Search This Blog
June Reviews Link-Up
July Reviews Link-Up
August Reviews Link-Up
September Reviews Link-Up
October Reviews Link-Up
November Reviews Link-Up
December Reviews Link-Up
2024 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama (1)
- Alaska
- Arizona (1)
- Arkansas
- California (3)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois (1)
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky (1)
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland
- Massachusetts (2)
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (2)
- North Carolina (2)
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma (1)
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (2)
- Utah
- Vermont (2)
- Virginia (1)
- Washington (2)
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.*
International:
- Australia (1)
- Canada (1)
- England (7)
- France (1)
- Indonesia (1)
- Ireland (2)
- Italy (1)
- Scotland (2)
- The Netherlands (1)
2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Despite Lovely Prose, Hawthorne Historical a Long, Dull Read
9:38 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Crippling headaches, brought on by her painting, keep Sophia Peabody out of society. Although she remains isolated because of her health, her artwork and lively journals attract attention from the outside world. Most especially from a shy, reclusive writer named Nathaniel Hawthorne. The couple fall quickly in love. Although Sophia pines for marriage, Nathaniel hesitates because of financial concerns. Finally, the two wed, joining their lives and artistic temperaments. It's a coupling beset by the usual challenges, not the least of which is trying to balance their creative lives with the requirements of home and family. Through the trials, their love endures, sustaining them both ...
It's difficult to describe The House of Hawthorne, a fictional imagining of a real-life marriage . Indeed, the story, written by Erika Robuck, runs very thin on plot, even thinner on action. While the book's quiet prose is quite lovely, poetic in many places, the narrative drags, making for a long, often dull read. The fact that I found Sophia whiny and annoying didn't help matters. The House of Hawthorne has many beautiful passages, as well as some intriguing thoughts on how art and love mingle—or don't—but, overall, the book put me to sleep. I finished it, but it felt more like a feat of endurance than enjoyment.
(Readalikes: Hm, I can't think of anything. You?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for sexual innuendo and content
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of The House of Hawthorne from the generous folks at Penguin. Thank you!
1 comment:
Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.
P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(Atom)
Reading
Listening
Followin' with Bloglovin'
-
-
Time Travel Thursday1 hour ago
-
-
Loyally Luke Review + giveaway4 hours ago
-
#ThrowbackThursday. Stephen Fry in America5 hours ago
-
-
-
The Wild Lavender Bookshop by Jodi Thomas10 hours ago
-
Daily Prompt 15 May Wednesday12 hours ago
-
-
World of Books ~ Review21 hours ago
-
Review: One of the Girls by Lucy Clarke23 hours ago
-
-
Spoon To Be Dead By Dana Mentink1 day ago
-
Very Bad Company by Emma Rosenblum1 day ago
-
Displaced Persons - Joan Leegant1 day ago
-
Reading Recap April 20241 day ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Bridge to Bat City3 days ago
-
-
Blood Rubies by Mailan Doquang5 days ago
-
-
-
-
47. The One and Only Family1 week ago
-
A bit of catching up1 week ago
-
-
May TBR2 weeks ago
-
-
-
-
March Monthly Wrap-up1 month ago
-
-
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?7 months ago
-
6/25/23 Extra Ezra10 months ago
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?1 year ago
-
-
-
-
-
Grab my Button!
Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ▼ 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ► 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)
Aww what a shame. I keep reading books lately where just not enough is happening. Sadly this one sounds the same.
ReplyDelete