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The Diviner's Tale: A Haunting Supernatural Mystery of Divining, Ghosts, Murder, and a Killer's Return
"[A] splendidly written mystery . . . a compelling story. A" — Cleveland Plain Dealer
"Subtle, distinctive and well-wrought." — Washington Post
Hired by a developer to dowse a lonely forested valley in upstate New York, Cassandra Brooks comes upon a girl hanged from a tree. When she returns with authorities, however, the body has vanished, calling into question her sanity—at least until a dazed, mute girl emerges from the woods, alive and eerily reminiscent of Cassandra’s vision of the hanged girl. Increasingly bizarre divinations ensue, leading Cassandra back to a past she thought long behind her, locking her in a mortal chess match with a killer who has returned from the past to haunt her once more.
"Sublime . . . creates a seamless breathing breathtaking unity of the literary and the suspense novel, detonating the very notion of genre. Riveting, insightful, sentence-by-sentence charged with feeling, it bears us, helpless, with it on its downward journey to illumination." —Peter Straub
"Subtle, distinctive and well-wrought." — Washington Post
Hired by a developer to dowse a lonely forested valley in upstate New York, Cassandra Brooks comes upon a girl hanged from a tree. When she returns with authorities, however, the body has vanished, calling into question her sanity—at least until a dazed, mute girl emerges from the woods, alive and eerily reminiscent of Cassandra’s vision of the hanged girl. Increasingly bizarre divinations ensue, leading Cassandra back to a past she thought long behind her, locking her in a mortal chess match with a killer who has returned from the past to haunt her once more.
"Sublime . . . creates a seamless breathing breathtaking unity of the literary and the suspense novel, detonating the very notion of genre. Riveting, insightful, sentence-by-sentence charged with feeling, it bears us, helpless, with it on its downward journey to illumination." —Peter Straub
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
45 people are currently reading
1290 people want to read
About the author
Bradford Morrow
149 books248 followersBradford Morrow has lived for the past thirty years in New York City and rural upstate New York, though he grew up in Colorado and lived and worked in a variety of places in between. While in his mid-teens, he traveled through rural Honduras as a member of the Amigos de las Americas program, serving as a medical volunteer in the summer of 1967. The following year he was awarded an American Field Service scholarship to finish his last year of high school as a foreign exchange student at a Liceo Scientifico in Cuneo, Italy. In 1973, he took time off from studying at the University of Colorado to live in Paris for a year. After doing graduate work on a Danforth Fellowship at Yale University, he moved to Santa Barbara, California, to work as a rare book dealer. In 1981 he relocated to New York City to the literary journal Conjunctions, which he founded with the poet Kenneth Rexroth, and to write novels. He and his two cats divide their time between NYC and upstate New York.
Visit his website at www.bradfordmorrow.com.
Visit his website at www.bradfordmorrow.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 290 reviews
July 12, 2018
I am highly offended by terrible writing and I make no secret of that fact. This book does not have terrible writing; it is probably the best-written god-awful story I've ever read and in a way, that is even more offensive than a bad story poorly written.
I wish I were one of those amazing .gif-finding people because I suddenly, due to this book, completely understand the need to write a review in nothing but memes and gifs to properly express my emotions. Sadly, however, my technical skills are lacking so I'm going to bitch about this story behind the cut. It is behind a cut because I am going to discuss spoilers throughout the whole thing so if you don't want to know what happens in the book, how it ends, the bad guy's final line, just stop reading here. Actually, stop reading anyhow because the review beyond the cut is going to go on for pages. I'm very irritated right now.
