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vacantbones's review against another edition
2.0
And then James says something that takes this to a more damaging, corrosive level that strikes her in the solar plexus hard as she contemplates a scenario so terrible that, fool that she is, she hadn't quite seen coming.
"The story's about to break."
Anatomy of a Scandal asks its readers to think critically about the power dynamics at the heart of sexual assault accusations, as well as the infinite web of people who are impacted as a result. This is a noble cause, and a well-written one at that. Ultimately, though, it didn't stand out to me.
The case itself is timely: a political powerhouse stands accused of rape, though he insists that this is a case of an extramarital affair turned sour. The story, though, just felt bland to me, despite so many reviews calling this one 'shocking.' I never found myself shocked, and the reveals either felt spoon fed or inconsequential (thinking particularly of the secret Sophie has been keeping for James since their university days - boring, IMO). There were also things I didn't care for when it comes to the character of Kate - she is supposed to be this badass powerhouse of a lawyer, but her work in the Whitehouse trial doesn't feel anything other than exceedingly average.
Despite these complaints of mine, the way in which Vaughan was able to write the character of Sophie truly stood out to me as exceptional. Oftentimes, the wives of accused men are portrayed as one-dimensional, unflinchingly loyal to their men despite what we, the readers, are privy to. The way we live in Sophie's brain as she navigates this foreign terrain is great. Frankly, I think this would've been a better story were it told entirely from her perspective.
This is not a bad book, just one of many that will likely fade into the background for me.
katiescho741's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to enjoy this book more than I did, but for something that's described as a "psychological thriller" I found it was neither thrilling nor psychological. But it was okay.
Anatomy of a Scandal is a political scandal told from several sides, but mostly alternating between the prosecutor and the wife. This book is the definition of a slow-burner...we get a taste of the British justice system, as well as politics, and a dash of tabloid journalism. How does a jury think? How is the attention diverted away from a scandal? How does the press react to this sort of thing? It gives us insight into these questions and more but I never found it particularly thrilling, which I think was the main problem. The main "twist" comes about halfway into the book, and I can't say I saw it coming but it didn't really shock me either. It was kind of meh.
The crux of the story is about consent and the issue of class. They are both very interesting issues to consider, and the book does a good job of weaving a decent story around them. There are some ethical questions to mull over too, as each of our characters enter grey areas and react in their own way.
I probably found Sophie, the wife, the most interesting. As the wife of a known politician and friend of the PM, she is visible and must act just-so. I found the end of her story to be satisfying.
Anatomy of a Scandal is a political scandal told from several sides, but mostly alternating between the prosecutor and the wife. This book is the definition of a slow-burner...we get a taste of the British justice system, as well as politics, and a dash of tabloid journalism. How does a jury think? How is the attention diverted away from a scandal? How does the press react to this sort of thing? It gives us insight into these questions and more but I never found it particularly thrilling, which I think was the main problem. The main "twist" comes about halfway into the book, and I can't say I saw it coming but it didn't really shock me either. It was kind of meh.
The crux of the story is about consent and the issue of class. They are both very interesting issues to consider, and the book does a good job of weaving a decent story around them. There are some ethical questions to mull over too, as each of our characters enter grey areas and react in their own way.
I probably found Sophie, the wife, the most interesting. As the wife of a known politician and friend of the PM, she is visible and must act just-so. I found the end of her story to be satisfying.
laura6891's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Classism
racheyohh's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The reviews were more accurate than the marketing on the book. Maybe the adaptation is better because the book was really eh. I liked the first twist then they kept building up this big secret and it’s revealed it was really not that dramatic and the timing also didn’t make sense.
I wanted more suspense but it wasn’t really there, though definitely thought provoking at times. An interesting premise for sure.
I wanted more suspense but it wasn’t really there, though definitely thought provoking at times. An interesting premise for sure.
kristinmagoo's review against another edition
3.0
Good, enjoyable. Hard to classify though and the ending felt rather anti-climactic.
paulius_b's review against another edition
3.0
Knygoje nagrinėjama istorija tikrai yra įdomi, bet ją labiau matau, kaip vieną "Law & Order" seriją, negu ištisą knygą.
Vienas iš įdomiųjų aspektų yra tai, kad galima rasti daugiau, negu vieną pabaigą. Pirmosios kelios pabaigos yra nesėkmingos, bet galop vienokiu ar kitokiu būdu karma laimi. Bent taip atrodo, nes knyga pasibaigia palikusi vietos vaizduotei. Arba tęsiniui.
Knygą rekomenduočiau žmonėms, kurie paprastai skaito detektyvinius romanus ir dramas. Nerekomenduočiau meilės romanų ar klasikos skaitytojams.
Vienas iš įdomiųjų aspektų yra tai, kad galima rasti daugiau, negu vieną pabaigą. Pirmosios kelios pabaigos yra nesėkmingos, bet galop vienokiu ar kitokiu būdu karma laimi. Bent taip atrodo, nes knyga pasibaigia palikusi vietos vaizduotei. Arba tęsiniui.
Knygą rekomenduočiau žmonėms, kurie paprastai skaito detektyvinius romanus ir dramas. Nerekomenduočiau meilės romanų ar klasikos skaitytojams.
cmrobe06's review against another edition
4.0
Good story and I liked the various point of views that the author used to tell the story.
janeycanuck's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I feel like I figured out the first twist really early on but the second was one you couldn't see coming - because Vaughn plops this event down into the book and there's just a major plot hole in how it's possible it could even have happened.
jillian_roach's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
sarahkenway's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
3.0
I found the writing very pretentious with so many dashes and asides that it made it quite hard to read at times! (But I could forgive that in the context of a courtroom drama). Kept me turning the pages but the characters were nothing special