booksbythewindow's reviews
97 reviews

(Full review to come)

Summary:  The Well of Lost Plots continues the story of Thursday Next, who is taking refuge in an unpublished detective novel, taking the place of one of the characters there. While there, she meets the existing characters: those who are named, with depth and other relationships, and the Generics, who are background characters with little depth to them at the outset. As Thursday continues to work for Miss Havisham, they start to notice strange things beginning to happen as a mysterious plot unfolds in the background which could have deadly consequences.

Overall Thoughts:  I really enjoyed being back in the world of Thursday Next. The Well of Lost Plots may not be my favourite of the series, but it was definitely very engaging, with high emotional stakes, entertaining characters, and interesting world development. As always, one of the joys of reading the Thursday Next series is the way in which it explores the literary world, from the inner workings of writing to all the literary allusions Fforde mentions. One interesting insight that Fforde gives the reader in The Well of Lost Plots is how a character can go from a blank canvas ‘Generic’ to a primary or secondary character. I would recommend the Thursday Next series to those who enjoy the writing style of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy as well as anyone who enjoys metatextual reads with lots of literature and writing aspects incorporated into the worldbuilding. 

(Full review to come)

Summary:  Awu’s Story begins with the eponymous Awu, the second wife of Obame Afane, after the

death of his first wife

. While Obame mourns the death of the wife he loved and Awu reflects on her position in life, both as a wife and as a woman in the village, their lives are complicated by taking in a relative in trouble. Finding themselves at the centre of the tension between the old traditions of the village and the new generation, Awu and Obame develop a newfound respect for each other in their partnership until a tragedy upheaves the life they had built together.

Overall Thoughts:  Awu’s Story is a very short narrative with a number of pivotal events depicted by Mintsa. However, one of the most interesting aspects of the novel for me was the interplay between the older generation, and those who hold to the old traditions, and the rest of the village, who are intrigued by the modern life that is encroaching on the village. Mintsa depicts all of this is a very matter-of-fact way, bringing the traditions to the readers attention whilst also pointing out the devastating flaws of the modern system being brought into the village. Through all this, it is the character of Awu which shines through on every page, even when she is in the background, as she quietly works towards building a life that is more in-keeping with her values.  I enjoyed reading Awu’s Story and found it an interesting insight into the tension between the new and the old in Gabon. Although I would recommend Awu’s Story to anyone who is interested in reading more international literature and particularly women in translation, I would be careful about who I gave that recommendation to as I do think that the final third of the novel might prove to be too brutal for some. 

You can read my full review here: https://booksbythewindow.wordpress.com/2023/05/17/little-fires-everywhere/

Summary:  Little Fires Everywhere follows two families, the Richardsons and the Warrens, as their lives become intertwined after Mia Warren and her daughter Pearl become tenants of the Richardsons. As Pearl becomes enamoured with the lives of the Richardson children, the Richardson’s youngest child, Izzy, starts to connect with Pearl’s mother, Mia. With tensions in their neighbourhood and community coming to a head over an adoption case, the complex relationships between the two families strain and push them further towards tragedy.

Overall Thoughts: This was a great escapist read that I finished very quickly, finding it to be very engaging with interesting characters. As with Everything I Never Told You, the strength of Little Fires Everywhere lies in the way that Ng writes her characters, especially in the distinctiveness of voice which each character has. There are definitely more characters and perspectives included in Little Fires Everywhere than Everything I Never Told You and it did dilute the narrative a little, making the characters feel as though they had a little less depth than in Everything I Never Told You.  However,  I did still really enjoy Little Fires Everywhere, and particularly its dramatic opening. I would definitely recommend this as a good holiday read or a mystery to be jumped into and absorbed by. 

You can read my full review here: https://booksbythewindow.wordpress.com/2023/05/10/pachinko/

Summary:  Beginning in a small island in Korea during Japanese rule, Pachinko follows the generations of one Korean family as they move to Osaka in Japan. When Sunja finds herself in a situation that threatens her reputation on the island of Yeongdo, Isak, staying in the family lodging house, offers to marry her and take her to Japan where he will be taking a job as an assistant minister in a church. As they raise their two sons in Osaka, they find life is much harder than they ever could have expected and they are going to have to live differently to keep their family safe in the face of prejudice and poverty.

