I think the upheaval of 19th century Paris, which occurred when Baron Hausmann was re-designing the city, must have been traumatic for those affected. I would be interested in reading an account that was less tangled up in kind of a - I'm sorry to say - soap-opera like plot. There were many tempting, presumably historical tidbits throughout this novel, but not enough history to offset the florid plot. The "punch line" was pretty easily guessed midway through the book.I'm sorry that it wasn't the book I'd hoped it would be!Can't really recommend it... A whole lot of description, not much action. Good deal if that's your thing. I found myself several times thinking this woman was a pretty terrible person. Other times she seems more honorable, if you're being charitable. I suppose that means the author did a good job of creating a deeply human, realistic character. Okay, it wasn't a poorly-written book. Enjoyable enough for listening to while cleaning the house, but I couldn't see me taking the time to actually read it without getting a little restless. Although there were a few gasp-inducing moments. And I'm left with a big WTF at the end. I find myself agreeing with both J's 2-star review and Erika's 5-star review, though they might appear to be at odds. This is a thought-provoking book that would be good for a book club. But if you want page-turning suspense and action, this isn't it. I might give it 3 stars if I thought I wouldn't forget about this book in a few days, but I'm sure I will.
Do You like book Het Huis Waar Jij Van Hield (2011)?
I couldn't get in to it. I tried but it was slow and I couldn't engage with the characters.
—aoshea
A rather dull book that was quite a way off from this author's other more riveting books.
—Avery
Not a favourite. I just didn't connect with the main character
—Samarama
ho hum. Not engaging at all. I did not bother to finish it.
—Ritu
