marissax22's review against another edition
5.0
I don't even know where to start writing a review on this book. What I found most impressive was that author's ability to keep so many story lines and characters straight. Everything was so absolutely seamless while flowing into this beautiful complex story. It felt to my like many strings flowing in and out of each other but all coming together perfectly into the end. Fermin Romero de Torres and Detective Fransisco Javier Fumero were my favorite characters.
phoebe4's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.0
mayrad's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
Reading this novel was torture. Such a slow read, completely predictable, and riddled with misogyny, this novel left me completely disappointed. I had such high hopes given the ratings and all the praise it received when first published. However, this was simply not for me. The initial concept was captivating but the execution failed. I could have perhaps walked away given it a respectable 3 star rating if it wasn't for the overused stylized writing. Zafon seemed to have purposely made the language and word choice as complicated as possible, more likely using a thesaurus for every single descriptive word. It was unbearable. Although there were some interesting concepts, the story was predictable and much longer than necessary. This book should have been further -- much further -- edited down.
However, its most fatal flaw was the treatment of the female characters. Every woman in it is objectified and treated as merely a plot-device to further the storylines of the male characters. They are lusted after, their physical beauty being the most important aspect of their personas (especially their breasts which are described in detail for every female character), and they either played the role of virgin or femme fatale. In the end, every female character suffered punishment for giving in to their sexuality. And of course, to tie a bow around it, Zafon threw in a galore of sexist comments and “jokes.” This book didn't just take place in the 1940’s, it appears to have been written then as well.
However, its most fatal flaw was the treatment of the female characters. Every woman in it is objectified and treated as merely a plot-device to further the storylines of the male characters. They are lusted after, their physical beauty being the most important aspect of their personas (especially their breasts which are described in detail for every female character), and they either played the role of virgin or femme fatale. In the end, every female character suffered punishment for giving in to their sexuality. And of course, to tie a bow around it, Zafon threw in a galore of sexist comments and “jokes.” This book didn't just take place in the 1940’s, it appears to have been written then as well.
ulises's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
tabbyholland's review against another edition
5.0
Beautiful writing. Mystery. And a story about stories.
timbre's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.0
First third of the book is kind of slow to really set everything up, but this is a gothic horror of sorts. But, once things really get interesting, it's hard to put it down and you feel mostly happy by the end
brittaniethekid's review against another edition
Really strong writing with a gripping plot but much too long for the story. The writer kept adding more and more details that seemed unimportant and made my attention wander.
ines_dl's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-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? Yes
4.75