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A review by courtsport3000
The Witch Elm by Tana French
4.0
As with every other French book I’ve read, I really enjoyed this read. That said, I can 100% understand why many people don’t.
French is known for crafting very deep, realistic, relatable characters and the characters in The Witch Elm are no exception. But unlike her other books, this one takes character-driven to new heights. It’s almost entirely character building while the plot slowly (very slowly) meanders alongside.
The plot readers do get is incredibly intricate and beautifully crafted, but it takes soooo long for anything to happen that it can be difficult to stay engaged. In a shorter book this pacing may be less problematic, but in a 500+ page work readers shouldn’t have to wait so long to get started, much less for any payoff.
I enjoyed it plenty and I’m glad I read it, but it’s definitely not a book I’d be quick to recommend, especially for readers looking to experience French’s writing for the first time.
French is known for crafting very deep, realistic, relatable characters and the characters in The Witch Elm are no exception. But unlike her other books, this one takes character-driven to new heights. It’s almost entirely character building while the plot slowly (very slowly) meanders alongside.
The plot readers do get is incredibly intricate and beautifully crafted, but it takes soooo long for anything to happen that it can be difficult to stay engaged. In a shorter book this pacing may be less problematic, but in a 500+ page work readers shouldn’t have to wait so long to get started, much less for any payoff.
I enjoyed it plenty and I’m glad I read it, but it’s definitely not a book I’d be quick to recommend, especially for readers looking to experience French’s writing for the first time.