Scan barcode
lyrasbookshelf's review against another edition
4.25
Loved this one. For the majority of the book, I was so sure it would be around 3 stars for me. Not because there was anything wrong with the story or writing itself. It just seemed a bit slow for my taste. That is, until that incredible twist that changed everything. I expected that it would come at some point, but expecting it didn't prepare me at all.
ancientclassicsmusings's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
readingfar's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lameycollins's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lorrietruck's review
4.0
Back to the quality of the first, rather than the disappointment of the second. And tied threads from book one and two together.
ecleirs23's review against another edition
2.0
Unrealiable narrator genre.... Pass it, if its your first Joanne Harris novel.
jacki_f's review against another edition
3.0
We're in St Oswald's, an English private grammar school in North Yorkshire, the kind that's full of years of tradition and history. Roy Straitley has been a Latin master at the school for thirty four years and is now in his mid 60s. He loves the school and is horrified when a new Headmaster arrives, full of plans to modernise St Oswald's, to introduce technology, to allow girls to attend (!) and generally to ride roughshod over 500 years of tradition.
But Roy also has personal reasons to dislike the new Head. John Harrington is a former pupil. A particularly unpleasant and scheming pupil. "The arrogant, sullen little boy has been reborn as a smiling, smooth-voiced politician," he tells us. "But people rarely change at heart, except in the growing sophistication of their various disguises, and it doesn't take much for me now to see below the surface."
What were Harrington's crimes? We will learn that gradually over the course of the novel, which is told from two perspectives: Straitley in 2005 and an anonymous narrator who was a pupil back in 1981. However the majority of the story is about Harrington's plans to modernise St Oswald's and Straitley's determination to fight him and save his own job.
It's a well written story with rich characters and lots of menace. I enjoyed being immersed in St Oswald's and the mystery of what exactly had happened to whom. There are several twists in the tale that have you smiling at their cleverness. I did feel however that the story is too stretched out and I found myself getting a bit muddled about who was who. If you strip away the fantastic writing, the plot at its heart is fairly far-fetched and silly. It's just that it's very well told.
This is a rough sequel of sorts to "Gentlemen and Players" - it's set in the same school with some of the same characters, but it's intended to also work as a standalone novel. I haven't read the first book and I didn't feel that was an issue but it does get referred to several times and you'd probably enjoy this book more if you have read it.
But Roy also has personal reasons to dislike the new Head. John Harrington is a former pupil. A particularly unpleasant and scheming pupil. "The arrogant, sullen little boy has been reborn as a smiling, smooth-voiced politician," he tells us. "But people rarely change at heart, except in the growing sophistication of their various disguises, and it doesn't take much for me now to see below the surface."
What were Harrington's crimes? We will learn that gradually over the course of the novel, which is told from two perspectives: Straitley in 2005 and an anonymous narrator who was a pupil back in 1981. However the majority of the story is about Harrington's plans to modernise St Oswald's and Straitley's determination to fight him and save his own job.
It's a well written story with rich characters and lots of menace. I enjoyed being immersed in St Oswald's and the mystery of what exactly had happened to whom. There are several twists in the tale that have you smiling at their cleverness. I did feel however that the story is too stretched out and I found myself getting a bit muddled about who was who. If you strip away the fantastic writing, the plot at its heart is fairly far-fetched and silly. It's just that it's very well told.
This is a rough sequel of sorts to "Gentlemen and Players" - it's set in the same school with some of the same characters, but it's intended to also work as a standalone novel. I haven't read the first book and I didn't feel that was an issue but it does get referred to several times and you'd probably enjoy this book more if you have read it.
ngreader's review against another edition
3.0
Okay, so first of all, this is the *second* book in a series which I didn't know, so there are some things that get referenced here, previous mysteries and such, that don't get explanation because they were already explained.
But the real reason why this didn't click with me was simply because I didn't really like our narrator, a crochety old teacher. I can't say what specifically irked me about him but there just wasn't that spark and I find it hard to connect with a book when I don't connect with at least one character. Plus, TRIGGER WARNING, there was child sexual abuse that just never was resolved?? Like, it felt like it got swept under a rug, at least in my opinion.
This review gets another star for a twist I didn't see coming, but ultimately, it just wasn't for me.
But the real reason why this didn't click with me was simply because I didn't really like our narrator, a crochety old teacher. I can't say what specifically irked me about him but there just wasn't that spark and I find it hard to connect with a book when I don't connect with at least one character. Plus, TRIGGER WARNING, there was child sexual abuse that just never was resolved?? Like, it felt like it got swept under a rug, at least in my opinion.
This review gets another star for a twist I didn't see coming, but ultimately, it just wasn't for me.
kyliew52's review against another edition
3.0
A slow starter, but enjoyable. Lots of characters (many with nicknames that I got muddled) and a complicated storyline that I'm not sure I completely followed. I preferred Gentlemen and Players, but would read this again, possibly taking some notes as I go along to help...
Also, some of the descriptions of female teachers are pretty offensive and seem strange as the author is a woman. I know they're meant to be from Straitley's POV, but it still rankled with me.
Also, some of the descriptions of female teachers are pretty offensive and seem strange as the author is a woman. I know they're meant to be from Straitley's POV, but it still rankled with me.
katekoda's review against another edition
3.0
It is rather slow and repetitive. If I had a tenner for every time Mr Straitley has one of his licorice allsorts or says that he remembers his youth better now than what happened yesterday, I'd be able to buy me a fancy new iPhone by the end of the book, perhaps with a pair of really expensive headphones, too.
Then again, I totally fell for a really simple and, in hindsight, obvious misdirection, and the final part of the book had me holding on to my seat. I literally couldn't stop listening.
It's certainly very entertaining, well written, and suitably creepy. (We all know about these English public schools, right? Always something lurking under the surface there.) So, the other two books of Malbry trilogy just went on my To Read list. *sigh*
Then again, I totally fell for a really simple and, in hindsight, obvious misdirection, and the final part of the book had me holding on to my seat. I literally couldn't stop listening.
It's certainly very entertaining, well written, and suitably creepy. (We all know about these English public schools, right? Always something lurking under the surface there.) So, the other two books of Malbry trilogy just went on my To Read list. *sigh*