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geenyas's review
4.0
Comparisons to Henry James' "Turn of the Screw" are inevitable, and yet that old chestnut was at its heart a ghost story. "Angelica" is something different, despite the fact that it seems to be categorized as a ghostly tale. In the end, I'm still undecided whether it is a deceptively brilliant book, or just irritatingly vague and obfuscational in order to suggest something deeper. It kept me reading to the end, but undoubtedly many readers will find it frustratingly repetitive (with the same narrative repeated by 4 different unreliable narrators) and maddeningly inconclusive. The book virtually seeths with repressed (or is it surpressed?) sexuality and shockingly unabashed sexism (on both sides of the gender fence). If you are in the mood for a cerebral and psychological mystery (with a suggestion of the supernatural) reflected in the distorted lookingglass of Victorian sensibilities, this is assuredly your best bet. You won't find any better. In true Victorian style, the pacing can feel sluggish to many modern readers. If all this sounds like an incredible bore to you, well, there are plenty of other books out there more to your liking.
ganzfeldstate's review against another edition
4.0
I really loved this book, and read about 70% of it in one sitting. At first I thought it was another slightly cliched (now, anyway), look at female hysteria due to situation and 'is she imagining it, is it real?' type affair, but the use of different perspective and the ambiguous ending really stood out. Definitely recommended!
aliciasirois's review against another edition
3.0
Really not a book I would normally read, but it was pretty good. This was not an easy read, but I got through it.
rexsavior's review against another edition
4.0
The mixed reviews I've seen on this site are perhaps due to a general discomfort with unreliable narrators. And this book happens to have three of them. Phillips has a deft hand with perspective, and the results were mostly satisfying. For me, at least.
katzreads's review against another edition
1.0
If you're a fan of slow-moving 19th century-style literature written in the 21st century and you don't care whether the mystery gets solved, you may enjoy this book. I'm surprised that I read the whole thing. I usually quit when I'm this dissatisfied.
enelvee's review against another edition
3.0
I'd hoped I'd like this better. I love the premises of his books -- it's just too dull in the delivery. I especially wanted to like the varrative from different viewpoints. Alas, like the Egyptologist, by the time I was halfway through I just wanted to scream "GET ON WITH IT" to the characters.
jennifermreads's review against another edition
1.0
Story is told from 4 viewpoints: wife, medium, husband, daughter. I didn't put it down because I just had to see how it ended. I should have put it down -- or just skipped to the end.
All-in-all: Don't bother.
All-in-all: Don't bother.
emilybryk's review against another edition
2.0
totally underwhelming. [b: the egyptologist|212474|The Egyptologist|Arthur Phillips|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388236750s/212474.jpg|6528422] was witty and surprising and had such a great sense of fun -- this was the opposite. it plodded. it was heavy-handed. the entire plot was immediately guessable and, frankly, I could hardly stand to go along to see that my guesses got borne out.
skybalon's review against another edition
3.0
My least favorite Phillips novel so far but that still puts it far above most stuff out there. Yes it is redundent and maybe sort of a failed experiment in pseudo-Victorian novel writing but his themes of relativity and perspective are portrayed in an unique manner that's somewhat enjoyable.
megmcardle's review against another edition
2.0
Even though I was less than 50 pages from the end, this book totally bored the pants off me. Abandoned.