THE THREAD by VICTORIA HISLOP.SOURCE: Ex-library stock.
INNER FRONT COVER BLURB: Thessaloniki, 1917.
As Dimitri Komninos is born, a devastating fire sweeps through the thriving Greek city where Christians, Jews and Muslims live side by side.
Five years later, Katerina Sarafoglou's home in Asia Minor is destroyed by the Turkish army. Losing her mother in the chaos, she flees across the sea to an unknown destination in Greece. Soon her life will become entwined with Dimitri's, and with the story of the city itself, as war, fear and persecution begin to divide its people.
Thessaloniki, 2007.
A young Anglo-Greek hears his grandparents' life story for the first time and realises he has a decision to make. For many decades, they have looked after the memories and treasures of the people who were forced to leave. Should he become their next custodian and make this city his home?
FIRST SENTENCE {Prologue: May 2007}: It was seven thirty in the morning.
MEMORABLE MOMENT {Page 76}: In her white dress, she looked like an angel without wings, and behind her pale silhouette the distant fire surrounded her with a supernatural glow. She was a fairy, a spirit, but she was crying.
MY THOUGHTS: Ever since reading the author's debut novel I've been hoping to recapture the magic of The Island and whilst better than her second novel, The Return, this, her third, is still by no means as good.
Set in Thessaloniki, Greece, and spanning two world wars the crux of The Thread revolves around a young Anglo-Greek man who after hearing his grandparents story realises he has a decision to make.
I'm afraid the whole novel just didn't work for me. With paper thin, cliched and inconsistent characters of which there were many, given the way its themes of immigration, civil war, occupation were narrated arguably it is more of a history essay (albeit thinly disguised as a novel) and yet because some of the events were so quickly dealt with it didn't even satisfy on this level.
And whilst someone who tends to use one hundred words when twenty will do myself you might well imagine that I wouldn't be overly disturbed by the over use of words but quite frankly I found the overkill of similes and metaphors, often inappropriately used, tiring.
10 comments:
I'm sorry to hear you didn't care for this. The premise sounds so promising. This author's name stands out in my mind, so it must be from your review of her first novel.
I hope you're enjoying what you're reading now, after this disappointment.
Read before I started blogging I don't actually have a review of The Island. I did however review The Return which can be read by clicking on the book title.
Tracy, I'm sorry you didn't enjoy this book. Thanks for sharing your honest thoughts. Hopefully, you're reading something more to your liking now, or will before too long.
Thanks for sharing your opinion.
Reading is such a subjective thing...thanks for sharing your view.
Sorry it didn't live up to the majesty that it seems the first was but I gotta say, I lived the memorable moment you shared. Very vivid.
Hi Tracy,
I have never read either of Victoria's first two novels, although I appreciate your honest review in helping me to decide not to rush to add her name to my 'Want To Read' list.
I too, am often accused of using 20 words when 10 would do! I think this is why I struggle so much to keep up with my review schedule. I am never really happy with what I have written and my drafts come in for some serious editing, before I consider them polished enough to publish.
Theses days I tend to write mainly promotional posts for books and authors, although I am determined to try and get my review posts up to date, before making a firm decision about the future direction for Fiction Books.
I hope that your next book leaves you feeling happy and fulfilled to have read it :)
Yvonne.
I am so sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy this one more. It has a great cover, but the things you mentioned sound like they took away from your experience. Thanks for sharing!
Oh I'm sorry it wasn't as good as the one you enjoyed. I hope your next one will be.
I also tend not to mind it when an author generously uses words. Of course if the writing is not so good, as you indicate here, the result can be bad.
The plot seems very good, too bad that it was a little disappointing.
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