bookgurl666's review against another edition
4.0
i really like his writing style. the beginning of the book had me audibly guessing. clever reimaging of an lost tale. one of the best openings to a book i’ve ever read, but very quickly became insanely disturbing. wish i binged this.
ichirofakename's review against another edition
3.0
Masterful storytelling while rewriting Shakespeare's Pericles in two overlapping versions, present and distant past. Too aimless for me.
jenn_stark's review against another edition
4.0
completely floored by how wonderfully this story was crafted.
i will put a content warning though, that i wish i’d known (and probably people who know the story of pericles, prince of tyre, would already be aware of) — depictions of sexual abuse of a child.
i will put a content warning though, that i wish i’d known (and probably people who know the story of pericles, prince of tyre, would already be aware of) — depictions of sexual abuse of a child.
robert_vardill's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
I did not like this book - unpleasant disturbing protagonist. The writing did not engage me either. DNF.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest and Pedophilia
flaminghomosexual's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Gorgeous prose. No plot.
bebislarv's review against another edition
1.0
Jag känner mig förvirrad och förstår inte riktigt vad det är jag har läst. En rörig bok som jag faktiskt hade kunnat vara utan.
caliann's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.5
jmatkinson1's review against another edition
5.0
When Maja dies in a plane crash her unborn daughter is saved. Brought up by her father, secrets are hidden until a young man starts to infiltrate, running for his life he escapes on a ship called the Porpoise. Hero Pericles is shipwrecked but wins the heart of a princess, he tries to return home but tragedy dogs him. Wilkins is dying and he sees fanatical visions in the Thames.
Just trying to write a précis is impossible and this story is so complex that one cannot believe its scope. the first part reads like a 1960s French film, languid and matter of fact yet covering painful subjects. Then the whole book shifts thousands of years and becomes a tragedy about Pericles. Interwoven in this is the sub-plot about Wilkins, author of a version of Pericles. This is an ambitious novel which enthrals and appals in equal measure but is definitely the most ambitious thing I've read this year.
Just trying to write a précis is impossible and this story is so complex that one cannot believe its scope. the first part reads like a 1960s French film, languid and matter of fact yet covering painful subjects. Then the whole book shifts thousands of years and becomes a tragedy about Pericles. Interwoven in this is the sub-plot about Wilkins, author of a version of Pericles. This is an ambitious novel which enthrals and appals in equal measure but is definitely the most ambitious thing I've read this year.
roseparis's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
azu_rikka's review against another edition
2.0
I really liked reading all of M. Haddon's previous books.
This one: Beautiful cover, still brilliantly written, still fast paced, still witty- just too much for one story. I lost the plot, then my will to read any further.
DNF pg 162
This one: Beautiful cover, still brilliantly written, still fast paced, still witty- just too much for one story. I lost the plot, then my will to read any further.
DNF pg 162