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dreamsoffolly's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
jkpanda's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
badatusernames's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
hadeanstars's review against another edition
4.0
A fantastic read with some caveats.
A very engaging story, extremely well written, part romance, part detective story, part historical fiction, put it all together and it does work although it takes some perseverance to really get into the literary groove of this novel which contains a great many literary references. This referential bent - which if you haven't read the quoted works(ironically Faust especially, which I have just completed also) - comes off perhaps as marginally pompous twaddle. Sometimes, this novel does suffer from a pompous tone perhaps, it's very highbrow in places and that is occasionally off-putting.
The major flaw - for me - is the invention of two Victorian poets: Christabel LaMotte and Randolph Henry Ash who are supposedly based upon Robert Browning and Christina Rossetti. The narrative tension is good, the story works, but what rings false for me is the poetry. It seems a rather audacious move to write your own 'classic' pre-Raphaelite poetry as though it were the real deal. This is the entire problem, AS Byatt is a decent writer, but she is not a pre-eminent Victorian poet. Her poetry is decent but not magnificent, so it is a hollow thing in the text, and fails to convince.
But if you can get past that, some of her writing is sublime nonetheless, and I really enjoyed this very much.
A very engaging story, extremely well written, part romance, part detective story, part historical fiction, put it all together and it does work although it takes some perseverance to really get into the literary groove of this novel which contains a great many literary references. This referential bent - which if you haven't read the quoted works(ironically Faust especially, which I have just completed also) - comes off perhaps as marginally pompous twaddle. Sometimes, this novel does suffer from a pompous tone perhaps, it's very highbrow in places and that is occasionally off-putting.
The major flaw - for me - is the invention of two Victorian poets: Christabel LaMotte and Randolph Henry Ash who are supposedly based upon Robert Browning and Christina Rossetti. The narrative tension is good, the story works, but what rings false for me is the poetry. It seems a rather audacious move to write your own 'classic' pre-Raphaelite poetry as though it were the real deal. This is the entire problem, AS Byatt is a decent writer, but she is not a pre-eminent Victorian poet. Her poetry is decent but not magnificent, so it is a hollow thing in the text, and fails to convince.
But if you can get past that, some of her writing is sublime nonetheless, and I really enjoyed this very much.
bohoautumn's review against another edition
2.0
I can see this is a good book. Well written, poetry, letters, story-within-a-story, double romance, mystery..... possibly a 4 star book. But it just wasn't for me, so as far as enjoyment, really 2 stars.
In trying to work out what it was, I finally concluded that the premise, the essential driving force of the plot, just wasn't interesting enough in the first place. What gets the main character searching, what answers he is after, just isn't that enthralling.
I kept slogging through, thinking at first I was just not in the right head-space for it, because it sounded like it was something I would love - Romance and literature? yes please.
I was ready to abandon the whole novel at the half-way mark but then sped-read the rest to see how it ended. The story-within-the-story is interesting, but not that much so, and the main story, while it developed, it lacked lustre for me.
I think that if you enjoy mysteries, and literary stuffs, then this could prove a wonderful read.
In trying to work out what it was, I finally concluded that the premise, the essential driving force of the plot, just wasn't interesting enough in the first place. What gets the main character searching, what answers he is after, just isn't that enthralling.
I kept slogging through, thinking at first I was just not in the right head-space for it, because it sounded like it was something I would love - Romance and literature? yes please.
I was ready to abandon the whole novel at the half-way mark but then sped-read the rest to see how it ended. The story-within-the-story is interesting, but not that much so, and the main story, while it developed, it lacked lustre for me.
I think that if you enjoy mysteries, and literary stuffs, then this could prove a wonderful read.
rungemaille's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
pendularium's review against another edition
3.75
I suspect I need to reread this one while not on a camping holiday... From what I remember, I found the present part of the narrative somewhat lacking, but the past one rather enchanting. For that reason it's not breaking into 4 star territory I'm afraid, I simply did not "'vibe"' with half the book.
skinnerbx's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0