snoakes7001's review against another edition
3.0
I would never have read Sedition if it weren't on the Desmond Elliott longlist - it just didn't sound my kind of thing. And now I've read it, I'm not sure what sort of a thing it is. It's not a satire, or a farce as it's just not funny and it's definitely not sexy. I'm the last person who would say that a novel should be instantly classifiable, and I usually enjoy something a bit different, but this is just decidedly odd. There are too many similar characters - with five sets of businessmen, wives and daughters, the main characters aside I found it impossible to keep track of who was who. Then there is the plot which is nothing short of ludicrous.
In summary, I didn't dislike it as much as I expected to, but I didn't think it was anything special either. At least I am vindicated in that if I think a book isn't for me, I'm probably right.
In summary, I didn't dislike it as much as I expected to, but I didn't think it was anything special either. At least I am vindicated in that if I think a book isn't for me, I'm probably right.
shauniesbookshelves's review against another edition
2.0
In the London of 1794, four fathers and three mothers require husbands for their five daughters. In a meeting between the fathers, it is declared fashionable for young ladies to learn the Pianoforte, and therefore their daughters should learn the instrument and perform a concert in the hopes of seducing husbands with their music. Unfortunately, the piano maker has other ideas. His daughter, Annie, has a cleft lip, and so has always been a disappointment to him. In retaliation for him being so horrid to her, she sells his prized Piano to the girls for their concert, which has the intended result. Time for the piano maker to get his revenge. It turns out that even an innocent plan such as this can turn out to be not quite as expected.
This book, at least in my opinion, was just... meh. The plot at least did follow a storyline, but for the time that the book is set in, it was simply too difficult to believe. This book is certainly not for younger readers, as there are several references that are made purely for the more mature audience, but these references don't really seem to add anything to the story other than carry the plot along in the intended direction. The book was not all negative, however, not in any way. The girls were interesting characters, and their developments throughout the book were positive. Despite this, clearly, for me, this is the wrong genre (not that it seems to fit into either romance or erotica that I can tell), and I shouldn't read any more of it!
This book, at least in my opinion, was just... meh. The plot at least did follow a storyline, but for the time that the book is set in, it was simply too difficult to believe. This book is certainly not for younger readers, as there are several references that are made purely for the more mature audience, but these references don't really seem to add anything to the story other than carry the plot along in the intended direction. The book was not all negative, however, not in any way. The girls were interesting characters, and their developments throughout the book were positive. Despite this, clearly, for me, this is the wrong genre (not that it seems to fit into either romance or erotica that I can tell), and I shouldn't read any more of it!
eastersine's review
3.0
Smut but make it victorian. I can’t help but imagine how crusty musty dusty they all must’ve been *I’M SORRY*
alwaysandrea's review against another edition
3.0
I wish I could give this a higher review, because there were several things I liked about the story. The negatives were too severe, though, to prevent me from giving this more than an average review. The ending disappointed me severely. There was absolutely no narrative satisfaction or logic behind Alathea's death, other to, once again, bury your gays and continue Annie's life as a misery. While the middle of the book soared for the gentle treatment of Annie's disability and Annie and Alathea's relationship, this ending soured everything that came before it. Relatedly, while I can do the cognitive work to understand Alathea's view of her rape at her father's hands as something she does to protect herself, the narrative does not make it clear enough.
Another more minor complaint is that the book is short but stuffed with characters and it becomes very difficult to keep track of them, especially since the fathers are always referred to by the last names but the daughters by the first, so I had no idea who belonged to what family by the end.
The sections on piano were tedious at times but easy enough to glaze over; I'm sure if you're an avid piano player, you might enjoy it.
Another more minor complaint is that the book is short but stuffed with characters and it becomes very difficult to keep track of them, especially since the fathers are always referred to by the last names but the daughters by the first, so I had no idea who belonged to what family by the end.
The sections on piano were tedious at times but easy enough to glaze over; I'm sure if you're an avid piano player, you might enjoy it.
ken_bookhermit's review against another edition
4.0
‘But what about–’ Annie couldn’t bring herself to cry ‘love’.
‘What about love? Love’s perfectly possible. We can be together but still apart; we can be in love, just not dependent. That’s how to be happy. I know it.’
Sedition either started out slow or I was just really impatient. Probably a mix of both, but once I read up to the point that I was waiting for, it hooked and reeled me in like a sucker. It was beautiful, and with my bias, especially the parts with Annie and Alathea in it. I enjoyed their relationship except for one thing: their sheer lack of communication.
But still, I'm glad they found each other regardless of the ending which I can only describe as a shitstorm. It hurt to read something like that in books because I thought books were not like television, but alas. This novel's ending proved me wrong.
My true rating is between 3 and 4 stars. The middle was fantastic, but the ending, not so much.
‘What about love? Love’s perfectly possible. We can be together but still apart; we can be in love, just not dependent. That’s how to be happy. I know it.’
Sedition either started out slow or I was just really impatient. Probably a mix of both, but once I read up to the point that I was waiting for, it hooked and reeled me in like a sucker. It was beautiful, and with my bias, especially the parts with Annie and Alathea in it. I enjoyed their relationship except for one thing: their sheer lack of communication.
But still, I'm glad they found each other regardless of the ending which I can only describe as a shitstorm. It hurt to read something like that in books because I thought books were not like television, but alas. This novel's ending proved me wrong.
