Post by caskur on Dec 28, 2013 0:20:19 GMT 10
Finished the book, “The Historian” by Elizabeth Kostova. I’d like to give it a good review buy I can’t. It took the reader halfway through it until it started to get a bit more interesting and it did hold my interest from that point on until the end but I can hardly say I was a great read and I’ll tell you why later… I did check out the reviews online and agreed with them.
I can see it becoming a movie though. I think it could be a good one if you’re interested in vampire hunting and quite visually splendid if movie makers keep true to the scenery as described in the book.
Why I found the read a little tedious was the constant description of the surroundings and what they ate at every meal as if she was stretching out the story and needed page filling. That was kind of obvious. There were not too many anti-climax events to enthrall the reader and that was a let down, imo.
The book had zero humour in it and was completely devoid of wit. If dreary seriousness is your thing then it’s the book for you!!
Did I learn anything? I guess I learned a couple of things about Constantinople being overthrown by the Muslims ( although I did learn a bit about it during Art History on Istanbul’s architecture at college in the 1990s ) and that the word Balkans means mountains in the Turkish language but that’s about it. I actually like authors who teach me something while I’m reading novels but this one didn’t meet that criteria!
The story was unfolded through various letters that didn’t sound like letters at all. I thought that was a bit silly. Oh well, I have finished it and now I can returned the book I’ve held on to unrightfully for two years back to the other person who borrowed it as well…lol
I wonder if the owner misses it?
I can see it becoming a movie though. I think it could be a good one if you’re interested in vampire hunting and quite visually splendid if movie makers keep true to the scenery as described in the book.
Why I found the read a little tedious was the constant description of the surroundings and what they ate at every meal as if she was stretching out the story and needed page filling. That was kind of obvious. There were not too many anti-climax events to enthrall the reader and that was a let down, imo.
The book had zero humour in it and was completely devoid of wit. If dreary seriousness is your thing then it’s the book for you!!
Did I learn anything? I guess I learned a couple of things about Constantinople being overthrown by the Muslims ( although I did learn a bit about it during Art History on Istanbul’s architecture at college in the 1990s ) and that the word Balkans means mountains in the Turkish language but that’s about it. I actually like authors who teach me something while I’m reading novels but this one didn’t meet that criteria!
The story was unfolded through various letters that didn’t sound like letters at all. I thought that was a bit silly. Oh well, I have finished it and now I can returned the book I’ve held on to unrightfully for two years back to the other person who borrowed it as well…lol
I wonder if the owner misses it?