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jaclyncrupi's review against another edition
4.0
It’s deeply comforting to be in the hands of a writer as accomplished as Hannah Kent. Gothic, queer historical fiction like this comes to life in her hands. Something surprising happens at the half-way point of this book and I was initially unsure about it but of course I can trust Kent and she made it beautiful. At a sentence level she is one of my favourite contemporary writers. Beautiful sentence after beautiful sentence after beautiful sentence.
brinecrypt's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
sariel's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-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? No
4.5
megsbookishtwins's review against another edition
5.0
I received a copy free from the publishers via netgalley in exchange for an honest review
content warnings: death, disease, violence, child death
rep: lesbian m/c, lesbian li
I remember reading Burial Rites nearly a decade ago and it's still one of my most memorable reads and I had a strong feeling Devotion would be just as emotional and impactful.
In Devotion we follow a community of Old Lutherans as they make the long and dangerous journey to Australia in order to practice their faith freely. At the center of this story is the achingly beautiful and equally bittersweet love story between Hanne and her dear companion Thea. Throughout this novel, the characters face tragedy, suffering, death,and grief and yet their love is treated with care - it is tender and tempestuous. This novel is pure poetry, the visuals and landscapes and characters are written so strongly that it leaves such a deep impression.
A novel that wriggled its way into my heart and will not let go.
content warnings: death, disease, violence, child death
rep: lesbian m/c, lesbian li
I remember reading Burial Rites nearly a decade ago and it's still one of my most memorable reads and I had a strong feeling Devotion would be just as emotional and impactful.
'Thea, there is no line in your palm I have not traced, no knuckle cracked unheard, and the blue of your eyes in the coffin-lining of the world. I would they sing psalms to your and the down upon your thighs, and the eyelashes that have fallen to the fields you have worked. I would they lay boughs upon knees bent to the soil-hum of any place you have rested upon. Thea, if love were a thing, it would be the sinew of a hand stretched in anticipation of grasping. See, my hands, they reach for you. My heart is a hand reaching'.
In Devotion we follow a community of Old Lutherans as they make the long and dangerous journey to Australia in order to practice their faith freely. At the center of this story is the achingly beautiful and equally bittersweet love story between Hanne and her dear companion Thea. Throughout this novel, the characters face tragedy, suffering, death,and grief and yet their love is treated with care - it is tender and tempestuous. This novel is pure poetry, the visuals and landscapes and characters are written so strongly that it leaves such a deep impression.
A novel that wriggled its way into my heart and will not let go.
remigold1995's review against another edition
2.0
So, start with the pros:
This was a very well written book, and despite the cons I HAD to finish this book to find out how it ends.
But the cons:
The twist in the middle of the story made absolutely no sense to me, there was no point to it- it nearly ruined the story for me. It's been a minute since I've been mad at a book as I was reading it and I had to hate-read it to the end. I hated the love scene with the husband and the sudden fate of one of the characters at the end was a little surprising and but ultimately infuriating and the ending was unsatisfying- it felt unfinished.
I won't say this is a bad book- if you like more symbolic stories, it's very well done, this just wasn't a book for me. It's a book I can say is "good" but it's just really not my cup of tea.
This was a very well written book, and despite the cons I HAD to finish this book to find out how it ends.
But the cons:
The twist in the middle of the story made absolutely no sense to me, there was no point to it- it nearly ruined the story for me. It's been a minute since I've been mad at a book as I was reading it and I had to hate-read it to the end. I hated the love scene with the husband and the sudden fate of one of the characters at the end was a little surprising and but ultimately infuriating and the ending was unsatisfying- it felt unfinished.
I won't say this is a bad book- if you like more symbolic stories, it's very well done, this just wasn't a book for me. It's a book I can say is "good" but it's just really not my cup of tea.
ajobyanyothername's review against another edition
5.0
Listen, if you had told me when I picked this up in a Dublin bookstore that I would end up crying next to the ruin of a monastery over Old Lutheran, lesbian, witchy ghosts, I might not have bought it. Fortunately, nobody told me that, and so I've discovered one of my favorite books.
This book will devastate you in the best ways, it'll leave you hanging on every word, it'll make you cry (certified true by my roommate, whose review is: "Devotion...UM holy shit...I'm crying???").
And all of this reaction stuff is fun, but in seriousness, as somebody who loves historical fiction, stories where religion and religious guilt play a role, and women, Hannah Kent hit all of the right buttons to make this an instant classic. It's a little weird, a little (a lot) witchy, and it's a wild,beautiful ride. Do yourself a favor and give it a try.
This book will devastate you in the best ways, it'll leave you hanging on every word, it'll make you cry (certified true by my roommate, whose review is: "Devotion...UM holy shit...I'm crying???").
And all of this reaction stuff is fun, but in seriousness, as somebody who loves historical fiction, stories where religion and religious guilt play a role, and women, Hannah Kent hit all of the right buttons to make this an instant classic. It's a little weird, a little (a lot) witchy, and it's a wild,beautiful ride. Do yourself a favor and give it a try.
maddelpop's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
Liked elements of the characters and prose, would have preferred it as poetry alone perhaps because the narrative journey was unsatisfying. Beautiful descriptions and yet felt it glossed over the racial issues despite the authors note on this at the end.
emeraldmist's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
talina's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-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? No
3.0
Takes some very unusual narrative risks but not all of them totally pay off