My true rating is between 3 and 4 stars. The middle was fantastic, but the ending, not so much.
cttindale101's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Slow, one of the least interesting and least enjoyable books I have read. Really had to work to make it to an unsatisfying end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Murder, and Gun violence
jwmcoaching's review against another edition
2.0
2 1/2 stars. I had high hopes for this one. I was thinking naughty Jane Austen with a side of Dickens. Grant is a good writer and she certainly knows how to turn a phrase. There is trashy entertainment to be found here and it's much better than something silly like Fifty Shades of Grey.
On the other hand, she seems to have a strong dislike for her characters. There is not one character here that she seems to have any sympathy for and although most of them are undeserving, that doesn't include all of them. She isn't kind to any of them and doesn't MINOR SPOILERS offer any of them fates that in any way resemble any sense of satisfaction or happiness. Her dislike of them is just too strong to justify at all.
I do have to say that aside from this, she does provide a palpable depiction of 18th century London life. You can practically smell the horse shit and the smoke, while being stunned by the dank and darkness of such a place.
On the other hand, she seems to have a strong dislike for her characters. There is not one character here that she seems to have any sympathy for and although most of them are undeserving, that doesn't include all of them. She isn't kind to any of them and doesn't MINOR SPOILERS offer any of them fates that in any way resemble any sense of satisfaction or happiness. Her dislike of them is just too strong to justify at all.
I do have to say that aside from this, she does provide a palpable depiction of 18th century London life. You can practically smell the horse shit and the smoke, while being stunned by the dank and darkness of such a place.
eschaalman's review against another edition
4.0
This novel reminded me of The Crimson Petal and the White with a touch of Michelle Lovric perhaps. The story moved rather swiftly and the characters were brilliantly drawn- from the crazed pianoforte maker, to the lusty music tutor, to the silly girls taking the lessons. A somehow light hearted read, despite dealing with some hard circumstances that the characters need to deal with.
flyingleaps's review against another edition
2.0
I was so excited to get this book from the Early Reviewer program over on LibraryThing, and then it took me this long to read it (whoops), so I can hardly call this review Early any more, but let me tell you why:
I just. Didn't. Like it.
I can't tell if it's that there's far too much going on in the story (which there was) or if it was just a lack of a cohesive idea underpinning it all but it was tiresome to get through. It's taken me since April to get through the book because I kept picking it up and putting it down again for something different.
I won't rehash the plot (or rather, what's the plot claims to be), because that can read any number of other places. The basic conceit is hardly new: five nouveau riche girls are in need of husbands, with titles if possible. I suppose this is where one set of reviewers drew the Jane Austen parallel. The approach was what was supposed to set this novel apart: a "wicked...romp", a "fun, lascivious gambol", "rowdy, elegant and kick-ass".
I want to find every one of these reviewers and find out how dull their lives are that these were the words they chose. That, and to present them with both dictionary and thesaurus so that they might find better, more accurate descriptors. Of all the ones claiming it was witty, I can agree that were moments, single passages that caught my attention. Here and there in this 306-page novel, there were half a dozen pairs of sentences that caught me for a moment with the beauty of the writing.
The rest of it was simultaneously dull and jarring. Too much time was spent on minutiae and major plot points were rushed through. None of the characters were fully developed and most of all, I care not a bit about any of them. Nor did the author ever, EVER give me reason to. A physical deformity is not going to make me care, one way or the other. I don't give a damn who someone sleeps with so you're going to have to try harder than that, too.
This was an interesting idea poorly executed. With another round of hard edits, the deletion of secondary plotlines and a general splash of caffeine to the language, characters and story as a whole, it might be worth recommending. At least they could do enough to punch of the story to make it worth such an evocative title.
I just. Didn't. Like it.
I can't tell if it's that there's far too much going on in the story (which there was) or if it was just a lack of a cohesive idea underpinning it all but it was tiresome to get through. It's taken me since April to get through the book because I kept picking it up and putting it down again for something different.
I won't rehash the plot (or rather, what's the plot claims to be), because that can read any number of other places. The basic conceit is hardly new: five nouveau riche girls are in need of husbands, with titles if possible. I suppose this is where one set of reviewers drew the Jane Austen parallel. The approach was what was supposed to set this novel apart: a "wicked...romp", a "fun, lascivious gambol", "rowdy, elegant and kick-ass".
I want to find every one of these reviewers and find out how dull their lives are that these were the words they chose. That, and to present them with both dictionary and thesaurus so that they might find better, more accurate descriptors. Of all the ones claiming it was witty, I can agree that were moments, single passages that caught my attention. Here and there in this 306-page novel, there were half a dozen pairs of sentences that caught me for a moment with the beauty of the writing.
The rest of it was simultaneously dull and jarring. Too much time was spent on minutiae and major plot points were rushed through. None of the characters were fully developed and most of all, I care not a bit about any of them. Nor did the author ever, EVER give me reason to. A physical deformity is not going to make me care, one way or the other. I don't give a damn who someone sleeps with so you're going to have to try harder than that, too.
This was an interesting idea poorly executed. With another round of hard edits, the deletion of secondary plotlines and a general splash of caffeine to the language, characters and story as a whole, it might be worth recommending. At least they could do enough to punch of the story to make it worth such an evocative title.
stonypockets's review against another edition
4.0
Started off a bawdy, borderline banal tale of a music teacher trying to deflower some neauveau riche students. But the last 75 pages or so really bumped it up a star for me. The author threw some peeks into the futures of the girls in the final chapter… kind of the way 80's movies would tell you the funny fates of the characters during the closing credits. I almost feel like this book could be rewritten so that the recital was really the beginning of some interesting journeys, rather than the apex of the plot. Better than I expected.