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A review by loischanel
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
2.0
(2.5 ⭐) The Starless Sea is a magical adventure novel that plunged me into the depths of unknowns and enchanted mystery. I was immediately pulled into a boon of escapism and promise, but sadly, that whimsical feeling only lasted about 200 pages.
Set in Vermont, it follows the story of a reticient university student, the son of a fortune-teller, who has an affinity for video games and whose name, Zachary Ezra Rawlins, was repeated enough times as to be unwillingly committed to my long-term memory.
He discovers an ancient book of stories, full of obscure symbols, in which there lies a strange mystery and it leads him to a magical underground library and a world of portalled doors.
I initially loved reading this book. I loved the idea of an intricate web of different stories all converging into one. But then the heavy, wordy prose began to weigh it down with excessive descriptions of every corner and inch of every room, from the light fixtures to the skirting boards. It was also completely overcrowded with symbolism to the point of poor execution.
Reading The Starless Sea, I did get the impression that its overly ambiguous sense of mystery was intentional, almost as though certain things were supposed to be interpreted by the reader. I appreciate the poeticism of the sentiment, however this book was too prosaic for my taste, such that I felt exhausted upon finishing it and let down by the mediocre ending.
Set in Vermont, it follows the story of a reticient university student, the son of a fortune-teller, who has an affinity for video games and whose name, Zachary Ezra Rawlins, was repeated enough times as to be unwillingly committed to my long-term memory.
He discovers an ancient book of stories, full of obscure symbols, in which there lies a strange mystery and it leads him to a magical underground library and a world of portalled doors.
I initially loved reading this book. I loved the idea of an intricate web of different stories all converging into one. But then the heavy, wordy prose began to weigh it down with excessive descriptions of every corner and inch of every room, from the light fixtures to the skirting boards. It was also completely overcrowded with symbolism to the point of poor execution.
Reading The Starless Sea, I did get the impression that its overly ambiguous sense of mystery was intentional, almost as though certain things were supposed to be interpreted by the reader. I appreciate the poeticism of the sentiment, however this book was too prosaic for my taste, such that I felt exhausted upon finishing it and let down by the mediocre ending.