Reviews

I enjoyed the plot of this book but thought it could have been wrapped up much sooner. It seemed to drag on and on; my interest wasn't held and I had to find the will to finish it. The characters were described in a way that seemed believable for the time period. I especially enjoyed the dynamic between Frances and her mother and the commentary/descriptions of the changing social structure of the time. Although, Lilian's character drove me mad. At first I enjoyed her and then I was just wishing she would be written out somehow. Spoiler, she isn't.

ldomo's review

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dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

A slow burn. But in a good way.

belwood303's review against another edition

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2.0

It says a lot about how easy it is to read Sarah Waters when a 564 page novel is finished in four or five days. I haven't read anything by her since the Night Watch came out but I saw this title on a must read fiction list and decided to give it a go. I can only say whomever made that list hadn't read anything else but Waters because this was not her best work. And I'll be honest I was disappointed by the ending, after all that reading it didn't feel right...