Oh, wait. I want to say one more thing, aimed at the author, actually: If you can't say "rape," then you shouldn't write about it. Rape is not something we gloss over with euphemisms, with words that elicit sympathy without having to make us look at the violence and crime of rape face-on. We do not sweep rape under a rug, we do not hide rape because it is embarrassing, we do not shy away from talking about rape; talking about rape is the only way to let people know that it happens and it is horrible and that we need more tools to keep it from happening especially to children who don't know rape exists because we don't talk about it so they don't know to be aware. I am not saying you should be shocking and brutal in your description but I am saying you need to acknowledge rape so call it what it is and not "pain and then I blacked out" or "I was assaulted." If you are really a man writing this (I am hoping that a woman wrote this and is just under the guise of a male author while working through some things, though I'm not exactly sure how that could be any better, actually): you need to broaden your association with female acquaintances because, based on this book, it seems you have a very low opinion of women, as the main female is a wishy-washy, self-absorbed, non-identity who never grows at all and the other women are judgey, jealous, or victims. And don't write about rape again.
Thank you.
I wish I were one of those amazing .gif-finding people because I suddenly, due to this book, completely understand the need to write a review in nothing but memes and gifs to properly express my emotions. Sadly, however, my technical skills are lacking so I'm going to bitch about this story behind the cut. It is behind a cut because I am going to discuss spoilers throughout the whole thing so if you don't want to know what happens in the book, how it ends, the bad guy's final line, just stop reading here. Actually, stop reading anyhow because the review beyond the cut is going to go on for pages. I'm very irritated right now.
Oh, wait. I want to say one more thing, aimed at the author, actually: If you can't say "rape," then you shouldn't write about it. Rape is not something we gloss over with euphemisms, with words that elicit sympathy without having to make us look at the violence and crime of rape face-on. We do not sweep rape under a rug, we do not hide rape because it is embarrassing, we do not shy away from talking about rape; talking about rape is the only way to let people know that it happens and it is horrible and that we need more tools to keep it from happening especially to children who don't know rape exists because we don't talk about it so they don't know to be aware. I am not saying you should be shocking and brutal in your description but I am saying you need to acknowledge rape so call it what it is and not "pain and then I blacked out" or "I was assaulted." If you are really a man writing this (I am hoping that a woman wrote this and is just under the guise of a male author while working through some things, though I'm not exactly sure how that could be any better, actually): you need to broaden your association with female acquaintances because, based on this book, it seems you have a very low opinion of women, as the main female is a wishy-washy, self-absorbed, non-identity who never grows at all and the other women are judgey, jealous, or victims. And don't write about rape again.
Thank you.
January 10, 2013
Dear authors:
I prefer books that consistently use quotation marks, break up long blocks of text, and allow me to get to know the main characters before spinning off into tangential anecdotes and history. Oh, and it'd be nice if we cared about the people who get killed off, too. Thanks!
MG
I prefer books that consistently use quotation marks, break up long blocks of text, and allow me to get to know the main characters before spinning off into tangential anecdotes and history. Oh, and it'd be nice if we cared about the people who get killed off, too. Thanks!
MG
February 5, 2011
Cassandra Brooks, a diviner by trade and a single mother of two boys, is hired to dowse the land for a developer in search of a water source. She finds much more than that as she sees a young girl hanging from a tree. She rushes to call the police and returns to show them the body only to find it has disappeared or been removed. Known for being an outcast because of her trade, it is speculated that she just had a weird vision. The police bring her back to revisit the scene when a girl, identical to the hanging girl, is found wandering in the woods confused about where she is and refuses to answer questions. Who is this girl and what happened to her? Her visions and divinations uncover a bigger mystery that put her and her family in serious danger.
I don't typically read mystery/thriller type books but this year I'm trying to discover new genres. I call myself an eclectic reader but there are some genres I just haven't yet explored. I was craving a good mystery, and this one sounded really interesting, but I think I got a lot more than what I thought I'd get from this one! It was a lot more than a lady with some sort of psychic powers helping to solve crimes--all fun and reminiscent of various tv shows I've enjoyed. It deals with familial issues and truly accepting yourself. That all sounds corny but it just a lot deeper than your typical mystery/thriller (at least ones that I've read). It also had some incredible beautiful prose describing some of the natural world--which was a huge element of this story considering her profession. Basically what she does is walks about the land with a divining rod and listens to the land in order to find water sources and minerals and such.
