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What Members Thought
It is interesting reading some of the other reviews and I'm glad I didn't read them before reading the book myself.
I am a seventeenth century passionista and up until the last part of the book it would have rated an unqualified 5 stars from me. I was there...in that village with all the horror and fear and superstition. In fact I hadn't realised until I was well into it that it is in fact based on a true story which only made it the more poignant.
But the end? No spoilers but I closed the book an ...more
I am a seventeenth century passionista and up until the last part of the book it would have rated an unqualified 5 stars from me. I was there...in that village with all the horror and fear and superstition. In fact I hadn't realised until I was well into it that it is in fact based on a true story which only made it the more poignant.
But the end? No spoilers but I closed the book an ...more
I'm not sure "it was amazing" is the right rating for this book but it is a very good book. It is well written, personal, and engaging. Although you basically know the outcome - it is about the Bubonic Plague after all - Brooks still manages to keep you interested enough to keep reading. Anna (the heroine) relays the horrible details of a plague village in self-imposed quarantine without being gruesome or unneccesarily vulgar. Her matter-of-fact voice makes sure that you are not overwhelmed. A V
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There are some authors who write rollicking tales of suspense and you race to read the plot, skimming over the descriptive passages in a hurry to get to the 'whodunit'solution. Then there is Geraldine Brooks whose written work captures the moment and place and the reader's mind and heart all at once, in such cohesion and balance that it is a delight to linger over every passage, to revel in the story and immerse oneself in the lives of her characters. "Year of Wonders" is cannily crafted with hi
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I have mixed feelings about this book. It is a very quick read and as per other reviews (which have said it all really) I loved the first 3/4 of the book. The character development was good and you felt the awfulness of the situation the people of the town were in.
And then you get to the last 1/4 of the book and it all goes to hell in a handbasket. I can see what the author was trying to do here but she missed the mark, well and truly. It really did ruin what was, up until that point, a brillia ...more
And then you get to the last 1/4 of the book and it all goes to hell in a handbasket. I can see what the author was trying to do here but she missed the mark, well and truly. It really did ruin what was, up until that point, a brillia ...more
A quick read filled with loads of historical facts, great researched, all tempered with a human view. We see a lot of the plague times in a small village through Anna’s eyes. There were gory details, and also parts that were glossed over- but the balance was good.
Really interesting story. The only fault I can find with it is that the language tends to change between sounding "olden days" in some parts and modern in others. Otherwise, a great read.
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Feb 26, 2017
Michelle
marked it as to-read
Aug 23, 2017
Michele
marked it as to-read
Apr 07, 2019
Visible Procrastinations
marked it as to-read
Apr 25, 2019
Julia Durie
marked it as to-read
Apr 24, 2020
Rebecca
marked it as to-read
May 20, 2021
🦋💜Natalie 💜🦋
marked it as to-read
