Lovely and contemplative, this dreamy narrative fascinates with its ability to depict moments of sadness and disconnect without heaviness. It's true. Lovely and contemplative, this dreamy narrative fascinates with its ability to depict moments of sadness and disconnect without heaviness. It's true. There's a lilting quality, largely credited to the prose, but also buoyed by enigmatic detours into the fantastical. The small joys of a lifelong friend, impulsive acts, connection with a child, and the rapture of music are played alongside episodes of numbness and wistfulness, drawing us into the protagonist's world...but also seeing reflections of our own.
A dispiriting example of all that I find cliché and unsatisfying in trendy psychological suspense. I recognize there is an eager market, but the speciA dispiriting example of all that I find cliché and unsatisfying in trendy psychological suspense. I recognize there is an eager market, but the special ones are few and far between....more
3.5 stars. True to brand, Monaghan serves up charm and relatability well-suited for those who enjoy reading about women rediscovering love and purpose3.5 stars. True to brand, Monaghan serves up charm and relatability well-suited for those who enjoy reading about women rediscovering love and purpose after life has left some bruises. Predictable, yes, but that's part of the comfort of this genre. One hallmark of this author is her portrayal of characters who can be swept away by unexpected romantic attention but are still given the agency ultimately to save themselves; in short, living the best of both longings....more
Headlines: I liked this. It was fine, even good. That said, I do not understand why everyone is wild over it.
I am literally trained as a specialist inHeadlines: I liked this. It was fine, even good. That said, I do not understand why everyone is wild over it.
I am literally trained as a specialist in identifying what appeals to readers of different tastes and moods, and, yes, I can tease out the gateways here, but is this special? Mmm. Not convinced. It seems to be inflated by the buzz-begets-buzz phenomenon, which is not uncommon, but even those works often have something clearly identifiable, and I have not yet landed on that handhold.
Frankly, this resonates with stories (note plural) I have read previously. It was decently executed, but not unexpected. Even then, it has its rewards. I feel compelled to restate: I enjoyed it and have no issue in suggesting it.
It wouldn't be fair for me to hold hype against the author or the work. I'm just mystified.
If I give the intention the benefit of the doubt, it is a missed opportunity. Otherwise, it is simply a wild miss. Let's start with audience: middle gIf I give the intention the benefit of the doubt, it is a missed opportunity. Otherwise, it is simply a wild miss. Let's start with audience: middle grade would be more of a fit than teen, but I'm not certain this is for those readers either. Though some plot of Hamlet is paraphrased, the quoted lines are not, and those featured are both peripheral and not easily understood by one unfamiliar.
A mild positive: there's something promising in exploring issues of mental health through the characters, but the mentions seemed somewhat grafted on. Also, why tease that there may be a reading disability but then unceremoniously let it evaporate?
A pastiche of better works: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead for the dropping in and out on scenes in action from a spectator perspective and Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series for the fantasy of literary characters with evolving agency and (view spoiler)[ even the transportation into real world (hide spoiler)]. Big difference, however, is that (view spoiler)[Fforde knew better than to change the actual text. What is that about?!? (hide spoiler)] And, why, pray tell, (view spoiler)[did we have to take a left turn into Pride & Prejudice(hide spoiler)]?
I don't know. This seemed as if it could be the work of a student tasked with illustrating what they've learned about a unit. As a novel, regardless of reader age and/or previous acquaintance with Shakespeare, I'm afraid it is not OK....more
I was confident I would enjoy this, but I did not anticipate the depth of my adoration.
Part memoir, part masterclass on performing and interpreting thI was confident I would enjoy this, but I did not anticipate the depth of my adoration.
Part memoir, part masterclass on performing and interpreting the Bard, and part friendship eavesdrop, this was sheer delight. I often lost myself to listening longer than intended, and my expectation that the jumping from play to play might seem disjointed was proven utterly false. On display is an irresistible respect for the craft, whether the plays themselves or the staging: language, delivery, costuming, cast collaboration, and engagement with audience. It may seem cliché to express this way, but it's nonetheless true: I was transported. Again and again. When I started, I thought I might skim some sections and spend the most time with those plays I knew best, but there was no hierarchy. I loved it all, especially when delivered with such wit and insight and purity.
IMHO, O'Hea should have received more than a subordinate "with Brendan O'Hea" credit, including cover mention, because he provides the trellis on which Dench's reminiscences grow and flower. Indubitably she is the star - in character, experience, and perspicacity - but this is a collaboration. It would not have shone as brightly without someone as knowledgeable and trusted providing the vision and bringing out her best, beautifully complemented with his own expertise.
Now please excuse me while I indulge in re-watches of my favorite adaptations and seek out new ones, especially for the few gaps on my Shakespeare dance card.
audiobook note: Casting Barbara Flynn, a talented actress in her own right, to stand in for Dame Judy was inspired. Her natural voice and cadence is not far off from Dench's, so much so that you can be forgiven for sometimes forgetting it is a different reader. However, she delicately balances bringing the Dench mischief and gravitas without enacting an impersonation. To Flynn's credit, the experience of the listener is fully rewarding, embracing the similar resonance without any aural 'uncanny valley' disparity. A bonus included on the audio is a taped debrief between Dench and O'Hea, which is fun, but audio readers should also seek out a print copy in order to delight in the drawings included from Dench's script notes....more
Once again (bother, I detest being predictable): Story - 2 stars, and that's likely generous. Audio experience - 5 stars.
Most of my complaints are theOnce again (bother, I detest being predictable): Story - 2 stars, and that's likely generous. Audio experience - 5 stars.
Most of my complaints are the same as I've written for other recent Ware works. Alas. I miss her when she embraced the gothic and atmospheric.
I must add a reader caution: the prominent marketing line linking to And Then There Were None is highly problematic. Not because that is egregiously overused as conceit these days. Not even because it is literally a primary hook of a previous work by this very author. No, it is because it is at first misleading, seeming wildly misapplied. "Have the publicists read the Christie book?" you might wonder. Then, as you are well into the narrative, it might occur to you that there is one element that could still have light reference back to the classic...but no, that cannot be right, because that. would. be. a. spoiler.
Yep. There it is.
audiobook note: Dear Ms. Church, you never, ever disappoint. I adore how you give every reading your all, imbuing texture and shadings that transcend the page and deliver delicious entertainment. As much as I grouse about the raw material, I will continue to save your performances for moments of reward and escape....more
