Zoe Adams

This started really slow, and I didn't think that the style would work. But by the end, I was hooked. The characters became so real, and there were just so many beautiful lines in this. So much deeper and more profound than I thought it would be, and than it started.

This started so well, and I love how it was written. But by 2/3 of the way through, I found myself wondering when the book was really going to start. While I liked the voice initially, I realised I cared nothing for the characters, and found the rather impersonal style somewhat draining. While the historical events were interesting, the narrative was just not engaging enough.

This is a re-read - and this one still fell short for me. It was definitely a short story that was too long, rather than a full novel.

I did enjoy this, it was well-written, there were some good characters (I really liked Ralph!), but I can't say I was overwhelmed by it, nor would I say it will become one of my favourite books. Something about it just fell a little flat.

This book is an excellent exploration of the nature memory, retrospection, and thus a really interesting study of how we construct images of ourselves and our past to helps us make sense of who we are today. But there was lots I did not like about this. I found much of it unbelievable, I couldn't understand the relationship at all, nor did I feel anything at all for any one of the characters. Nor can I say it was a pleasant read. I'm not sure why anyone would write a story like this, unless it really was just a literary exercise, and the story provided a useful frame through which to explore how to represent memory in literary form.

The first time I read this, I thoroughly enjoyed it. This time, while I still adored Hardy's writing, the characters just really irritated me, and I found everybody just foul and despicable - and Tess not sympathetic.

I loved this even more the second-time round. What a great series.

I really like Mel, but the one thing I don't like about her comedy is that she sometimes resorts to cheap, vulgar, ‘toilet' humour for cheap laughs. And sadly, that was exactly the same for this book. There were also other things I didn't like - the fat-shaming of the son, the somehow insufficiently deep criticism of snobbery and privilege - and the fact that I just didn't see the point in any of it. But Mel did do a good job of the narration!

This was just okay. I felt absolutely nothing for completely vacuous characters, in the context of a story that was not at all novel, and had no ‘deeper' message.

This is a readable 2.5 stars. I do like Sally Hepworth's writing, but this all seemed so completely far-fetched and lacking in nuance.

This was fine. It was well written, easy to read, and discussed a very important and terrible issue that merits public critique. I praise the author for wanting to raise awareness about this subject, but I did feel like that was really ‘all' this book did. It was interesting, at times horrifying, particularly given how much was based on fact, but I was expecting more. I thus felt quite disappointed about this, even if I'm glad I read it.

4.5 stars. This was absolutely superb. I read it half a day, I just couldn't put it down. It was so beautiful ,and so moving, and I feel I now need a few days to recover. I'm so pleased this lived up to the hype.

3.5 stars. I really struggled with the first part of the book, but really enjoyed it after Thomas had settled with Katia and had had the children. I was never sure how I felt about Thomas but I just enjoyed the exploration of European history, especially seeing it through the eyes of native Germans. I thought Erica was a lovely character and really liked Thomas and Katias relationship. There were far too many characters called Klaus - which is the cost of writing based on fact! I think my main criticism is that the author clearly had done so much research and wanted to recount everything - even completely trivial events which served as a bit of a distraction. I can't say I felt emotionally moved by anything but the quality of the writing can't be doubted, and as a lesson in world history, I really appreciated it.

I'd forgotten just how good this book is; it doesn't quite have the magic of the first or last books, or even, the Angel's game, but it's still brilliant, and I appreciated it even more this time round having re-read all the others so recently.

This one also gets better every time. It's not as special to me as Shadow of the Wind, but it's so very clever.

Third time through and I had to increase from 4.5 to 5 stars. This is just such a fabulous book.

I thought I would re-read this to give it a second chance. But I felt exactly the same about it as I did the first time. I just cannot square this with the quality not only of Harry Potter, but also all the Strike novels. I wonder whether it's more that I just don't like what JK Rowling was trying to do. There is not one single likeable character, and I wonder if the way she reveals to us some of the worst qualities of ‘British villages' and the foul taste that leaves in the mouth, is actually deliberate, and the fact that I don't ‘like' the book, part of what she was trying to achieve?

I'm increasing my rating from 4 to 4.75. These books are truly marvellous. The trial scene is probably my favourite scene in any book series. I just love the character development; the political critique, and the way that Larsson makes a complex story so easy to follow.

I'm glad I gave this another go; I didn't find it unreadable this time, and certainly not too complex. But it just wasn't as good as I expected. It read like a fairly pedestrian thriller - albeit a historical one - and I just found it fairly boring.

Oh, what an absolutely charming book! I can't believe I disliked it so much when I read this as a teenager (and didn't finish it). I thought this was absolutely lovely, and have already bought Little Men (the sequel).

I'd forgotten just how good these books are. The character development is great; the political element is refreshing and enlightening, and the whole series is super compelling. I just wish Larsson did not use ‘anorexic' as a synonym for thin!

Gets better every time. 9th time through and I'm still in love. [edited after reading for the 10th time}.... This book really does get better every time. I feel like this book contains pieces of my soul, and every time I finish the book I feel more seen than before. I appreciate new things each time I read this - this time, I was more touched than before by the friendship between Miquel and Julian, and was also particularly moved by the friendship between Nuria and Julian, because it was both so beautiful and so tragic. No book will ever come close to this one for me.

This is the second time I've read this, and I've revised (down) my rating. I think it is a marvelous achievement, but I think that the author did not have the reader in mind when deciding how to develop this. Yes, it is extremely clever, and clearly took a lot of work; but I think the inclusion of so so many writing extracts, and the resulting lack of character development in the main plot, meant that it was just not reader friendly. It was definitely a book written by a writer to satisfy her desires and interests, rather than one with a reader's interests in mind. I did enjoy it; but I was not blown away by it.

Once again, I'm loving re-reading these. However, the last 3rd of this book is nowhere near as good as the first 2/3rds. But the scenes with Claire and Jamie are so incredibly moving, it's still an absolute winner for me.