Scan barcode
maddy_jay's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.25
heddagobbler's review against another edition
5.0
— "If I hadn't been an orphan, I would not have known Pew."
"What possible difference could that have made?"
"The difference that love makes."
— I wish I could be clearer. I wish I could say, 'My life had no light. My life was eating me alive.'
"What possible difference could that have made?"
"The difference that love makes."
— I wish I could be clearer. I wish I could say, 'My life had no light. My life was eating me alive.'
romcomapologist's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“But the only thing left to do was to tell the story again.”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse
brisingr's review against another edition
5.0
2nd read: 11th July - 15th July 2022
Imagine finishing a novel with: I love you. The three most difficult words in the world. But what else can I say? and expect me to survive and not be changed at an elemental level. This is my 2nd favourite book by Winterson, and in a list of read books longer than ten, it means something. Just beauty and love, love and beauty.
1st read: 15th May - 16th May 2021
After over a month of obsessively thinking about this novel, I think it's time to bump up the rating.
Metaphors can feel like a hug, like a nod of understanding sometimes, and I think only Winterson would be able to pull off something like that.
Imagine finishing a novel with: I love you. The three most difficult words in the world. But what else can I say? and expect me to survive and not be changed at an elemental level. This is my 2nd favourite book by Winterson, and in a list of read books longer than ten, it means something. Just beauty and love, love and beauty.
1st read: 15th May - 16th May 2021
After over a month of obsessively thinking about this novel, I think it's time to bump up the rating.
Metaphors can feel like a hug, like a nod of understanding sometimes, and I think only Winterson would be able to pull off something like that.
kstephens22's review against another edition
4.0
"We are lucky, even the worst of us, because daylight comes."
"Fastened to the rock. That was the town crest here at Salts; a sea village, a fishing village, where every wife and sailor had to believe that the unpredictable waves could be calmed by a dependable god. Suppose the unpredictable wave was God?"
"Fastened to the rock. That was the town crest here at Salts; a sea village, a fishing village, where every wife and sailor had to believe that the unpredictable waves could be calmed by a dependable god. Suppose the unpredictable wave was God?"
sundayfever's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Beautiful little luminous read. About found family hope in the darkness, and the power of love. Enjoyed it more than I expected to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Death of parent
fluoresensitive's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It's literally about love and stories, and loving someone enough to tell them stories and how nothing is true and everything is true, and. Yeah.
peachybee53's review against another edition
4.0
The writing style of this book is witty and endearing. It's been a little while since I've read fiction which I really enjoyed but which didn't leave me in tears, so this was a nice change; it left me feeling warm and refreshed.
My only downfall for this story was that I struggled to keep up with the alternating narrators, but that's a me-problem and not a book-problem. I will be rereading to better understand it, but overall just a little gem of a book.
Some favourite quotes:
"Tell me a story, Pew. - What kind of story, child? - A story with a happy ending. - There’s no such thing in all the world. - As a happy ending? - As an ending.”
"There it is; the light across the water. Your story. Mine. His. It has to be seen to be believed. And it has to be heard. In the endless babble of narrative, in spite of the daily noise, the story waits to be heard."
"I don't think of love as the answer or the solution. I think of love as a force of nature - as strong as the sun, as necessary, as impersonal, as gigantic, as impossible, as scorching as it is warming, as drought-making as it is life-giving."
My only downfall for this story was that I struggled to keep up with the alternating narrators, but that's a me-problem and not a book-problem. I will be rereading to better understand it, but overall just a little gem of a book.
Some favourite quotes:
"Tell me a story, Pew. - What kind of story, child? - A story with a happy ending. - There’s no such thing in all the world. - As a happy ending? - As an ending.”
"There it is; the light across the water. Your story. Mine. His. It has to be seen to be believed. And it has to be heard. In the endless babble of narrative, in spite of the daily noise, the story waits to be heard."
"I don't think of love as the answer or the solution. I think of love as a force of nature - as strong as the sun, as necessary, as impersonal, as gigantic, as impossible, as scorching as it is warming, as drought-making as it is life-giving."
ambientcrows's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5