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A review by daisyheadmaesie
The Broken Hours by Jacqueline Baker
5.0
4.5 flickering lamps out of 5
I remember, when reading the collection of works on Cthulhu, being caught up in the mystery of H. P. Lovecraft. Such a somber, misunderstood man he seemed to be— as most famous literary types, I suppose.
This was a delicious read indeed, albeit intensifying that curiosity more than satisfying. Its deeply melancholic atmosphere, accompanied by a quick-witted and nearly frenzied dialogue, is reminiscent of The Great Gatsby. So much so that I wonder if Baker has Fitzgerald on her list of favourite authors. He most definitely figures on mine, so it’s no wonder why I was instantly entranced by her writing style.
To those looking for a gentle thriller with a relieving ending should put The Broken Hours down at once. This cast of characters, all mourning a loss of their own, is desperate for importance, for luck, for a colorful future that will outshine their bleakly grey lives. Toying with the reader’s understanding of imagination and reality, Baker reminds us that the worst kind of ghost is the living kind.
The reason it did not receive 5 stars is because I was truly hoping for some answers regarding two specific characters that were introduced. I feel their presence left me confused, their reactions/motives not justified. Though maybe that was the point, I feel like I would’ve better grasped the ending had I received more information on them in those final pages. If you’ve read this book and would like to discuss it, message me! :)
“When I crossed the room and shut the door, the hair stood on end all up the back of my neck. Though it was light outside, the shadows hung heavily in the corners. I felt a thickness in my throat, as if I could not swallow: that presence I had felt always on the landing and the second floor, it had followed me inside.
It was in my room.”
I remember, when reading the collection of works on Cthulhu, being caught up in the mystery of H. P. Lovecraft. Such a somber, misunderstood man he seemed to be— as most famous literary types, I suppose.
This was a delicious read indeed, albeit intensifying that curiosity more than satisfying. Its deeply melancholic atmosphere, accompanied by a quick-witted and nearly frenzied dialogue, is reminiscent of The Great Gatsby. So much so that I wonder if Baker has Fitzgerald on her list of favourite authors. He most definitely figures on mine, so it’s no wonder why I was instantly entranced by her writing style.
To those looking for a gentle thriller with a relieving ending should put The Broken Hours down at once. This cast of characters, all mourning a loss of their own, is desperate for importance, for luck, for a colorful future that will outshine their bleakly grey lives. Toying with the reader’s understanding of imagination and reality, Baker reminds us that the worst kind of ghost is the living kind.
The reason it did not receive 5 stars is because I was truly hoping for some answers regarding two specific characters that were introduced. I feel their presence left me confused, their reactions/motives not justified. Though maybe that was the point, I feel like I would’ve better grasped the ending had I received more information on them in those final pages. If you’ve read this book and would like to discuss it, message me! :)