imagined245's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
izzy006's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
ellarose_03's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
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
3.0
It was an interesting book but it confused me to endless extents. There is so much within it that needs to be unpacked. Weiland was always religiously committed but his decent to madness is not clearly followed. Clara was generally a likeable character. But Carwin, Weiland and Pleyel were frustrating. I wish we had seen more of Catherine and the happier time of the group. It was quite a stressful read overall.
bobby_cav's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
abby_reads04's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
clesbookcorner's review against another edition
1.0
realized i never removed this from my currently reading. FUCK THIS SHIT. how does this man make spontaneous human combustion fucking boring. out of the 20 some odd people i know who read this, you know how many liked it? 0. not one. zelch. zip. nada. part of me wanted to throw this in the bin while i was reading it, and then again after i was done. but i really like oxford world classics editions. even though this one is pretty shite. and bonus points for being a fmc. but negative points for seduction and epistolary novel tropes. fuck that. and fuck charles brockden brown. no disrespect to the dead, but i would spit on his grave for making me read this rubbish.
joebardsley's review
dark
reflective
tense
medium-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? No
3.0
jaredpence's review against another edition
3.0
This chilling book based on the actual james Yates murders captures not just the frightening extent to which human beings can be transformed by what they think they hear and see, but also the impossibility of ever truly knowing anyone with certainty--including yourself. I found myself rooting for, disgusted by, and heartbroken with Clara as she narrates this weird tale of eighteenth-century America.