The plot was interesting and there were plenty of twists and turns. Some of the things seemed very predictable (I don't know if it's just me because I always figure out "who dunit" during shows like CSI) and I think I would have felt a little unsatisfied had the book not had the kind of substance it did. I thought the various relationships were interesting and well explored and I really started to adore Cassandra. Nep, her father, was my favorite though! I loved her relationship with her boys although it seemed like they took care of her but you could tell they just thought the world of their mom. The only thing that irked me was these boys seemed WAY to smart for their age. I've seen a lot of clever kids their age but they just seemed a little over the top.
My final thought: If you like your mystery/thriller books with a little more substance, beautiful prose and a dash of the supernatural, you will enjoy The Diviner's Tale. The mystery of her visions and ability to sense things most can't are just as interesting as figuring out all the tangible mysteries. If you are expecting a mystery/thriller that is mostly plot driven and has you on the edge of your seat every second of the book, you might want to look elsewhere as sometimes it was a slower pace. It wasn't some action packed, twists and turns at every page type of novel. I really enjoyed it but I know it won't be as fast paced as some readers like it.
I don't typically read mystery/thriller type books but this year I'm trying to discover new genres. I call myself an eclectic reader but there are some genres I just haven't yet explored. I was craving a good mystery, and this one sounded really interesting, but I think I got a lot more than what I thought I'd get from this one! It was a lot more than a lady with some sort of psychic powers helping to solve crimes--all fun and reminiscent of various tv shows I've enjoyed. It deals with familial issues and truly accepting yourself. That all sounds corny but it just a lot deeper than your typical mystery/thriller (at least ones that I've read). It also had some incredible beautiful prose describing some of the natural world--which was a huge element of this story considering her profession. Basically what she does is walks about the land with a divining rod and listens to the land in order to find water sources and minerals and such.
The plot was interesting and there were plenty of twists and turns. Some of the things seemed very predictable (I don't know if it's just me because I always figure out "who dunit" during shows like CSI) and I think I would have felt a little unsatisfied had the book not had the kind of substance it did. I thought the various relationships were interesting and well explored and I really started to adore Cassandra. Nep, her father, was my favorite though! I loved her relationship with her boys although it seemed like they took care of her but you could tell they just thought the world of their mom. The only thing that irked me was these boys seemed WAY to smart for their age. I've seen a lot of clever kids their age but they just seemed a little over the top.
My final thought: If you like your mystery/thriller books with a little more substance, beautiful prose and a dash of the supernatural, you will enjoy The Diviner's Tale. The mystery of her visions and ability to sense things most can't are just as interesting as figuring out all the tangible mysteries. If you are expecting a mystery/thriller that is mostly plot driven and has you on the edge of your seat every second of the book, you might want to look elsewhere as sometimes it was a slower pace. It wasn't some action packed, twists and turns at every page type of novel. I really enjoyed it but I know it won't be as fast paced as some readers like it.
May 23, 2011
Considering I think I got this one at Christmas for £1, I wouldn't say it was a waste of money, but it certainly wasn't the greatest read. It was billed as a mystery, but after the first couple of chapters, it really wasn't grabbing my attention well at all. The narrator's meandering story, the constant intrusion of anecdotes that may or may not be relevant but certainly don't feel it... I liked the idea, but the execution let it down, and the story had very little impact on me.
The little things, like names, spoilt things a bit by being too obvious. Cassandra, for someone who has foresight and is not believed? Neptune, for a man who dowses for water? Really?
The little things, like names, spoilt things a bit by being too obvious. Cassandra, for someone who has foresight and is not believed? Neptune, for a man who dowses for water? Really?
