rylieshaye's review
emotional
reflective
sad
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
4.75
lhhrmn's review against another edition
3.0
A twist on M. Judson's book challenge prompt for April: "a retelling of a classic". I liked this one, but didn't love it. Part of it was the actual structure; I wish the author had used more chapter breaks between the change in characters and timeline, even if it meant a bazillion chapters. I did like how she managed to never refer to Shakespeare by name and instead he was always, the husband, the uncle, the father, the son. I know there was an author's note in the back about what few records remain from the 1580s for factual storytelling, but I am curious how accurate the story is to Shakespeare's family members' lives.
pgreen0309's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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? It's complicated
4.5
jpastore47's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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? No
5.0
shanners's review against another edition
DNF before page 20.
Couldn’t vibe with at all - actually started to push me into a slump.
Might come back to, though
Couldn’t vibe with at all - actually started to push me into a slump.
Might come back to, though
thestefehr's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
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
5.0
oliviainthepink's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
pattylou's review against another edition
5.0
This book tells the story of a mother's love, and the love between siblings. Let me just say that as someone with a twin brother, this book made me absolutely cry like a baby. O'Farrell's writing is beautiful!