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The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova

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  • 20-05-2008 10:09pm
    #1
    Green Hornet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,305 ✭✭✭


    Has anybody read "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova? Just finished it and I thought it was a very enjoyable yarn with a bit of history interwoven.


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    #2
    Dades
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 25,558 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dades


    I included it in the "Books to avoid like a bookworm on a diet" thread!

    Had seem some people here talking about it last year and bought it. Only got about 2/3rds through it as it wrecked my head. I don't mind slow moving books with purple prose as long as the plot makes up for it, but there just wasn't enough happening to keep me awake.

    You might like George RR Martin's "Fevre Dream" though. Another good vampyre yarn. :)


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    #3
    Green Hornet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,305 ✭✭✭Green Hornet


    Dades wrote: »
    I included it in the "Books to avoid like a bookworm on a diet" thread!

    Had seem some people here talking about it last year and bought it. Only got about 2/3rds through it as it wrecked my head. I don't mind slow moving books with purple prose as long as the plot makes up for it, but there just wasn't enough happening to keep me awake.

    You might like George RR Martin's "Fevre Dream" though. Another good vampyre yarn. :)
    Cheers. Must have a look.


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    #4
    Lizzykins
    Closed Accounts Posts: 637 ✭✭✭Lizzykins


    I have it on my shelf but haven't started it yet. Got it at a second hand book stall and thought it looked good.


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    #5
    Green Hornet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,305 ✭✭✭Green Hornet


    Lizzykins wrote: »
    I have it on my shelf but haven't started it yet. Got it at a second hand book stall and thought it looked good.
    Thought it was a nice modern take on the old vampire yarns. Atmospheric and intriquing. Not everybody's cup of tea I suppose but I enjoyed it.


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    #6
    ncmc
    Registered Users Posts: 4,852 ✭✭✭ncmc


    Green Hornet wrote: »
    Has anybody read "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova? Just finished it and I thought it was a very enjoyable yarn with a bit of history interwoven.

    I am so frustrated by this book, I picked it up in a bookshop because I thought the story sounded interesting, it took me two attempts to actually start the book, but once I got in to it I started to quite enjoy it. However about half way through, the story just grinds to a halt, I have only 100 pages to go so don't want to give up on it at this stage, but I am really struggling to finish it. I am normally quite a fast reader, but have been shlepping through this for about 4 weeks now!

    I don't mind a slow burning book if it actually gets somewhere in the end, but this book just takes the biscuit. I don't know what bothers me most about it, the stilted dialogue, the incredible and ludicrous coincidences we are supposed to believe in or the pages and pages of transcripts from historical documents that have little or no relevence to the story. No, what bothers me most about the book is that it could have been good, even great had it been ruthlessly edited and about 300 pages of excess dross taken out of it. I would be suprised if this book even got glanced at by an editor. It seems to me that the author indulged herself by including every minutae of Dracula folklore that she learned in her research to the major detriment of the book.

    I'm afraid when I (finally) finish this book, it will be straight to the second hand shop, I couldn't inflict it on anyone I know or love!


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    #7
    Lizzykins
    Closed Accounts Posts: 637 ✭✭✭Lizzykins


    I'm about 100 pages into it and I must say I'm enjoying it. I'll reserve final judgement until the end though.


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    #8
    dudara
    Registered Users Posts: 33,518 ✭✭✭✭dudara


    I remember reading it about 2 years ago - being initially interested and enjoying it, and then finding that it faded away. Kate Mosse's book "The Labyrinth" left me with the same feeling.


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    #9
    ncmc
    Registered Users Posts: 4,852 ✭✭✭ncmc


    dudara wrote: »
    I remember reading it about 2 years ago - being initially interested and enjoying it, and then finding that it faded away. Kate Mosse's book "The Labyrinth" left me with the same feeling.

    It's funny that you say that about Labyrinth, I had the exact same feeling about Kate Mosse's second book, Sepelchure. I really enjoyed it while I was reading it, to the extent that I was actually looking forward to going to bed to read a few pages, but as soon as I finished it and looked back on it, I reaslised it was awful rubbish!

    Well, I finally finished 'The Historian', I thought the end was terribley poor, I think this one goes on the 'live and learn' pile!


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    #10
    Lizzykins
    Closed Accounts Posts: 637 ✭✭✭Lizzykins


    I'm only 100 pages from the end and it has me gripped. I'm dying to find out what happens.


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    #11
    Lizzykins
    Closed Accounts Posts: 637 ✭✭✭Lizzykins


    I finished it at 1.45 this morning! I absolutely loved the whole book and the atmosphere it generated. I'll be passing it on to a few people.


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    #12
    Green Hornet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,305 ✭✭✭Green Hornet


    Lizzykins wrote: »
    I finished it at 1.45 this morning! I absolutely loved the whole book and the atmosphere it generated. I'll be passing it on to a few people.
    Glad to see that you liked it too. I also thought it created a good atmosphere.


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