Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
reflective
sad
Beautiful writing and imagery. I loved this book up until the ending, which felt unsatisfying. I don't think I have an issue with the events at the end, but the way these are portrayed. It feels like the author wants to portray all major characters with sympathy and to tell a story that incorporates forgiveness. To me, the end feels much more tragic than I think was perhaps intended.The selkie remembers his past after touching his ruined sealskin, but he can never return to the ocean. He remembers the passion and love he felt for Flora, and he wonders if he could love her again. The last sentences are written as though there is hope for reconciliation after such a betrayal, but what other choice does the selkie have? He cannot return to the sea. To leave Flora and the village would be to abandon his daughter. His entire identity has been stolen from him, and he has nothing, so he stays with the woman who shows no compassion for him. We know that Flora lives in a time when women did not have the rights of men, and Flora's limited options in life are described a couple of times; but this theme is not explored nearly enough to balance the selkie's suffering. The only character with a hopeful future is the selkie's and Flora's daughter.
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Joanne Harris is a master at story telling and this is an engaging, fairytale like showcase of her talent. I have only before read of stories that have women as selkies trapped on land by humans, but here Harris flips the narrative and has men from the sea coaxed to shore by women of the land. A short and enjoyable read.
So I really wanted to like this - I enjoy myths/modern myths and this dinky book is so terribly beautiful, a lovely binding littered with charming illustrations. However, it all felt a little preachy and I didn't enjoy the way it portrayed women as scheming, selfish creatures and men as the wayward sex whom hold no responsibility for their actions. I wasn't sure about the message the author was trying to get across and I didn't like a single character in the tale.
For me this was a pretty book that told a terribly depressing tale. It was well written and easy to read but it's not a book I would go back to to read again and again.
For me this was a pretty book that told a terribly depressing tale. It was well written and easy to read but it's not a book I would go back to to read again and again.
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes