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fountainpenchess's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
definitive winter read
Graphic: Religious bigotry
Moderate: Sexism and Sexual content
Minor: Pedophilia and Sexual harassment
beautifulminutiae's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Death, Torture, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, and Sexual harassment
emmonsannae's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I’m going to miss being able to lose myself in this book! At once a thrilling example and a brilliant subversion of the mystery novel, this story is just as much of a labyrinth as the library at its center. And it is magnificently researched! The medieval world is so painstakingly constructed that we are able to live in the abbey with the characters. (Because it is so unflinching in depicting the past using the same wording as its sources, there is some brutal content especially relating to women and treatment of heretics—see warnings.) I loved finishing the novel and being able to read U.E.’s notes on his method and literary theory—that took this book from a 4.5 to a 5 for me. The ending isn’t anything like I expected, which disappointed me at first (even though that is very clearly the point). I do think it would be a disservice to the story and to what we’ll call “natural law” for it to have ended any other way. I wish I could start it again from the beginning blind!
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Classism
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