Overall Thoughts: Pachinko was one of my favourite reads of the year so far and one that I was not able to put down. Spanning four generations of one family, it is a tribute to the Lee’s character work that Pachinko has such an impact from beginning to end. Each character is distinct and engaging from the others, full of complex motivations and responses to the struggles in their lives. In addition to the strong character work, Lee also is able to evoke the different eras and changing sights of Korea and Japan very effectively. As someone who only had a little knowledge about early 20th Century Japan, Lee’s descriptions of this time in Pachinko helped to bring alive the world and difficulty that the characters are facing. I can see why Pachinko was so highly recommended to me and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys either historical fiction or generational narratives. I am very glad I finally picked this novel up and am looking forward to reading more of Min Jin Lee’s writing. 

You can read my full review here: https://booksbythewindow.wordpress.com/2023/05/03/shadow-of-the-fox/

Summary: The first novel in a trilogy, Shadow of the Fox follows the two perspectives of Yumeko, a kitsune who has been brought up in a temple by monks protecting a piece of an ancient, powerful scroll, and Tatsumi, an assassin with a powerful, demon-possessed sword sent to retrieve the scroll by any means possible. After the temple where Yumeko lives is destroyed, the two find themselves unexpectedly embarking on a journey together to find answers as a dark magic begins to be unleashed in the very heart of the empire.

Overall Thoughts: This first instalment of the trilogy has been an engaging introduction to the story and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy. Kagawa has created a fascinating world filled with interesting magic and creatures which the reader sees through the sheltered Yumeko’s eyes; the journey narrative allows Kagawa to introduce the reader to different places and creatures that fill out the world and show that there is so much more to discover in the rest of the narrative. However, the draw for most readers to this series will be the characters and their interactions together. I found it particularly engaging that both Yumeko and Tatsumi are keeping very real secrets from each other that are more than just plot devices: there would be dangerous repercussions for both of them if they were to be honest about their motivations. Overall, Shadow of the Fox was a fun, engaging novel that was a great piece of escapism to read on my lunchbreaks. 

Read my full review here: https://booksbythewindow.wordpress.com/2023/04/26/the-professor/

Summary: The Professor follows William Crimsworth as he reaches a crossroads in his life and finds himself unsure which path to take as he thinks about his future career. An unexpected connection leads him to move to Brussels and take employment as a teacher both in a boys’ school and the neighbouring girls’ school. There he encounters Frances Henri, a young teacher at the school who starts to take his classes in order to learn English, and Zoraïde Reuter, the headmistress of the girls’ school who has a hidden agenda in hiring him.

Overall Thoughts:  Although I love Charlotte Brontë’s writing, I have never liked the male characters in her novels: they rarely treat the female protagonists well and many of their shortcomings are glossed over in the narratives. The Professor is written from the perspective of one of these male characters meaning that, in addition to seeing how poorly Crimsworth speaks to the women in his life, the reader is also given an insight into how awful his thoughts are with regards to those around him. Crimsworth, although presented to the reader as a heroic figure, rescuing Frances from her position, is in no way a sympathetic protagonist and the more I read of the narrative, the more I disliked him. 

It is not often that I write fully negative reviews, and I should be clear that a large part of my disappointment in The Professor is because of how much I love Charlotte Brontë’s other novels and writing. In my opinion there are only small glimpses here and there of the aspects of Brontë’s writing that will shine in her later novels. This would not be a novel that I recommend, although it has been helpful in gaining a fuller picture of Brontë’s development as a writer.   

(Full review to come.)

Summary:  The narrative of The Day of the Triffids follows Bill Masen, a biologist who is in the hospital after receiving a sting from one of the invasive giant plants that have appeared all around the worlds: triffids. Waking up in the hospital, Bill discovers that he is one of the few people in the world who can see after a meteor shower mysteriously blinds everyone who watched it. As the world descends further and further into chaos, with systems and institutions failing overnight and people turning on each other, Bill develops a bond with novelist Josella which will be tested as the worsening situation separates them. To make things even more dire, Bill starts to realise that the chaos of the human world has had an unexpected consequence: the triffids are starting to takeover in a way that appears organised.

Overall Thoughts:  Despite having heard a lot about The Day of the Triffids, I really had little idea of what the novel was actually about. I was expecting something similar to The War of the Worlds but the initial chapters, depicting Bill’s growing realisation about the blindness of those around him, included some extremely dark moments that took me by surprise. In those opening chapters, Wyndham successfully sets the stakes of the events unfolding around Bill: society has completely broken down with brutally deadly consequences. This was an gripping, tense narrative which very much felt as though it could be set in any twentieth and twenty-first century era. I would definitely recommend this for those who enjoy science-fiction and dystopian novels, particularly those who have an interest in classic science-fiction. Overall,  I was glad to have read The Day of the Triffids and I was definitely surprised by how much I enjoyed it. 

