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What Members Thought

This was different from any book I've read and yet there were parts that were similar. The details of a burn survivor were completely new to me and what a difficult experience that must be. The theme of never-ending love is familiar but written about in a way that I have not experienced. There was a compulsive nature to this book, both the writing, the lives of the main characters, and my desire to keep reading.
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I don't know how I couldn't love this book; it's like Davidson crawled inside my head. Foul-mouthed, broken protagonist? Check. Mediaeval nuns? Check. Walking the thin line between sanity and insanity? Check. Religious symbolism? Check. Fantastic writing? Double check. It's a beautiful story, beautifully written.
It's like a more romantic cousin of THE PILGRIM GLASS and for those of you who have known me for a while know that means this book has really touched me. ...more
It's like a more romantic cousin of THE PILGRIM GLASS and for those of you who have known me for a while know that means this book has really touched me. ...more

I went into this expecting a slow starter, but pleasantly found myself sucked in almost immediately. It's a weird story, but Davidson has a way with language (particularly with regard to visual imagery) and the interwoven storylines work well together. A surprisingly polished and well-paced first effort, with some top-flight research as well.
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Overall, I enjoyed this book, but I found it to be about 100 pages too long. The story provides an interesting comparison to
, because the theme of past lives is similar. However, I enjoyed MNIM more simply because I thought that Brashares had some really interesting insights into death and in particular, the idea of reincarnation. Moreover, I just enjoyed the story better. Even so, The Gargoyle is a 5-star favorite of many so I would recommend that folks check it out.
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Nov 06, 2009
Sunflower
rated it
really liked it
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review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction-read-2009,
historical-fiction
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Apr 18, 2008
Tracyene
marked it as to-read

Aug 11, 2008
Sara
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Feb 12, 2010
Renate
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May 06, 2010
Amy Rosa
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Apr 18, 2011
Sara
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Jun 22, 2011
Ruth
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Sep 25, 2012
Anna
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