives and the way her novels have always weighted to the side of psychological explorations, because for the The Wych Elm, she's tossed in every card and set the whole pile ablaze.
I mean, I get it. I dragged this book around for six weeks and on two plane-necessitated journeys, it took me that long to read. It felt like a security blanket (and it sort of was). And for the last 200 pages or so, I began to feel a bit antsy to find out what was going on, and committed more time to reading. But it all took me so long because I adored the depth and the words and the world and I didn't want it to end because when I finished it late last night sure, I found out what had happened, but now I have to wait some God-awful interminable length of time before I get to have that experience again.
I had people asking me about this one. Friends who had never previously acknowledged my obsession with French were literally texting me in the weeks after the release solely so that they could ask what I thought and whether they should try this one, since there's been so much interest and press. And on the whole, honestly, I didn't know what to say. I tended in my heart towards: ummm, perhaps not? but only because to the best of my understanding these are friends not really categorized in my brain as Readers and because they hadn't previously read French and weren't already enamored of her words and creations, I wasn't sure that this is a good place for them to begin.
This reminded me a lot of The Secret History, which I don't say lightly because so often publishers like to make that comparison and it's rarely apt and feels like a slight to the novel being compared as if it can't just stand on its own merit (and honestly, I like Secret quite a lot but it was tempered by all the hype because it took like a decade for me to get to it - I love this more) but this does have that same claustrophobic, smarmy-guys-in-a-privileged-world-thinking-they-should-protect-one-another-while-wondering-whether-the-others-will-be-literally-stabbing-them-in-the-back feel.
I see why this has been a bit polarizing, even to long term fans. French has gone all in with the elements at which she excels, and if you love her for those elements, you'll love this. If those elements were previously just acceptable embroidery to plots and settings you preferred, you may falter with this one.
From the end of a late chapter, and illustrative of why I love her writing so damn much - she's uncanny in relating what an experience feels like because if you've had the same experience in your own, real life, you'll be floored by the fictional one she creates:
(masked because it may be considered somewhat of a small spoiler)
I see others, though, who say they're long-term fans saying they didn't like it and I have to imagine they've been fans for different reasons I'm in love with French. For all the reasons they didn't like it (shifting perspectives from her usual, slow reading, languid, long scenes), I relished that it just felt like a heavier investment in all that I love about her. French has, since the first book, been categorized in the publishing world as a literary mystery writer, and whether you find that categorization as insulting or whether it justifies your particular worldview on publishing as an excuse to read a mystery, those of us who understand why that term is used understand its meaning - - and understand that The Wych Elm just takes us deeper into that literary connotation. French doesn't care whether you're anxious to find out the heart of the mystery (or maybe she does, but she's going to make you work for it - delicious, immersive, creepy work), as she would rather take you into the hearts and minds of all the characters and their inner lives and narratives and relationships.
If you've previously loved French's work but find this one not to your liking, there's a good chance that you loved her for her claustrophobic, dank Dublin murder squad meeting rooms and clever detectives and for her distinctive plots and twists. Perhaps you previously cared less about her delving into the conflicted and unreliable brains of those detectives and the way her novels have always weighted to the side of psychological explorations, because for the The Wych Elm, she's tossed in every card and set the whole pile ablaze.
I mean, I get it. I dragged this book around for six weeks and on two plane-necessitated journeys, it took me that long to read. It felt like a security blanket (and it sort of was). And for the last 200 pages or so, I began to feel a bit antsy to find out what was going on, and committed more time to reading. But it all took me so long because I adored the depth and the words and the world and I didn't want it to end because when I finished it late last night sure, I found out what had happened, but now I have to wait some God-awful interminable length of time before I get to have that experience again.
I had people asking me about this one. Friends who had never previously acknowledged my obsession with French were literally texting me in the weeks after the release solely so that they could ask what I thought and whether they should try this one, since there's been so much interest and press. And on the whole, honestly, I didn't know what to say. I tended in my heart towards: ummm, perhaps not? but only because to the best of my understanding these are friends not really categorized in my brain as Readers and because they hadn't previously read French and weren't already enamored of her words and creations, I wasn't sure that this is a good place for them to begin.
This reminded me a lot of The Secret History, which I don't say lightly because so often publishers like to make that comparison and it's rarely apt and feels like a slight to the novel being compared as if it can't just stand on its own merit (and honestly, I like Secret quite a lot but it was tempered by all the hype because it took like a decade for me to get to it - I love this more) but this does have that same claustrophobic, smarmy-guys-in-a-privileged-world-thinking-they-should-protect-one-another-while-wondering-whether-the-others-will-be-literally-stabbing-them-in-the-back feel.
I see why this has been a bit polarizing, even to long term fans. French has gone all in with the elements at which she excels, and if you love her for those elements, you'll love this. If those elements were previously just acceptable embroidery to plots and settings you preferred, you may falter with this one.
From the end of a late chapter, and illustrative of why I love her writing so damn much - she's uncanny in relating what an experience feels like because if you've had the same experience in your own, real life, you'll be floored by the fictional one she creates:
(masked because it may be considered somewhat of a small spoiler)
Spoiler
"I swear, even though I know it can't be true I swear he smiled at me, that old wonderful smile rich with love; I swear he winked one slitted eye. Then all of the sharp intricate peaks on the monitor smoothed out to clean straight lines and my father made a terrible growling sound, but even without any of that I would have known, because the air around us had split open and whirled and re-formed itself and there was one less person in the room."amyallenwrites's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
ichirofakename's review against another edition
4.0
This book has a wonderful breathlessness to the prose; it rolls along, tightly focussed on the narrator, twisting fairly often, and page-turny. On the other hand, it is about 20% too long, so it still manages to drag now and then. And it is overinflated, in that it places undue emphasis on the unremarkable. A murder mystery where the first hint of the crime occurs about on page 180.
Very good story, though, with an extra twist at the end. Extremely strong characters. Thoughtful musings.
Very good story, though, with an extra twist at the end. Extremely strong characters. Thoughtful musings.
dpiegaro's review
3.0
I have so many thoughts on this book. First, it should have been at least 100 pages shorter. There was so much unnecessary detail and background on EVERY SINGLE MAJOR AND MINOR CHARACTER, that I almost DNF’d multiple times.
Secondly... this book was basically about a popular teenage boy who felt left out as an adult because he didn’t help his cousins murder someone... only to then have a psychotic break and murder someone... it was a longggggg arduous journey to get through this one.
Secondly... this book was basically about a popular teenage boy who felt left out as an adult because he didn’t help his cousins murder someone... only to then have a psychotic break and murder someone... it was a longggggg arduous journey to get through this one.
brewsandbooks's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kathyintex's review against another edition
1.0
I agree with many others - this book SUCKS. Especially at (ebook) 800+ pages... WHEN will it end??????????? Too long, too much BS, too much behind the scenes BS. Seriously? Get a life - or - another book.
tushay_shanpayne's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
lindsaydrue's review against another edition
I decided to listen to this one when I saw it show up on several lists of “cozy autumn reads,” but after 7 hours I still wasn’t sure where the book was going or where the mystery was. What a snooze! I’ve never read a book so slow in my life. I hate dnf-ing but wanted to spare myself the remaining 15 hours.
samanthalw96's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Death, and Murder