futurememory's review
4.0
The end of the Sally Lockhart Trilogy! That only took me probably half a decade to read...
I'm trying to make this summer the summer that I finish off a lot of series I've left hanging over the years. So far I've finished the Dollaganger books (evil V.C. Andrews), the Percy Jackson series (mmmm) and now Sally Lockhart.
Sally was Philip Pullman's series before His Dark Materials. It's got an entirely different tone, and I'm pretty sure in several markets it's been publicized as adult fiction. Set in the 1800s, the trilogy is moody and atmospheric, fairly series, and full of mystery and intrigue. It's definitely not the easiest series to get into. The first 50 pages or so of every one of the Sally Lockhart books can be a bit of a slog to get through. But once the ball starts rolling, I always find them hard to put down.
The Tiger in the Well is no different. I started - and restarted - this book probably a good four times before this past attempt. I don't think I ever got past the first section. But what do you know, it's done and finished now, and I feel pretty accomplished!
It's impossible to summarize the plot without giving away events from the past two books, so if you haven't read the first two Sally Lockhart books, please don't read any further. But if you have...
Sally's been surviving since Fred :( died in that awful fire. She's got her little daughter to take care of, a prospering business to manage, and societies stigmas stacked against her. She's a single mommy, with a daughter out of wedlock, heavily involved in business. What's more, someone's out to turn her life upside down. A sinister stranger has falsified several government records, creating a plausible and complex alternate life for Sally. One where she's an awful wife to Mr. Parrish, one where it's possible to lose custody of her daughter to an absolute stranger.
Tiger in the Well links in nicely to the previous Lockhart books, and adds a bit more to the mix with a subplot about socialism and Jewishness in 1800s London. The entire thing is a fascinating, if not a bit didactic at points. Tiger in the Well at points reads very much like one of Jack London's socialist anti-factory pieces (check out The Apostate and The Iron Heel for more). Tiger in the Well has a point to prove. That's probably why I enjoyed it a bit less than the others. A bit too preachy, a bit too slow.
The suspense is there, and when those scenes kick in, boy, they're tense. And the writing is on par with the rest of the series. It just wasn't as emotional of a ride for me this time around.
There's only Tin Princess left, and it's not part of the main series of books, so we'll see if I get around to reading it. But still, yay for capping off a pretty wonderful trilogy!
I'm trying to make this summer the summer that I finish off a lot of series I've left hanging over the years. So far I've finished the Dollaganger books (evil V.C. Andrews), the Percy Jackson series (mmmm) and now Sally Lockhart.
Sally was Philip Pullman's series before His Dark Materials. It's got an entirely different tone, and I'm pretty sure in several markets it's been publicized as adult fiction. Set in the 1800s, the trilogy is moody and atmospheric, fairly series, and full of mystery and intrigue. It's definitely not the easiest series to get into. The first 50 pages or so of every one of the Sally Lockhart books can be a bit of a slog to get through. But once the ball starts rolling, I always find them hard to put down.
The Tiger in the Well is no different. I started - and restarted - this book probably a good four times before this past attempt. I don't think I ever got past the first section. But what do you know, it's done and finished now, and I feel pretty accomplished!
It's impossible to summarize the plot without giving away events from the past two books, so if you haven't read the first two Sally Lockhart books, please don't read any further. But if you have...
Sally's been surviving since Fred :( died in that awful fire. She's got her little daughter to take care of, a prospering business to manage, and societies stigmas stacked against her. She's a single mommy, with a daughter out of wedlock, heavily involved in business. What's more, someone's out to turn her life upside down. A sinister stranger has falsified several government records, creating a plausible and complex alternate life for Sally. One where she's an awful wife to Mr. Parrish, one where it's possible to lose custody of her daughter to an absolute stranger.
Tiger in the Well links in nicely to the previous Lockhart books, and adds a bit more to the mix with a subplot about socialism and Jewishness in 1800s London. The entire thing is a fascinating, if not a bit didactic at points. Tiger in the Well at points reads very much like one of Jack London's socialist anti-factory pieces (check out The Apostate and The Iron Heel for more). Tiger in the Well has a point to prove. That's probably why I enjoyed it a bit less than the others. A bit too preachy, a bit too slow.
The suspense is there, and when those scenes kick in, boy, they're tense. And the writing is on par with the rest of the series. It just wasn't as emotional of a ride for me this time around.
There's only Tin Princess left, and it's not part of the main series of books, so we'll see if I get around to reading it. But still, yay for capping off a pretty wonderful trilogy!
mrsthrift's review
3.0
finally, i finish the trilogy of sally lockhart! our precocious girl heroine is a woman now, with a daughter, a flourishing business, a happy household, and a whole new tangled mess of problems. for me, this was the book where sally became a whole person. she has actual inadequacies! shortcomings! someone doesn't show up to save her at the last minute in improbable ways every time she's in trouble. she's a real adult, and this means that sometimes terrible things happen, there's no resolution, and then.... another terrible thing happens! lest you think pullman gets dark and avenges some wrath on poor sally, everything comes around neatly in the end.
