nglofile's review against another edition
3.0
An intriguing mix of stories, selections which span character, setting, tone, and idea. I won't be at all surprised if my assessment rises as I reflect longer on the voice of each.
audiobook note: Jane Carr reads with a sharp liveliness that is perfectly suited to Mantel's writing. There's an intelligence and complexity in her narrative style that both entertains and impresses.
audiobook note: Jane Carr reads with a sharp liveliness that is perfectly suited to Mantel's writing. There's an intelligence and complexity in her narrative style that both entertains and impresses.
andreaitziar's review against another edition
2.0
El título resultaba tentador pero, en mi opinión, solo hay un par de historias que realmente merezcan la pena. No descarto que sea ya por el cansancio acumulado durante el curso y las lecturas obligatorias en inglés pero es un libro que me ha parecido desagradable y aburrido a partes iguales. En general, no me ha llegado y no lo recomendaría.
aleonak's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
kfrig's review against another edition
3.0
Right off the bat I can say this was far from my favorite Hilary Mantel. More later.
anator10's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
bub_9's review against another edition
3.0
I adore short stories, and some of these were absolute jewels. Hilary Mantel clearly possesses a remarkable gift for concision and incisiveness of speech, and some of her turns of phrase linger in the mind long after the stories have been read. Nonetheless, this is far from an ideal collection, with some stories - especially 'Harley Street' - completely falling flat for me. Still, though, the mix of eclectic, confusing and seemingly superficial (though certainly not thoughtlessly so, nor in any pejorative fashion) writing leads me to the only metaphor I can think of, albeit one that is rather overused - that of an onion, with the reader peeling and peeling and peeling and not sure as to whether anything lies at its core.
jada's review against another edition
4.0
I expected more margaret thatcher based on the title, but the stories really didn't disappoint.
cs4_0reads's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5