bags_and_bookz's review against another edition
2.0
I was browsing my library when I can upon
Harriet Wolf's Seventh Book of Wonders
by Julianna Baggott. I have never heard of the author and her work, but I loved the cover, so I decided to give it a try.
The story follows three generations of women and spans over the entire twentieth century. Told from different perspectives of the mother, daughter and two granddaughters, the novel tells a story of long lost love, motherhood and family secrets.
Julianna Baggott did a great job giving each woman a different voice. Unfortunately for me, it was the only thing that I enjoyed about the book. I couldn’t connect to any characters, I had hard time to concentrate on the plot development and sometimes lost track of who was talking and what was going on. There few historical events thrown into the novel, but they felt disconnected and hardly important.
I should finally learn the truth- do not judge the book by its cover, it might be a waste of time. This one was sure a waste for me.
I feel bad for not liking the book. I really tried. Sometimes it just doesn’t work.
Harriet Wolf's Seventh Book of Wonders
by Julianna Baggott. I have never heard of the author and her work, but I loved the cover, so I decided to give it a try.
The story follows three generations of women and spans over the entire twentieth century. Told from different perspectives of the mother, daughter and two granddaughters, the novel tells a story of long lost love, motherhood and family secrets.
Julianna Baggott did a great job giving each woman a different voice. Unfortunately for me, it was the only thing that I enjoyed about the book. I couldn’t connect to any characters, I had hard time to concentrate on the plot development and sometimes lost track of who was talking and what was going on. There few historical events thrown into the novel, but they felt disconnected and hardly important.
I should finally learn the truth- do not judge the book by its cover, it might be a waste of time. This one was sure a waste for me.
I feel bad for not liking the book. I really tried. Sometimes it just doesn’t work.
amies808's review against another edition
3.0
I wish I could give half stars or quarters -- I would give this 3.5-3.75. I thought it was slow to start - I'm not typically a fan of novels where the perspective switches from one character to another every chapter or so - so it took a while for me to get really interested in some of the characters (I could have done without Eleanor altogether, actually). I wasn't as interested in the plot as I thought I would be from the book's description, but I thought the flow of the narrative really came into itself after about page 125 and there were some beautifully written lines near the end that make me wish a 3.5-3.75 were possible.
lorimichelekelley's review against another edition
5.0
Audible edition: I loved this book! Harriet, Eleanor, Ruth, and Tilton each tell their own story, all the while intensifying the curiosity the reader has for Harriet and her story. The novel manages to stay realistic fiction, while having the magical quality of a fairy tale. There are good guys and bad guys, complex and thorny mother/daughter relationships, a romance of the epic love story type, as well as a couple of mundane marriages, and even a lion! It all works, and the ending (something which has been such a letdown in so many books I've been reading lately) was perfect.
claerey's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
4.5
amandadelbrocco's review against another edition
3.0
The writing gets an A+ for me. I thought there were so many beautiful words in this, but the plot was lacking.
jhq's review against another edition
5.0
Famous author and notorious recluse Harriet Wolf is rumored to have a long-lost manuscript, the seventh and final book in her famed series — and if it exists, it just may hold the key to her ultimate confession posthumously.
Told from the perspectives of each of the four Wolf women (Harriet, the matriarch of the family, her daughter Eleanor, and her granddaughters Tilton and Ruth) and spanning three generations in narration, this book is astounding -- a heartrending story of love, loss, and redemption and explores the complicated yet sacred nature of mother-daughter relationships.
I don't want to give anything away but I savored every page of this book and cried as I read the last four chapters. It’s a beautifully written story with complicated characters and vivid, lush prose. No review can really do the experience of reading this book justice. I cannot urge you strongly enough to read it for yourself.
Told from the perspectives of each of the four Wolf women (Harriet, the matriarch of the family, her daughter Eleanor, and her granddaughters Tilton and Ruth) and spanning three generations in narration, this book is astounding -- a heartrending story of love, loss, and redemption and explores the complicated yet sacred nature of mother-daughter relationships.
I don't want to give anything away but I savored every page of this book and cried as I read the last four chapters. It’s a beautifully written story with complicated characters and vivid, lush prose. No review can really do the experience of reading this book justice. I cannot urge you strongly enough to read it for yourself.
ylme's review against another edition
4.5
i love a book that makes me hate all the characters, especially when you get to the end and you understand. it was just really special and it made me think and reflect on my own life. i loved seeing the way everyone’s stories were woven together and how everything played out. i’ve already read a different book since finishing this one, but this is the story i’m still thinking about.
yellowchevron's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0