(Full review to come)

Summary:  The Familiars follows the story of Fleetwood Shuttleworth, who is very ill with her pregnancy after having suffered several miscarriages. The discovery of a letter that indicates her husband, Richard, has been keeping hidden the true health danger that she is in prompts Fleetwood to start taking some decisions on her own, beginning with the hiring of a mid-wife through a chance encounter with Alice Gray. In the midst of the growing fear of witches in the area, Fleetwood begins to realise that Alice’s unorthodox approach to midwifery might lead them both into danger, particularly as Richard is good friends with many of those involved in prosecuting any witches found. As Fleetwood’s pregnancy and the trials approach a climax, she takes desperate measures to prove the innocence of her friend, forcing those around her to decide where their own loyalties lie.

Overall Thoughts:  Halls’ strength in The Familiars lies in her ability to evoke the atmosphere and tension of this particular period of Lancashire history. The fear of strangers and accusations permeate every conversation and interaction that Fleetwood has with those around her, building throughout the novel as Fleetwood’s awareness of the situation grows. However, I struggled to connect with many of the characters and particularly with the protagonist, Fleetwood. On the one hand, she is an easy character to sympathise with, being in a position where she has no agency of her own and no-one to turn to in her dark moments. On the other hand, despite her friendship with Alice, she does remain very internally focused throughout the narrative, only becoming aware of the injustices and power imbalances surrounding her once they start to affect her inner circle. Despite the lack of connection with the protagonist, The Familiars was overall a really enjoyable, engaging read that brings a tragic part of history to life. As a novel, it gave me exactly what I was looking for at the time I read it: a narrative to be absorbed by while I was travelling. 

For full review: https://booksbythewindow.wordpress.com/2023/04/05/the-secret-diaries-of-charles-ignatius-sancho/

Summary: The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho follows the eponymous character from his birth to the moment of his life for which he is most well known: becoming the first Black man to vote in England. The narrative is written from the perspective of Sancho in his last years, explaining his diary entries to his son. He explains the circumstances of his birth, his childhood living with his three guardians, his struggles to find jobs as a young adult, and his developing relationship with his wife. Each chapter features interjections and explanations from Sancho’s older self, filling in context and the gaps from his younger writing.

Overall Thoughts:  I found The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho to be an interesting and engaging introduction to Sancho’s life, although I struggled a little with the writing style and narrative structure.

Sancho is an engaging protagonist: though flawed in many ways, he is someone that the reader can’t help but root for, especially given his struggles throughout his life. With everything stacked against him and treated with horrific racism by those who should have cared for him, the reader rejoices with Sancho in his moments of triumph, big or small, as he makes a life for himself.

The element of The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho that I did not enjoy was the narrative framing: I found the interjections from Sancho’s older self to be a little unnecessary and, in many cases, led to too much telling rather than showing. 

Overall, however, this was a novel that I enjoyed and would recommend to others with an interest in British history. I think that this would be a good read for a young adult audience as well as an adult audience as Sancho is definitely not someone that I remember studying at school and he is an important historical figure. The Secret Diaries of Charlies Ignatius Sancho has definitely moved Sancho’s real-life letters up my to-read list and I will be trying to read them later this year. 

For full review: https://booksbythewindow.wordpress.com/2023/03/29/all-the-horses-of-iceland/

Summary: All the Horses of Iceland follows Eyvind, a man from Iceland who joins a group of traders hoping to buy horses from Mongolia to bring and sell all the way back in Iceland. During the long and dangerous journey, which takes several years, Eyvind meets an eclectic group of characters and stumbles unexpectedly into a supernatural situation that will have a lasting impact on him and the mythology of Iceland.

Overall Thoughts: As is often the case with a mythological narrative, it took me a little while to adjust to the writing style and, particularly, the matter-of-fact way in which Tolmie takes the reader quickly from one incident to another with little time to reflect. For me, the middle section of the narrative, in which Eyvind, David, and the rest of the traders come to rest and negotiate with one of the Monogolian villages only to discover that the village is dealing with a draining supernatural crisis, was the most engaging part of Eyvind’s journey.

Overall, I enjoyed this novella and it was a quick read once I adjusted to the writing style. I thought that the protagonist was interesting and grounded the mythological elements of the narrative well, although I perhaps would have liked to see more of the longer term effects of his journey towards the end. I would recommend All the Horses of Iceland to those who enjoy mythological or legend-based narratives, particularly traditional fairy tales or folk tales as the writing style is similar.