June 15, 2011
A lot of interesting and dramatic stuff happens in this book. Which is why it's amazing how incredibly boring it managed to be. I had to force myself through pretty much every page. The only characters I liked at all were the twins, as they felt the most like real people. I never related to Cass, who felt strangely withdrawn despite the story being told from her perspective. She felt more like a man than a woman too.
The book jumps around in time frequently. Although the different snatches of Cass' life are pertinent to the book's plot, they still don't always feel so at the time or really later. Perhaps the book just needed to be shorter, to relate a bit less of the past. A big part of the book centers around a mystery, the conclusion of which was surprising only in its sheer lack of surprise. Everything happens after many hints and with absolutely no plot twisting.
Morrow's writing conveys an understanding of language that is commendable and literary. However, he has strange diction, which left me cold and often incredulous. For example, Morrow describes a morning as having a "heavy mackerel sky." While this is a real phrase, which I know thanks to my handy dandy Kindle, it isn't one that many people are going to know. Call me stupid if you like, but whose first thought on reading that phrase isn't going to be of a sky filled with a school of mackerels or maybe just one really big fish. In general, I found his language kind of off-putting, sort of pompous and bland all at once.
The Diviner's Tale searches, but fails to locate the water to fill the well of the reader's interest.
The book jumps around in time frequently. Although the different snatches of Cass' life are pertinent to the book's plot, they still don't always feel so at the time or really later. Perhaps the book just needed to be shorter, to relate a bit less of the past. A big part of the book centers around a mystery, the conclusion of which was surprising only in its sheer lack of surprise. Everything happens after many hints and with absolutely no plot twisting.
Morrow's writing conveys an understanding of language that is commendable and literary. However, he has strange diction, which left me cold and often incredulous. For example, Morrow describes a morning as having a "heavy mackerel sky." While this is a real phrase, which I know thanks to my handy dandy Kindle, it isn't one that many people are going to know. Call me stupid if you like, but whose first thought on reading that phrase isn't going to be of a sky filled with a school of mackerels or maybe just one really big fish. In general, I found his language kind of off-putting, sort of pompous and bland all at once.
The Diviner's Tale searches, but fails to locate the water to fill the well of the reader's interest.
April 12, 2011
Like the two-star rating indicates: It was an OK read. No more, no less.
In short, I was fascinated enough to want to read the story from cover to cover -- but too often the style and, well, "loose" storytelling annoyed me. I don't have a problem with stream-of-consciousness-like elements in a story, but they have to work seamlessly in a story; and that demand failed in this story. Now, don't get the wrong idea here -- I am not saying we have a stream-of-consciousness style á la Proust or Joyce, no, what is used here is a more low-key version of that style. Often the protagonist (the diviner in question) remembers things from the past and we then share this in the moment she has this remembrance. Regardless of when it happens. On the one hand it adds to the realism of the tale, on the other hand it subtracts to the flow of what I consider the main story, chopping everything to odd pieces, and doing nothing (for me, at least) but adding to the growing annoyance. Too often I found these side-stories, although important in some respects, to drag on and on... And that's not good.
A shame, though. I like the idea well enough. Not too keen on the execution, though.
In short, I was fascinated enough to want to read the story from cover to cover -- but too often the style and, well, "loose" storytelling annoyed me. I don't have a problem with stream-of-consciousness-like elements in a story, but they have to work seamlessly in a story; and that demand failed in this story. Now, don't get the wrong idea here -- I am not saying we have a stream-of-consciousness style á la Proust or Joyce, no, what is used here is a more low-key version of that style. Often the protagonist (the diviner in question) remembers things from the past and we then share this in the moment she has this remembrance. Regardless of when it happens. On the one hand it adds to the realism of the tale, on the other hand it subtracts to the flow of what I consider the main story, chopping everything to odd pieces, and doing nothing (for me, at least) but adding to the growing annoyance. Too often I found these side-stories, although important in some respects, to drag on and on... And that's not good.
A shame, though. I like the idea well enough. Not too keen on the execution, though.
