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penguin_emperor_of_the_north's review against another edition
3.0
I received this book as part of Good Reads First Reads giveaway.
I enjoyed reading this book. It is a reverse generational saga centered on the house Laurelfield in northern Illinois. Each chapter (1999, 1955, 1929 and 1900) is the story of how people are alternatively attracted to or repulsed by the eponymous mansion. I liked the way Ms. Makkai left it unclear if their is something genuinely supernatural going on or if our protagonists are just a few spoons short of a silverware set.
She also creates fascinating characters with diverse motivations and their own, shall we say, unique ways of getting what they want. They scheme, blackmail and conspire to either dig into Laurelfield or to get as far away as possible.
Overall, it's a really interesting book with a diverse array of characters and is an enjoyable read.
I enjoyed reading this book. It is a reverse generational saga centered on the house Laurelfield in northern Illinois. Each chapter (1999, 1955, 1929 and 1900) is the story of how people are alternatively attracted to or repulsed by the eponymous mansion. I liked the way Ms. Makkai left it unclear if their is something genuinely supernatural going on or if our protagonists are just a few spoons short of a silverware set.
She also creates fascinating characters with diverse motivations and their own, shall we say, unique ways of getting what they want. They scheme, blackmail and conspire to either dig into Laurelfield or to get as far away as possible.
Overall, it's a really interesting book with a diverse array of characters and is an enjoyable read.
avkesner's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-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? Yes
3.5
egeorgia's review against another edition
Complex and uninviting narration of story
nooneyouknow's review against another edition
3.0
Solid 3.5 stars, but not quite 4. The first portion of the book dealing with 1999 was the longest and, for me, the most engaging part of the book. I almost wish that the rest of the sections received as detailed (or maybe just as omniscient) a treatment. But then again, maybe I liked the first section best because that's where the initial mysteries and opening questions are set up.
There are lots of points in this book where the reader gets to connect the dots and tie the stories together - read carefully! I liked how the author, for the most part, let the reader figure things out without being too heavy handed in dropping clues. (That being said, I do wish that some of the verbal echoes that helped me tie things together weren't quite so literally repetitive, but that would have required a lot more work on my end, so maybe I should just be quiet and grateful for what the author gave us.) The story also leaves a few loose ends so you can continue to think about the story when you've finished. Well done!
There are lots of points in this book where the reader gets to connect the dots and tie the stories together - read carefully! I liked how the author, for the most part, let the reader figure things out without being too heavy handed in dropping clues. (That being said, I do wish that some of the verbal echoes that helped me tie things together weren't quite so literally repetitive, but that would have required a lot more work on my end, so maybe I should just be quiet and grateful for what the author gave us.) The story also leaves a few loose ends so you can continue to think about the story when you've finished. Well done!
laurenisallbooked's review against another edition
4.0
Fun novel about community, relationships, identity and choosing your own luck. I loved the reverse chronological order (1999, 1955, 1929, 1900), the way each section gave you sneak peeks into the previous era, and how characters mirrored each other in their search for autonomy, meaningful art, and love.
Some parts were a horror story, others were a beach read, and everything had an undercurrent of mystery that kept the plot moving forward. The pacing was sometimes clunky (to be expected when you add 9 new characters 250 pages into a book), and the brief pages we spent with the characters from 1955 and 1929 made it harder to connect with them compared to the 1999 group. The way the book gave you clues to uncover was a thrill and made me want to flip back and find the reference from a previous time period to see how the puzzle fit together. It all evened out to an enjoyable book.
"We aren't haunted by the dead, but by the impossible reach of history. By how unknowable these others are to us, how unfathomable we'd be to them." 1999
"Zilla's always thought of Laurelfield as a magnet, drawing her back again and again. But that's just it: a magnet pulls you toward the future. Objects are normally products of their pasts, their composition and inertia. But nest s magnet, they are moved by where they'll be in the next instant. And this, this, is the core of the strange vertigo she feels near Laurelfield. This is a place where people aren't so much haunted by their pasts as they are unknowingly hurtled toward specific and inexorable destinations." 1929
Some parts were a horror story, others were a beach read, and everything had an undercurrent of mystery that kept the plot moving forward. The pacing was sometimes clunky (to be expected when you add 9 new characters 250 pages into a book), and the brief pages we spent with the characters from 1955 and 1929 made it harder to connect with them compared to the 1999 group. The way the book gave you clues to uncover was a thrill and made me want to flip back and find the reference from a previous time period to see how the puzzle fit together. It all evened out to an enjoyable book.
"We aren't haunted by the dead, but by the impossible reach of history. By how unknowable these others are to us, how unfathomable we'd be to them." 1999
"Zilla's always thought of Laurelfield as a magnet, drawing her back again and again. But that's just it: a magnet pulls you toward the future. Objects are normally products of their pasts, their composition and inertia. But nest s magnet, they are moved by where they'll be in the next instant. And this, this, is the core of the strange vertigo she feels near Laurelfield. This is a place where people aren't so much haunted by their pasts as they are unknowingly hurtled toward specific and inexorable destinations." 1929
sarah_nera's review against another edition
5.0
Wonderful! I thought this was going to be a straightforward book about a dysfunctional family with history, but it was SO MUCH MORE than that. And not so straightforward, and so very entertaining. Great characters, great pacing. And a very attention-grabbing cover (which might have been what attracted me from the beginning).
rascalsmom1031's review against another edition
3.0
1st half of the book was great...then it went back in time. I really don’t mind books written backwards but I thought going back just made more questions come up about people. This also made the amount of characters trying to keep straight overwhelming.
mmariericker's review against another edition
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book is so different. It kind of reminded me of Trust, how it's a mind bender and stories within stories. I'm frankly not 100% clear on everything, but I did enjoy it, especially trying to piece it all together.
She examines the feather, the way invisible hooks link each barb to the next. The way, when she pulls one strand from its neighbor, it leaves a clean gap that will not smooth together again. She doubts this cleaving can by conveyed in paint: the hooks that grip us, that tie us to each other. To place, to time. The ways we might come unhinged.
He was looking for someone to love. He was a transitive verb with no direct object.
She examines the feather, the way invisible hooks link each barb to the next. The way, when she pulls one strand from its neighbor, it leaves a clean gap that will not smooth together again. She doubts this cleaving can by conveyed in paint: the hooks that grip us, that tie us to each other. To place, to time. The ways we might come unhinged.
He was looking for someone to love. He was a transitive verb with no direct object.