orndal's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This book is INCREDIBLY slow. Also count fosco is FAT FAT FATTIE. HIS FAT FACE FATTILY EATS CROISSANTS.
Graphic: Fatphobia
Moderate: Murder, Racial slurs, Bullying, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Ableism, Chronic illness, Misogyny, Cultural appropriation, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Antisemitism, Classism, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
phantomgecko's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
A domestic thriller garnished with Victorian misogyny. My compliments to the multi perspective storytelling through letters and diary entries, etc.
These poor women really were in a hell of societal convention. Not allowed to do anything without a disinterested uncle's consent. Not allowed to talk to each other plainly. Forced to walk on eggshells and hypervigilant to even the merest shadow of an insult. If only they could call everyone's BS and just LEAVE.
Like, at first I thought Marian was being paranoid. But no, Count Fosco and his wife really were sneaky little snakes. (Tho, the stubborn disgust at Fosco's praise was odd to me. Like, kinda a black and white moral superiority complex thing. As if because Fosco did some sketchy stuff, his very gaze could poison her or something.) (Oh, also, Fosco's condemnation of English society and crime was kinda weird. Was the author speaking through him as a form of social critique, or was the author trying to frame that line of thinking as obviously wrong because a villain was voicing it?)
In other news, the mystery threaded throughout, Percival Glyde's big secret, was v interesting.
Funny to me that this novel came out right after A Tale of Two Cities and both of them contain "twin" characters.
Anyway, I liked it. Not a top favorite, but worth the read.
These poor women really were in a hell of societal convention. Not allowed to do anything without a disinterested uncle's consent. Not allowed to talk to each other plainly. Forced to walk on eggshells and hypervigilant to even the merest shadow of an insult. If only they could call everyone's BS and just LEAVE.
Like, at first I thought Marian was being paranoid. But no, Count Fosco and his wife really were sneaky little snakes. (Tho, the stubborn disgust at Fosco's praise was odd to me. Like, kinda a black and white moral superiority complex thing. As if because Fosco did some sketchy stuff, his very gaze could poison her or something.) (Oh, also, Fosco's condemnation of English society and crime was kinda weird. Was the author speaking through him as a form of social critique, or was the author trying to frame that line of thinking as obviously wrong because a villain was voicing it?)
In other news, the mystery threaded throughout, Percival Glyde's big secret, was v interesting.
Funny to me that this novel came out right after A Tale of Two Cities and both of them contain "twin" characters.
Anyway, I liked it. Not a top favorite, but worth the read.
Moderate: Confinement, Fatphobia, Animal death, Body shaming, Classism, Emotional abuse, Death, Gaslighting, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia
Minor: Alcoholism
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