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opalamber's review
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
brenommk's review
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
lukescalone's review against another edition
2.0
This is a hard book to review--I didn't like it much but was determined to finish it. It functions almost as a "transitional" piece in English-language literature, and is one of the first good examples of an American epistolary novel. The neo-classical heritage of the book is clear and, in some ways, the writing style reminds me a little bit of [b:The Sorrows of Young Werther|16640|The Sorrows of Young Werther|Johann Wolfgang von Goethe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386920896l/16640._SY75_.jpg|746264]. I think Brown recognizes this, and he very much looks to Germany for inspiration. At the same time, it's almost a precursor for the Gothic Romantic novel and functions on some level as a case of psychological horror.
I don't really know what to make of the message or of the characters. It took me until about a quarter of the way through to be able to focus well, and it took me way too long to realize that the narrator was a woman named Clara. Brown is scathing towards religious fanaticism here, and that's really emblematic of the Neo-Classical nature of the book, but Carwin's character is much more ambiguous. He's a villain until the very end of the novel, but this also isn't treated as a story of his redemption. Pleyel seems to be little more than a dramatic device without any real impact on the direction of the story.
Ultimately, the story isn't particularly character-driven. It's almost like they're on rails, simply playing the roles given to them without actually guiding the story. This is a shame, because the best (later) psychological horror is essentially character-driven. Nevertheless, I am glad that I took the time to read this, but I likely won't ever come back to it again.
I don't really know what to make of the message or of the characters. It took me until about a quarter of the way through to be able to focus well, and it took me way too long to realize that the narrator was a woman named Clara. Brown is scathing towards religious fanaticism here, and that's really emblematic of the Neo-Classical nature of the book, but Carwin's character is much more ambiguous. He's a villain until the very end of the novel, but this also isn't treated as a story of his redemption. Pleyel seems to be little more than a dramatic device without any real impact on the direction of the story.
Ultimately, the story isn't particularly character-driven. It's almost like they're on rails, simply playing the roles given to them without actually guiding the story. This is a shame, because the best (later) psychological horror is essentially character-driven. Nevertheless, I am glad that I took the time to read this, but I likely won't ever come back to it again.
rebeccamadsn's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
jessbertolini's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
booksmellers's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
elisemiddletonxo's review
3.0
It has definitely been challenging trying to reacquaint myself with the language of the late 1700s, and I'd say this book was mostly worth it. Imaginative and at times gripping, it was often atmospheric and unsettling as the various misfortunes landed at Clara Wieland's feet. However, as with a lot of texts of the time, I found myself skim reading as I wanted the narrative to stop waffling and get to the point - the climactic scenes were engaging, but sometimes the bits in between felt surplus to requirement. An interesting read, but certainly not a leisurely one.
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