March 19, 2011
This was an enjoyable read, although with a few caveats. The heroine is one who persistently and illogically puts herself in harms way over and over again. She receives repeated threats, ands sees a strange man watching her house in the middle of the night, yet doesn't inform the chief of police, who also happens to be her best childhood friend. She rejects her psychic gifts at a time when she has the greatest need of them to protect herself and her family. She goes for a walk in the woods where she originally saw the hanged girl, and rescued the abducted Laura, without telling anyone where she is going. While I understand a certain amount of risky behavior might be needed to advance the plot, after a point it just becomes unbelievable and irritating. She appears to know who the killer is by the last 1/3 of the book, yet doesn't share this suspicion or concern with anyone, including her best friend, the above-noted chief of police. The writing is overly descriptive, too much explanation, but the characters are appealing. A good, not a great book....
August 23, 2010
The Diviner's Tale-by Bradford Morrow
Let me first start off by saying, this review is unlike most of my reviews. It is more, for lack of better words, “mushy,” maybe. This is because, very rarely do I come across a book I read that I see a great future for. When I chose this book, a mystery-suspense novel, I thought that was exactly what I was going to get. Maybe a story about a woman who helps solves crimes or something with her psychic abilities, not exactly original material, but could be a good read. But, I was in for quite a shocker. Since I rarely use words of this type to describe a book, I am feeling a bit out of my realm. OK so I guess this is where I start to get mushy. Yes this book was about some paranormal talents held by the main character Cassandra. And it had mystery and suspense, but what this book was really about what is the bonds between family and friends. It's about how tragedy effects a families and how a families cope with greif and loss and how one particular family is able to form amazing relationships between one another, and pass on traditions, through generations. It is also about love and friendship. The main charachter, Cassandra, is such a talented, wise "divine" person, who has been so well created, I could not help but be intriqued and facinated with her. This book has all of the elements of what a best-seller is made of.
Let me first start off by saying, this review is unlike most of my reviews. It is more, for lack of better words, “mushy,” maybe. This is because, very rarely do I come across a book I read that I see a great future for. When I chose this book, a mystery-suspense novel, I thought that was exactly what I was going to get. Maybe a story about a woman who helps solves crimes or something with her psychic abilities, not exactly original material, but could be a good read. But, I was in for quite a shocker. Since I rarely use words of this type to describe a book, I am feeling a bit out of my realm. OK so I guess this is where I start to get mushy. Yes this book was about some paranormal talents held by the main character Cassandra. And it had mystery and suspense, but what this book was really about what is the bonds between family and friends. It's about how tragedy effects a families and how a families cope with greif and loss and how one particular family is able to form amazing relationships between one another, and pass on traditions, through generations. It is also about love and friendship. The main charachter, Cassandra, is such a talented, wise "divine" person, who has been so well created, I could not help but be intriqued and facinated with her. This book has all of the elements of what a best-seller is made of.
June 8, 2017
Wait... what?!?
Up until the last 5 pages this book was - well, pretty bad, but at least had one potential for redemption: The Last Minute Twist™. The classic moment in mysteries when a foregone conclusion sometimes shifts radically at the LAST POSSIBLE MINUTE (and I mean literally once you're already thinking about your next book) just for the chance for a Grand A-Ha Moment™. The minute Charley showed back up at the game, I thought - aha. That's the Twist. There's still hope. And then final page turns and - nope. It was exactly who I thought it was, and not only that, who we were TOLD it was!, all along.
This book was overwritten, underdeveloped, and underpaced. Neither Morrow nor his main character seemed to treat this as a mystery, but Cass is a far cry from a compelling enough character to hold a straight drama. Her character arc seems mostly to revolve around whether she wears matronly dresses or ratty sneakers (relatable, but boring); events happen to her and she mostly tries to avoid them; and worst of all, she seems most like a TNT procedural lead: single mom of sassy but perfect twins, baby daddy was a one-night stand, brother died, she has visions (sorry, "forevisions" which is redundant fwiw), has special abilities which she doesn't believe in (though they're obviously true), sort-of job but not if it's not convenient, questionably depressed - this is not an antihero or a complicated protagonist, this is a cliche.
