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What Members Thought
4.5 stars,
UPDATE
The longer I've been away from Splendor's and Glooms the more I like it, so it's been rounded up to 5 stars. There is a caveat, in that I would probably only recommend this to Dickens Fans. BUT if you like Dickens, you MUST read this book. I think it was a little wordy, but the kind of wordy that I love as it pulled me into its vortex of a lovely and dangerous world.
What with Downton Abbey and all, I feel Victorian/Regency England is a bit all the rage. And one of my primary con ...more
UPDATE
The longer I've been away from Splendor's and Glooms the more I like it, so it's been rounded up to 5 stars. There is a caveat, in that I would probably only recommend this to Dickens Fans. BUT if you like Dickens, you MUST read this book. I think it was a little wordy, but the kind of wordy that I love as it pulled me into its vortex of a lovely and dangerous world.
What with Downton Abbey and all, I feel Victorian/Regency England is a bit all the rage. And one of my primary con ...more
As an adult, I absolutely loved this book - the magic, the darkness, the plot, how different characters are highlighted, the cliffhangers, the story plots that are so intricately woven together. All amazing! That being said, I'm not sure how I would use this book my 5th grade students.
Schlitz is a master storyteller, though. ...more
Schlitz is a master storyteller, though. ...more
There's a lot here--complex characters and plot, rich language, plus interesting thematic elements about growing old, living life to the fullest, being your own person, and good vs. evil. Not an easy read, but well worth it!
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Victorian London. A master puppeteer, a girl with a heart of gold, a cockney boy thief, and a magic old woman with a past. Marionettes creep me out. I loved it.
This book never really grabbed my attention, perhaps because no character grabbed me from the start. Okay but not the best in its genre...
Rich, suitably frightening in the best Grimm tradition, masterful writing. A strong and sustaining tale.
Rather dark and macabre - but in the end a sweet story about friendship and loyalty.
Finally...it took longer than I expected to finish this book. It's engaging in the beginning, a bit boring in the middle, but very captivating at the end. I love the main characters: Lizzie Rose the good girl, Parsfall the naughty boy, and Clara, with the secret she hold. I love the puppetry setting, it's very unique, especially with ancient London as the background. All in all, a great book! No wonder Newbery fell in love with it.
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Aerie and I are actually reading Fire Spell, the British version of this story. Same author, different cover and title. oops! (Because I bought the american book for Coco, not realizing it was the same thing!)
Dec 07, 2012
CLM
marked it as to-read
Dec 08, 2012
Laurie
marked it as to-read
Jan 01, 2013
Marcie Flinchum
marked it as to-read
Jan 28, 2013
Hannah
marked it as to-read
Feb 07, 2013
Anamaria
added it
Feb 22, 2013
Beth Given
marked it as to-read