Sally seizes every opportunity to fall in with socialists and revolutionaries, to see firsthand the inequalities of the class system, to experience the fruits of hard work towards social justice, and to learn all about the evils of capitalism. it was a little overt for my tastes. maybe i like my political diatribes dripping with metaphors and cloaked in allegories, but i will give leeway for the fact that it IS technically Young Adult Fiction and sometimes you have to be a little more obvious for the kids. halfway through, though, i felt like i was being lectured, "Capitalism is Evil and I Am Part of It. But I Am Learning And I Can Change. We All Can." okay! should i go burn down a walmart or something? geez.
sometimes i have this issue with great heroines, you know, where i can't tell if i want to fuck them, mother them, fight them, or be them. i have a lot of feelings, okay? but, finally i was clear on my emotions here - i really want to drink whisky with sally lockhart! in the first book i thought i probably wanted to wrap her up in a blanket and tell her to just be a kid for a minute. in the second book, i wished i could be a historical fiction character so that we could get a little 'tipping the velvet' action going. now, though, my feelings are resolved, finally, and i am filled with great relief at the resolution of this tension.
unfortunately, i am a psychic genius with some serious kind of magical ability to see in the future, and i was able to spot the Final Twist from about 300 pages away, but maybe you will have the good fortune to be avoid this foresight.
Sally seizes every opportunity to fall in with socialists and revolutionaries, to see firsthand the inequalities of the class system, to experience the fruits of hard work towards social justice, and to learn all about the evils of capitalism. it was a little overt for my tastes. maybe i like my political diatribes dripping with metaphors and cloaked in allegories, but i will give leeway for the fact that it IS technically Young Adult Fiction and sometimes you have to be a little more obvious for the kids. halfway through, though, i felt like i was being lectured, "Capitalism is Evil and I Am Part of It. But I Am Learning And I Can Change. We All Can." okay! should i go burn down a walmart or something? geez.
sometimes i have this issue with great heroines, you know, where i can't tell if i want to fuck them, mother them, fight them, or be them. i have a lot of feelings, okay? but, finally i was clear on my emotions here - i really want to drink whisky with sally lockhart! in the first book i thought i probably wanted to wrap her up in a blanket and tell her to just be a kid for a minute. in the second book, i wished i could be a historical fiction character so that we could get a little 'tipping the velvet' action going. now, though, my feelings are resolved, finally, and i am filled with great relief at the resolution of this tension.
unfortunately, i am a psychic genius with some serious kind of magical ability to see in the future, and i was able to spot the Final Twist from about 300 pages away, but maybe you will have the good fortune to be avoid this foresight.
literallykristen's review
3.0
I've had this on my TBR list for about a million years. I'm glad I finally finished the trilogy but it's definitely not as enjoyable or as imaginative as The Golden Compass. I did notice some similarities between the heroines though which were interesting.
erikars's review
Quick entertaining fluff. It is nice to read entertaining fluff on occasion.
an0987's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A good book, even for adults. But the ending felt rushed
emily_in_wonderland's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
leanneymu's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Absolutely loved this - the way Pullman mixes historical events with social commentary is excellent and the plot was completely compelling. I couldn't put it down!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Violence, Antisemitism, and Sexism
Moderate: Ableism and Xenophobia
Minor: Sexual assault
bookloversboudoir's review against another edition
4.0
https://thebookloversboudoir.wordpress.com/2020/09/04/the-tiger-in-the-well-by-philippullman/
I’m a fan of the author so couldn’t resist this when it was recently promoted by @audibleuk. I only realised after I’d used my credit that this was book three of four. So I’m coming in almost at the end of the story. I really enjoyed this book. It’s very different than other books I’ve read by the author and completely not what I was expecting. This is a fantastic example of a Victorian murder mystery. I had so many questions as I listened to this. Who was pretending to be married to Sally and why? Is it all a set up or does she have some kind of amnesia? Why did they want her daughter? The fact this is set during a period in history when women had a lot less rights than they do know makes Sally’s circumstances even more sinister. This stranger gets their hands on her daughter and finances with very little questions being asked. Even her lawyer tells her to be quiet and apologise for the behaviour her fake husband has named in the divorce papers and scoffs at Sally’s suggestion of getting evidence to prove it’s all lies. I will read the other books in the series to get the full picture.
I’m a fan of the author so couldn’t resist this when it was recently promoted by @audibleuk. I only realised after I’d used my credit that this was book three of four. So I’m coming in almost at the end of the story. I really enjoyed this book. It’s very different than other books I’ve read by the author and completely not what I was expecting. This is a fantastic example of a Victorian murder mystery. I had so many questions as I listened to this. Who was pretending to be married to Sally and why? Is it all a set up or does she have some kind of amnesia? Why did they want her daughter? The fact this is set during a period in history when women had a lot less rights than they do know makes Sally’s circumstances even more sinister. This stranger gets their hands on her daughter and finances with very little questions being asked. Even her lawyer tells her to be quiet and apologise for the behaviour her fake husband has named in the divorce papers and scoffs at Sally’s suggestion of getting evidence to prove it’s all lies. I will read the other books in the series to get the full picture.
mnenomgnose's review
5.0
Sally Lockhart embodies what I love about both Flavia de Luce and Maisie Dobbs. I am so glad to have found this series, and have enjoyed 1-3 via audiobook. Audio not available for 4, but will be checking that out of the library pronto. Highly recommend.