The Shape of Darkness

A Novel

Paperback, 320 pages

Published by Penguin Books.

ISBN:
978-0-14-313554-8
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4 stars (1 review)

3 editions

Review of 'The Shape of Darkness' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

More of a 3.5 rounded up maybe. I appreciate Purcell’s writing style and how she captures the 1800s without weighing the text down too much. It’s a skill! But this definitely dragged at times, and I felt a little let down in the end. There were certain things tied together that I felt meh about.

I think I enjoyed Pearl’s story more than Agnes’. Pearl’s was the more tense, surprising, and strange. Also gruesome in ways that were very effective for me.

I did feel muddled for much of the middle of the story, such that I didn’t feel like I quite understood where it was headed. I like that feeling in a mystery story.

So far I appreciate how Purcell writes a story more than the plot events themselves, but that goes a long way with me. I’ll still check out her other works.