Search This Blog
April Reviews Link-Up
May Reviews Link-Up
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
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- 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
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (1)
- Utah
- Vermont (1)
- Virginia (1)
- Washington (1)
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.*
International:
- Australia (1)
- Canada (1)
- England (7)
- France (1)
- Indonesia (1)
- Ireland (1)
- 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!
Subscribe to:
Posts
(Atom)
Reading
Listening
Followin' with Bloglovin'
-
Bookish Quote of the Day!!3 hours ago
-
-
Daily Prompt 26 April Friday7 hours ago
-
Book Blogger Hop – TV or Book12 hours ago
-
-
-
-
Audiobook: The Mango Tree18 hours ago
-
FO Friday: SaltPixie Studio Rolags18 hours ago
-
Home is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose19 hours ago
-
The Lady of Larkspur Vale23 hours ago
-
Need a laugh?1 day ago
-
-
Long Time Dead by T M Payne1 day ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Final Cut by Marjorie McCown2 days ago
-
-
-
-
Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth3 days ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Reading as a retreat from reality1 week ago
-
Reading Recap March 20242 weeks ago
-
-
March Monthly Wrap-up3 weeks ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?6 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)