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lottali's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Rape, and Suicide
jedore's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
“You did the greatest good a man can do — only you do not see it, for you are looking only at yourself. You must see what you mean to others to know your true worth.”
As a historical fiction buff, I was excited about this book. But, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
First off, the characters…I was hoping for more depth. The author only lets you in to the main character, but not very far. Pretty much all that is shared is his angst. I wanted to get deeper inside his head and heart, but that never happened.
Second, the time-traveling aspect…despite being fairly knowledgeable about English history, I needed more background info on each era the characters visited. A little summary at the start of each chapter would’ve given me more context so I could connect deeper to the story.
While this book didn’t totally knock my socks off, its thought-provoking theme and ultimate message at the end made me glad I read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Child death, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
rhi_books's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment
fainne's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
The cover and blurb make this book seem like a fast-paced adventure in historical setting, but don't let them fool you. The book swings between a socio-economic history of southern England, and contemplations on the nature of man. Usually I'm all there for good research in historical fiction, but this book utterly failed to engage me. The main characters seem rather distant and unrelatable, which might have been the authors intention? The plot seems very contrived at moments, and is very much something the protagonists are subjected to, with almost no active role. The ending also left me rather dissatisfied.
But if you disregard the plot and characters, and only focus on the history and philosophical moments, the book isn't all that bad. The described objects, clothes, buildings and events are very well researched, to a degree rarely found in fiction. You can tell that the author put a lot of effort in.
So if you're yearning for a social history of Exeter and its surroundings from a first person perspective, please go for it! But I probably can't recommend it to anyone else...
But if you disregard the plot and characters, and only focus on the history and philosophical moments, the book isn't all that bad. The described objects, clothes, buildings and events are very well researched, to a degree rarely found in fiction. You can tell that the author put a lot of effort in.
So if you're yearning for a social history of Exeter and its surroundings from a first person perspective, please go for it! But I probably can't recommend it to anyone else...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Suicidal thoughts