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hamon_boog's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
a novel so brutally honest and revealing that it feels more like a young woman’s diary that should be kept in a locked journal in a hidden drawer of her desk with the key safely on a string around her neck than an actual novel that a well-known, adult male author shopped around to every publisher he could think of
sirhe's review against another edition
4.0
Another seduction novel.
Will need to read the Kraken version, this one is a bit lengthy.
Will need to read the Kraken version, this one is a bit lengthy.
lynnebt's review against another edition
5.0
Moby-Dick was amazing, but...when Melville actually had time to craft the novel he wanted to write, his language is amazing. Although the premise of the novel is bizarre, the writing is so gorgeous that it pulled me in.
readwoolf's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
lukescalone's review against another edition
2.0
This is one of the weirder novels that I've read.
This has the potential to be a really compelling novel, but I don't love Melville's writing style here. At times, it's a bit difficult to follow and is a bit drier than other mid 19th century novels.
Spoiler
19 year old Pierre, engaged to marry 17 year old Lucy, comes across a young woman named Isabel who claims to be the illegitimate child of Pierre's father and a French refugee. To bring her better standing, he passes off as her husband and is disowned by his mother. The two of them, along with an abandoned servant named Dell, travel to New York to live with Pierre's cousin. Pierre's cousin denies them entry into the home and winds up marrying Pierre's fiancée. Lucy then comes to live with Pierre, Isabel, and Dell as Pierre tries to survive as a writer. Lucy's husband and her brother come to try to take Lucy back but are fought off by Pierre. Later, Pierre shoots Lucy's husband/his cousin dead in the street and is brought to prison. When Lucy and Isabel come to visit him, Isabel calls him her brother, and Lucy dies of shock. Pierre then takes poison and dies, followed a bit after by Isabel.This has the potential to be a really compelling novel, but I don't love Melville's writing style here. At times, it's a bit difficult to follow and is a bit drier than other mid 19th century novels.
booksaremyjam's review against another edition
1.0
uuugggghhhhhhh
When this book was originally written the public looked at it as an abomination and something created by a monster... I couldn't agree more.
When this book was originally written the public looked at it as an abomination and something created by a monster... I couldn't agree more.