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A review by pixiebix
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I received this book for Christmas honestly forgetting I'd ever put it on my TBR--meaning how much I loved it threw me completely off-guard.
Sitting back and reflecting on this book, I am honestly in awe of how much I feel I've actually been through with these characters and the vastness and diversity of the landscapes The Nightingale covers. Looking back on the characters at the beginning of this book--Isabelle especially--is to reflect on a ridiculously huge yet realistic transformation. This book is painfully real and visceral and simple and raw, and the characters literally jumped off the page; absolutely everything I've read about here I feel I have actually experienced firsthand with them.
There are some images and deaths and journeys that I know will stay forever imprinted on my brain from this book--scenes with Beck and Sarah and the Pyrenees mountains; of soldiers and ravaged gardens and bleakness and fear. The Nightingale had me so friggin hooked and my mouth dry and my eyes flying across the pages trying to establish where we stand in the wake of yet another devastating event.
This book is far from flawless (hence the not-5-star rating): Isabelle's beauty, while helping to paint a picture of her character to start with, ultimately receives far too much focus and detracts from her (slash De Jongh's) bravery and status as a war hero; Isabelle's romance is written almost as an afterthought and is provided far too little page space for readers to be given even a chance to become invested in it; pacing is a huge issue, with some super relevent, super built-up parts being cut out completely(like, how on Earth are we gonna dedicate that much time to describing Isabelle's first trek through the Pyrenees [which was incredibly described, by the way] and then just completely neglect to mention her journey back, this time alone?) .
Regardless, this book is just so fucking devastating and really, really gets under your skin and taps into your humanity. This is so much more than yet another book about two opposite sisters: it's the very picture of resilience in the face of hardship and an ode to remembering in an age that we're prone to forgetting. I also just adore how multifaceted and layered these characters are, particularly Beck: so many authors fall prey to painting all Nazi officers in a completely villainous light, forgetting how subtly and intentionally things escalated. The words 'I'm just following orders' gave me chills every damn time. So many of those officers were just young men trying just as hard to survive and stay out of trouble as the victims, and Hannah showcases that fact while also showing the other side: the true horror of what some human beings will derive genuine joy from doing; the true perpetrators and power-hungry dictators that do sadly inhabit (and always have inhabited) this world.
The scope this book covered while remaining focused on just two women during the war is truly so impressive, and really forces you to think about the sheer number of voices and stories that have ultimately gone unheard.
Now to wait until the movie adaptation.
Sitting back and reflecting on this book, I am honestly in awe of how much I feel I've actually been through with these characters and the vastness and diversity of the landscapes The Nightingale covers. Looking back on the characters at the beginning of this book--Isabelle especially--is to reflect on a ridiculously huge yet realistic transformation. This book is painfully real and visceral and simple and raw, and the characters literally jumped off the page; absolutely everything I've read about here I feel I have actually experienced firsthand with them.
There are some images and deaths and journeys that I know will stay forever imprinted on my brain from this book--scenes with Beck and Sarah and the Pyrenees mountains; of soldiers and ravaged gardens and bleakness and fear. The Nightingale had me so friggin hooked and my mouth dry and my eyes flying across the pages trying to establish where we stand in the wake of yet another devastating event.
This book is far from flawless (hence the not-5-star rating): Isabelle's beauty, while helping to paint a picture of her character to start with, ultimately receives far too much focus and detracts from her (slash De Jongh's) bravery and status as a war hero; Isabelle's romance is written almost as an afterthought and is provided far too little page space for readers to be given even a chance to become invested in it; pacing is a huge issue, with some super relevent, super built-up parts being cut out completely
Regardless, this book is just so fucking devastating and really, really gets under your skin and taps into your humanity. This is so much more than yet another book about two opposite sisters: it's the very picture of resilience in the face of hardship and an ode to remembering in an age that we're prone to forgetting. I also just adore how multifaceted and layered these characters are, particularly Beck: so many authors fall prey to painting all Nazi officers in a completely villainous light, forgetting how subtly and intentionally things escalated. The words 'I'm just following orders' gave me chills every damn time. So many of those officers were just young men trying just as hard to survive and stay out of trouble as the victims, and Hannah showcases that fact while also showing the other side: the true horror of what some human beings will derive genuine joy from doing; the true perpetrators and power-hungry dictators that do sadly inhabit (and always have inhabited) this world.
The scope this book covered while remaining focused on just two women during the war is truly so impressive, and really forces you to think about the sheer number of voices and stories that have ultimately gone unheard.
Now to wait until the movie adaptation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism
Moderate: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and War
Minor: Chronic illness