First, let me say I picked this book up more than two years ago at a used bookstore in my favorite beach town of Ocean City New Jersey. Shout out to Bookateria! Even though I’ve had it this long I also believe that the book chooses when it should be read. So I set it aside and waited.
Well, that time has finally come.
Now on to my thoughts. It started out ok enough. A little mysterious. Some character choices that make you go “hmmmm I wonder how that’s going to play out.” If you are unfamiliar with the story here’s a blurb- “reclusive writer Vida Winter famous for her twelve enchanting stories had spent decades penning a series of alternate lives for herself. Now old and ailing, she is ready to reveal the truth about her extraordinary life and the violent and tragic past she had kept secret....”
Sounds pretty interesting right?
Well, half way through I wanted to chuck the book across the room. The main character, the biographer Ms. Winter hires to write her story, was just annoying and overly dramatic. The writing style, while some may call it beautiful, I found tedious. Why does it take so long to describe a room? It leaned toward the gothic genre, like Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights or Rebecca which is definitely NOT a genre I enjoy.
And as Ms. Winter began telling her life story I found it difficult to figure out how the person in the story matched up to the person telling it.
Which of course I realized later that is exactly what the author wanted.
I went to bed frustrated and debating whether I would even finish reading it. I wasn’t even sure if it would earn keeper status on my bookshelf.
And yet I just couldn’t abandon this book.
Ya’ll I’m so glad I didn’t.
This story has a huge plot twist that changes everything. It wasn’t by any means shocking. But it was the sort of thing that makes you go “ahhh now it all makes sense.” If you know me, you know endings are important in my reading life.
Well, this ending redeemed itself for me just with the plot twist. Not many books surprise me. This one did, in the best way it could.
If you like beautiful writing, melodramatic characters and spooky gothic stories this ones for you.
And if you don’t, I’d suggest you tough it out and read it anyway. You can borrow my copy, it’s on my bookshelf.
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