mkean's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely stunning.
The women were so strong, and their voices carried throughout each of their chapters, with Hoffman's style uniting them. I was continually moved by the poignant prose, and I wouldn't hesitate to read this book again, because the writing offers new gems each time. The plot is beautiful and moving; there were times when I felt like I were there, struggling next to Yael or Aziza. I absolutely reccommend this book, to anyone who is willing to give it a try.
The women were so strong, and their voices carried throughout each of their chapters, with Hoffman's style uniting them. I was continually moved by the poignant prose, and I wouldn't hesitate to read this book again, because the writing offers new gems each time. The plot is beautiful and moving; there were times when I felt like I were there, struggling next to Yael or Aziza. I absolutely reccommend this book, to anyone who is willing to give it a try.
jcpdiesel21's review against another edition
3.0
There is a lot to admire in Hoffman's epic tale of interwoven female-centric narratives set within Masada during its tragic, violent period. I like the way that Hoffman used a historical event as a story backdrop, one that I was previously unfamiliar with but was curious to learn more about. Each of the women's stories is compelling in a different way, although I preferred the ones centered on Yael and Revka the most. Hoffman sets the stage nicely and paints vivid pictures with words within each narrative and scene, but at times the description gets to be a bit too much, especially during the violent climax, and I found myself skimming paragraphs often. The book is very slow to take off, which led to it taking a lot longer than anticipated to finish. Ultimately, the events of the book are too depressing for this to be a completely enjoyable read, although I am glad that I stuck through it to the end.
mildsensation's review against another edition
Just couldn't connect with any of the characters. Also tough to read given the ongoing crisis in Gaza. Maybe I'll revisit at a later date.
readermeetsbook's review against another edition
4.0
Like Bradley's feminist take on Camelot in Mists of Avalon, in Dovekeepers Hoffman provides a feminist lens on events surrounding the fall of Masada. Beautifully written!
cydneydaniel's review against another edition
4.0
This is my second Alice Hoffman novel and I enjoyed it. She has a knack for taking interesting parts of history and making me feel like I'm there. As sad as her books have been, she has yet to make me cry, and that's saying something.
This book leaves me feeling sad but satisfied. It's pretty obvious from reading the book jacket that this story is going to have a sad ending, but I didn't mind. The story leading up to it was worth it, I think.
I'm a sucker for well-written historical fiction. I can't stay away. It's very obvious a lot of research went into The Dovekeepers and I appreciate that a lot. The writing was beautiful, although somewhat dramatic in parts. We all need some drama, though. There were certain lines and dialogues that caught me off-guard and made me step away from the book for a moment. Hoffman is a wonderful storyteller and I loved her characters tremendously. I knew only two women would survive and it hurt my heart knowing that two of them had to die. I loved getting the story from four different perspectives.
I think the only complaint I can make is that I was anxious to finish this book. That's why I couldn't give 5 stars; I wanted to finish the book after a certain point. As much as I loved the historical setting and the characters and the writing, I needed to get out of that story.
This book leaves me feeling sad but satisfied. It's pretty obvious from reading the book jacket that this story is going to have a sad ending, but I didn't mind. The story leading up to it was worth it, I think.
I'm a sucker for well-written historical fiction. I can't stay away. It's very obvious a lot of research went into The Dovekeepers and I appreciate that a lot. The writing was beautiful, although somewhat dramatic in parts. We all need some drama, though. There were certain lines and dialogues that caught me off-guard and made me step away from the book for a moment. Hoffman is a wonderful storyteller and I loved her characters tremendously. I knew only two women would survive and it hurt my heart knowing that two of them had to die. I loved getting the story from four different perspectives.
I think the only complaint I can make is that I was anxious to finish this book. That's why I couldn't give 5 stars; I wanted to finish the book after a certain point. As much as I loved the historical setting and the characters and the writing, I needed to get out of that story.
nglofile's review against another edition
3.0
At first this book was a battle, but ultimately it became a rewarding one. The opening character is kept at arm's length for her entire initial POV, and that's difficult for any reader to accept. The good news is that as layers and interconnection are introduced, the thoughtfulness of the story is revealed. At times it suffers under its own weight, but it will make for an exciting discussion. As I compared notes with a colleague, I was stunned at how energized I was to talk about the book -- both in a pair and eventually in a full group.
audiobook note: I simply must attribute part of my struggle with this book with the lackluster audio production. The readings were softly atonal, and because it was true of all four narrators (admittedly, to different degrees), I'm supposing it was part of the direction. The absence of variation and expression made already difficult material that much more disengaging. The story felt as though it were being recited rather than told, and certainly not performed. Intense doesn't have to translate as uniformly melancholy, and any worries I was being too hard on the narration were dismissed as I transitioned into a different audiobook with weighty themes but that both captivated and transported me from the very first lines.
audiobook note: I simply must attribute part of my struggle with this book with the lackluster audio production. The readings were softly atonal, and because it was true of all four narrators (admittedly, to different degrees), I'm supposing it was part of the direction. The absence of variation and expression made already difficult material that much more disengaging. The story felt as though it were being recited rather than told, and certainly not performed. Intense doesn't have to translate as uniformly melancholy, and any worries I was being too hard on the narration were dismissed as I transitioned into a different audiobook with weighty themes but that both captivated and transported me from the very first lines.
sheritolley's review against another edition
4.0
I don't usually write review, but I must say that I really liked this book. I thought the characters an the time and place of he story were amazing. It is a book I will be thinking about for a long time.
cassie_tee's review against another edition
3.0
I'm a Hoffman virgin so I think I'm going to have to read more to get a better sense of her. I liked this book but didn't love it. I found it heavy and overly descriptive (which is not my preference).
book_darner's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0