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seventhswan's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I haven't read Vanity Fair - I think I saw half an adaptation of it on TV once - but I'm familiar with the trial of Rebekah Brooks and the collapse of the News of the World which, regardless of any disclaimers in the acknowledgements section, this story is certainly equally based on. I found the plot incredibly gripping, and I don't think it's necessary to be familiar with either of these things beforehand, but I do think the small aspects that didn't work for me might have made more sense if I knew the story of the original Becky Sharp.
For me, the writing wasn't the absolute tightest it could have been, but the plot and characters were interesting enough that it didn't matter too much. As the story developed, my feelings on various characters kept changing and there were plenty of twists that added to the drama. I'm unsure if it was intentional, but a lot of the male love/sex interests felt quite interchangeable and object-like in a way that's usually reserved for women in these kinds of stories, which was interesting to read. Most importantly, I enjoyed reading this! It was the book equivalent of a six-episode BBC drama based on a true story, and I think it was executed well.
For me, the writing wasn't the absolute tightest it could have been, but the plot and characters were interesting enough that it didn't matter too much. As the story developed, my feelings on various characters kept changing and there were plenty of twists that added to the drama. I'm unsure if it was intentional, but a lot of the male love/sex interests felt quite interchangeable and object-like in a way that's usually reserved for women in these kinds of stories, which was interesting to read. Most importantly, I enjoyed reading this! It was the book equivalent of a six-episode BBC drama based on a true story, and I think it was executed well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Drug abuse, Sexism, and Sexual violence
Minor: Sexual content, Violence, and Abortion
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