annarella's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this story and I strongly recommend it.
The storytelling is excellent, the characters are fleshed out and interesting, the historical background is realistic and vivid.
I loved how well the author wrote her characters and their story.
It's an excellent read and I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
The storytelling is excellent, the characters are fleshed out and interesting, the historical background is realistic and vivid.
I loved how well the author wrote her characters and their story.
It's an excellent read and I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
otterlybookish's review against another edition
- 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
sophiepmeeks's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
menestrelle's review
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
sonderiism's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
aabn2424's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
venus__heartbreak's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The beginning of this book was tedious and long only describing the days of the main character but after about 100 pages i was captured into the life of these characters and whisked away by their flaws. This book is the intense family gossip and complexities i need.
susannes_pagesofcrime's review against another edition
3.0
There were segments of this book that I enjoyed and others not so much.
I am writing this review about three weeks after finishing the book and to be honest it hasn't left that much of an impression on me.
I am writing this review about three weeks after finishing the book and to be honest it hasn't left that much of an impression on me.
hannahdavey's review
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
timsa9cd0's review
4.0
What an interesting read, and a structure I haven't stumbled across before. The most powerful character in the novel is the fictional novelist Jan who, in a fashion, writes the novel we read. The "unreliable narrator" is taken to a different level ... or levels. Not that there is any reason to not believe her story but there is the filter of the fictional novelist between us and Valerie Martin. And we know nothing more about Jan at the end of the novel than we did at the beginning.
With that purposeful imbalance attached to the book I found myself never able to complete fall into the trance of the stories of the Salviati family, mostly told to Jan by Beatrice ("Bee-ah-tree-chay"), a terrific character whose stories make up the bulk of the novel (the remaining sections of the novel are the stories Jan tells us of her time involving Beatrice and the Salviati family which, inevitably, color Beatrice's stories). Great stories (even if a few of them were a stretch for me to buy) and combined in ingenious ways. In the end, it was a fun read, and all the levels of stories, and stories of stories, zipped me through the book. And surprising to the end.
I don't know Valerie Martin's earlier novels but I'll be looking for them (and I hope one is that Mussolini novel that Jan mentions).
With that purposeful imbalance attached to the book I found myself never able to complete fall into the trance of the stories of the Salviati family, mostly told to Jan by Beatrice ("Bee-ah-tree-chay"), a terrific character whose stories make up the bulk of the novel (the remaining sections of the novel are the stories Jan tells us of her time involving Beatrice and the Salviati family which, inevitably, color Beatrice's stories). Great stories (even if a few of them were a stretch for me to buy) and combined in ingenious ways. In the end, it was a fun read, and all the levels of stories, and stories of stories, zipped me through the book. And surprising to the end.
I don't know Valerie Martin's earlier novels but I'll be looking for them (and I hope one is that Mussolini novel that Jan mentions).