the_bookwormhole_'s reviews
71 reviews

Susan Hill creates a wonderfully eerie sense of foreboding throughout this novel, hinting here and there at the “terrors” that will soon be told. This delighted me hugely as it gave the tale a creepier feel overall, and I felt the main character’s own anxiety looming over me the whole time. I love how Hill describes each of the places Kipps visits, in a dark, grey, miserable sort of way (as they all were - mostly), and uses these places and descriptions to make the reader feel uneasy, as if something is not quite right. This feeling, once felt, is infectious and tints the rest of your emotions through the course of the book. Also, that dreadful sense of foreboding is retained nicely right up to the very end of the book, which is hard to do effectively.

This is now one of my favourite books, and has definitely earned its spot as a classic ghost story.

Side note - I’ll just mention that there is an adorable dog in this book and she is most definitely a star character in my eyes, being a lovely example of everything a good hound should be and more.

A classic? No doubt.

This novel follows the story of a girl of no extraordinary talent or beauty as she learns to become a respectable, well educated woman in a world where it pays to have money and yet she has none.
As she grows up, she learns to discern between what matters in life and love, and what doesn’t.

This novel has many aspects, not just of love (or a decided lack of it), but also of loss and friendship. Jane soon finds that each of these things can bring scars and/or healing in many ways.

It also speaks of faith and the part it plays in her life and those around her; she also learns to accept the challenges of following God’s law when “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak”.

A standout of this book has to be the headstrong heroine that is the title character. Jane is never afraid to say what she feels is necessary and follows her head and heart in equal measure, using God as her compass. She does all this despite being a woman in a low place in society, and therefore risks forming a “most unbecoming” disposition in the view of others.

As for the writing, I can certainly see why this book is a classic.
I have a ‘favourite quotes’ page in my Notes app and for most books I only find a few (if any) quotes to add, but let me tell you I could NOT stop adding quotes and paragraphs from Jane Eyre! Charlotte Brontë manages to cobble together thoughts, emotions and ideas we all struggle with and question into eloquent speeches and phrases. This is done beautifully in the humble telling of Jane’s life who is by no means exceptional in any way, but possess remarkable courage and determination. Brontë uses her words powerfully and carefully to great effect throughout this novel, challenging and compelling her readers.

However, I would say it feels a little slow moving overall and proves to be quite a commitment. You need to be invested in the character’s life and story overall as it spans many years and thus it is detailed and lengthy. So, if you’re looking for a thrill-a-minute novel to grip your senses, this one may not be for you.

Overall, it was a joy to read (and a tearjerker at points!).

I bought this book with very high hopes, due to the mysterious and magical idea of people being ‘bound’ into books to forget memories that they can no longer live with. It had so much potential!

I’m sad to say that I was very disappointed. Aside from the fact that it is one of the most beautiful books I own (navy hardback with gold embossing and intricate designs), it delivers very poorly inside. “It’s what’s on the inside that counts” is an eye-rolling statement, but it is true. This book seemed to promise the world, and yet it could not give it.

Now that is not to say that this is a bad book. I very much enjoyed the concept of ‘bindings’ and books, which have such different roles in this world Collins creates. This, in principle is a very interesting idea, but I think it could have done with more explaining, for instance, where do binders get their powers from? and what makes them able to extract memories? Added to this, there were several frustrating loose ends left at the end of the book.

It is split into 3 parts. The first was very slow-moving and dragged on without a lot happening for quite some time. It was, however, my favourite part (which doesn’t say a lot for the rest of the book!) because of the beautiful descriptions and peaceful settings created when Collins describes the bindery and the endless months Emmet spends there doing almost the exact same things every day. It is almost rhythmic in the way she writes it. It did however, mean that I struggled to keep reaching for this book though, as not much happens in this part.
Part 2 is a complete contrast to Part 1, and I have to say I didn’t enjoy a lot of it. I felt so bad for Alta that I ended up not liking Emmet, which was’t great when he was the main, narrating character for this part.
Part 3 changed narrators, and took a darker turn. Rape, abuse, suicide, murder, and a host of other dark and dreary events occur, including a pretty bleak, joyless wedding.
Suffice to say, this part wasn’t a very happy or enjoyable read, and I found Lucian unlikeable for most of it.

It took me about a month to read this book, and I think that sums up perfectly just how un-readable I found it.

The redeeming factor is however, the wonderfully original idea of ‘binding’ and binders, and the fresh take on what books really mean, and the power they hold over us. Unfortunately, this particular book has just not done that idea justice.

I listened to this classic, gothic tale on Audiobook (tip - it’s free on iBooks!) and was very much surprised and slightly bewildered to learn that Frankenstein is not so much about the monster, but more about the man who created him and his many sorrows as a result of that.

So has Hollywood has been lying to us all this time?
Well, that’s at least how it looks.
Unfortunately, popular culture has put so much emphasis on the monster himself, and his dramatic creation, (think thunder, lightning, screaming etc, all of which is absent in the book) that the real story is lost.
It isn’t about about the creation of a monster at all.
At least, not wholly, not in its essence.

Frankenstein is a well constructed, thought provoking tale of woe and lament. It is utterly heartbreaking too, with death looming over the creator, Victor Frankenstein’s, life as a constant shadow and torturous companion, much like the “wretch” he creates.

The story follows Victor as he grows up into a curious, clever and accomplished, if very arrogant, young man, willing to test the boundaries of science further than any man.
However, as the story unfolds, we see him cast not into glory and fame from scientific success, but instead into misery and despair from having created such a foul being as he has.
Victor ebbs in and out of crippling anxiousness, mania, grief and helplessness continuously, following the fateful night he creates the “wretch”.
Ever trying to rid himself of the agony that he is in, Frankenstein tries all that he can, in wild desperation, to overcome the demon in some way, while continuously at the mercy of an unrelenting foe.

The windows Shelley creates into Victor’s life and losses make for an immersive read, and you will finish it feeling as if his sorrow is indeed your own.