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hollielou's review against another edition
4.0
This was a book that the algorithm suggested and I’m glad I trusted it. From the synopsis it doesn’t seem my vibe - the devil’s daughter, magic realism - but I actually really got into it. It’s about a tenement in Edinburgh and all the occupants over the course of a hundred years.
igarrioc's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This book is chilling. Definitely a tense one that did keep me interested enough to keep reading but I can’t pick out any part that actually particularly interested me. I liked the historical side of being in Edinburgh but didn’t like any of the characters enough to deeply care about their plot lines.
amelianotthepilot's review against another edition
2.5
not gonna lie i was really excited to read this one and it didn't wholly meet my expectations.
the story is set in Edinburgh following various people in various times throughout the 1900s around WWII. it was sort of like a series of short stories where each chapter was a different person but they were all connected through living in Luckenbooth which a tenement building that used to exist in the middle of the Royal Mile next to St Giles. The outline of this building still exists today in gold bricks marking the foundation. While that is a fascinating origin for a historical fiction and I found the characters and writing style interesting the book was a bit slow for me. Because each chapter is almost a completely random person in this building, in different flats and occasionally different times, I found it hard to keep track of who was where, when. In the end they all tie together sort of but overall it just seemed like each chapter was a new person and nothing really mattered. I honestly could not tell you any of the character's names or recall how many there are or what each one did.
In general, the story was very queer which was fun and it felt like it was really showing a microcosm of different Edinburgh cultures using slang and different speech patterns but overall I felt lost. It also didn't help that the author is one of those writers who doesn't use quotation or speech signifiers to tell you who is speaking. (I could mostly understand who was talking but there were many times I just knew two people were talking and that's it) I think the lack of standard quotations really affected my ability to connect with the characters and follow the story since I couldn't tell the characters apart.
It also had a magical/demon plot line and a 'Edinburgh's effects from WWII' plot line throughout but it just sorta seemed like too much was going on. I think maybe this would make a good tv show.
The concept is really interesting but overall it was eh and I wouldn't really recommend it.
the story is set in Edinburgh following various people in various times throughout the 1900s around WWII. it was sort of like a series of short stories where each chapter was a different person but they were all connected through living in Luckenbooth which a tenement building that used to exist in the middle of the Royal Mile next to St Giles. The outline of this building still exists today in gold bricks marking the foundation. While that is a fascinating origin for a historical fiction and I found the characters and writing style interesting the book was a bit slow for me. Because each chapter is almost a completely random person in this building, in different flats and occasionally different times, I found it hard to keep track of who was where, when. In the end they all tie together sort of but overall it just seemed like each chapter was a new person and nothing really mattered. I honestly could not tell you any of the character's names or recall how many there are or what each one did.
In general, the story was very queer which was fun and it felt like it was really showing a microcosm of different Edinburgh cultures using slang and different speech patterns but overall I felt lost. It also didn't help that the author is one of those writers who doesn't use quotation or speech signifiers to tell you who is speaking. (I could mostly understand who was talking but there were many times I just knew two people were talking and that's it) I think the lack of standard quotations really affected my ability to connect with the characters and follow the story since I couldn't tell the characters apart.
It also had a magical/demon plot line and a 'Edinburgh's effects from WWII' plot line throughout but it just sorta seemed like too much was going on. I think maybe this would make a good tv show.
The concept is really interesting but overall it was eh and I wouldn't really recommend it.
ronronia's review against another edition
4.0
El diablo tiene una hija. En Edimburgo hay un edificio de 10 plantas de alquiler. El casero maltrata a su novia. No pueden tener hijos. El casero le compra la hija al diablo para embarazarla y quedarse con el niño. Esto ya se ve que no puede acabar bien. Pero la historia es del edificio y su maldición. A través de los años. De sus inquilinos. Y está escrita así, con frases cortas. Como de lectura fácil. Al final, irrita un poco, lo de las frases cortas.
Hay historias, suficientes historias, y Fagan es poeta, su lenguaje es, a veces, rico y lírico, pero lo de las frases cortas me lo estropea un poco.
3,5⭐, pero me ha dejado con ganas de leer Panopticon.
Hay historias, suficientes historias, y Fagan es poeta, su lenguaje es, a veces, rico y lírico, pero lo de las frases cortas me lo estropea un poco.
3,5⭐, pero me ha dejado con ganas de leer Panopticon.
otterlybookish's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
thebookcloector's review
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
veerle's review against another edition
5.0
Waw, what a book. When patriarchy messes with the devil's daughter, no. 10 Luckenbooth Close is cursed for almost a century. It's a feminist and activist gothic book, written in the most beautiful language, with a set of extraordinary characters (the devil's daughter, her lover, a tyrant, a psychic, a beat poet, spirits, a gang, strippers...) set in the beautiful and eerie Edinburgh. Read and enjoy!
thelaurendick's review against another edition
5.0
I couldn't put this book down - not even to butter my toast!
Deliciously macabre, queer, witty and yet still full of hope.
PLEASE TAKE MY ADVICE AND READ THIS BOOK!
Deliciously macabre, queer, witty and yet still full of hope.
PLEASE TAKE MY ADVICE AND READ THIS BOOK!