A book that's mostly about archival research, about historians digging through sources and coming up with clues on where to go next on a hunt for Dracula? In lesser hands, this would have been a very dull book - but Kostova manages to make this work even though the book has some serious issues.
I found myself, at times, flabbergasted and somewhat annoyed by several very fortuitous plot events (the dreaded "amnesia" plot element was the most confounding one) but the worst of them are explained by a decent plot development later on.
But her descriptions of all the locations the characters visit on their hunt more than make up for the frustration, as does the deep dive into history (made up or actual) in order to tell a good story.
Not a great book perhaps, but still very much worth the effort if you like horror, mystery and in …
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Scordatura finished reading Woman in White Annotated Wilkie Collins Best Book by Wilkie Collins
Wilkie Collins: Woman in White Annotated Wilkie Collins Best Book (2020, Independently Published)
Woman in White Annotated Wilkie Collins Best Book by Wilkie Collins
The Woman in White famously opens with Walter Hartright's eerie encounter on a moonlit London road. Engaged as a drawing …
Scordatura wants to read Hannah Arendt by Elisabeth Young-Bruehl
Scordatura started reading Woman in White Annotated Wilkie Collins Best Book by Wilkie Collins
Wilkie Collins: Woman in White Annotated Wilkie Collins Best Book (2020, Independently Published)
Woman in White Annotated Wilkie Collins Best Book by Wilkie Collins
The Woman in White famously opens with Walter Hartright's eerie encounter on a moonlit London road. Engaged as a drawing …
Scordatura rated Leningrad : Siege and Symphony: 5 stars
Scordatura finished reading Leningrad : Siege and Symphony by Brian Moynahan
Scordatura wants to read De storm die wij vooruitgang noemen by Arianne Baggerman
Scordatura set a goal to read 15 books in 2025
Scordatura started reading Mozart by Jan Swafford
Scordatura finished reading The Golden Fool by Robin Hobb
Scordatura finished reading The Collected Novellas of Stefan Zweig by Stefan Zweig
The Collected Novellas of Stefan Zweig by Stefan Zweig
The Royal Game (also known as Chess Story; in the original German Schachnovelle, "Chess Novella") is a novella by the …
Scordatura rated The Shallows: 4 stars
Scordatura rated The Dispossessed: 5 stars
The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
Shevek, a brilliant physicist, decides to take action. He will seek answers, question the unquestionable, and attempt to tear down …
Scordatura rated Fool's Assassin: 5 stars
Fool's Assassin by Robin Hobb (Fitz and the Fool, #1)
Scordatura reviewed The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
To you, perceptive reader, I bequeath my history....Late one night, exploring her father's library, a …
None
3 stars
A book that's mostly about archival research, about historians digging through sources and coming up with clues on where to go next on a hunt for Dracula? In lesser hands, this would have been a very dull book - but Kostova manages to make this work even though the book has some serious issues.
I found myself, at times, flabbergasted and somewhat annoyed by several very fortuitous plot events (the dreaded "amnesia" plot element was the most confounding one) but the worst of them are explained by a decent plot development later on.
But her descriptions of all the locations the characters visit on their hunt more than make up for the frustration, as does the deep dive into history (made up or actual) in order to tell a good story.
Not a great book perhaps, but still very much worth the effort if you like horror, mystery and in particular historical and archival thrillers. It reminded me of Mary Gentle's [b:Ash: A Secret History|808670|Ash A Secret History (Book of Ash, #1-4)|Mary Gentle|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1446742748l/808670.SY75.jpg|13389889] which to me is a huge compliment.