None of the other characters really stand out either: the twins are unfortunately cringeworthy. I appreciate that her kids matter to her, I do, but their obnoxious banter takes so long to read and was clearly written by an adult who thinks he’s hip to the jive but is really not. Niles was better-written but all the time spent on him is completely unnecessary. Why did she need this sorta-ex whose wife is sorta-jealous who sorta-helps but not-really-at-all? Being friends with a sheriff could be single-sentence exposition rather than pages and pages and pages of flaccid barely-there romantic tension.
Of course Morrow insists on my least favorite trope as well, the Manic Pixie Dream Parent. In my experience, people mostly have mixed relationships with both their parents. Sure, maybe good experiences and feelings FAR outweigh anything bad, but to have no tension whatsoever makes it feel like Cass & Nep just aren't related (another issue with the twins), plus, anytime you remove tension… it’s boring. (Don’t even get me STARTED on the quotation structure (“ vs —) - your readers understand flashbacks without the need for yet more pretentiousness.)
Does Cassandra just not have enough personality to have complex relationships? (One could say it was trauma; if that was the focus, it would have been a fascinating book, and one that Morrow surely would have butchered.) Rosalie was the only character whose personality seemed fleshed out & whose relationship with Cass was actually interesting, but it was sidelined far too often.
And poor Roy Skoler (a joke, a joke) was laden with so much foreshadowing that he was near to stumbling - usually, the mark of a clumsy red herring; here, just a clumsy author who either didn't realize how obvious he was being, or who was just so uninventive he couldn't even think of a different twist. (I say again, CHARLEY! The boys even give each other a suspicious look one time when Charley shows up! YOU ALREADY WROTE IT BRAD)
Relatedly, was the rape scene supposed to be a twist? It was so obvious I thought it had actually already been stated explicitly. Adding insult to injury, as someone else pointed out, the word "rape" is never said, which is inexcusable in a story as dude-centric as this one (Cass and Rosalie being the only women with any kind of nominal agency).
If anyone in a mystery gets some motivations and backstory, it’s the murderer, right? After all, that’s the whole impetus for the story! But here, Roy is left with nothing: why did he do it? why was he targeting Cass? was his claim of loving her sincere? why did he go to Covey? why talk to the boys? (Wouldn't Morgan KNOW... the FATHER.... of his TEAMMATES.....??) Why did he both stalk her and tell her to leave him alone, especially when she didn’t know he was around?
Maybe Morrow had a page count he had to stay under and/or a terrible editor and/or lost steam and/or had no idea how to end this ridiculous book. Either way, considering how much time we spent with Cassandra The Bland and her attempts to escape the mystery we're supposed to be reading about (wonderful cures for a reader's insomnia but pretty boring as a plot), the fact that the MURDERER, whose actions drive the majority of the story, is just as unexplained at the end of the book as before you open the very first page, leaves you feeling like the book is over, but not finished.
As if all this didn’t slow the book down enough, there was the flowery, precious, "melancholy" prose that opens every single chapter. It's such a cheap move, an attempt at the Gillian Flynn/Tana French/psychological thriller “atmosphere,” that it makes me think that Morrow read better books that make use of chapter-ending cliffhangers followed by flashbacks or atmosphere to draw out the tension, but he just can't make it work. To have a cliffhanger, you have to dangle your readers near the edge, which means the plot has to be actually SOMEWHAT propulsive. I'm not asking for a thrill-a-minute seat-gripper (though that's what it's sold as) but maybe like, not as much Cass trying to decide what to wear to church as a major plot point and a little more murder. Also - the atmosphere has to be well-written, not drivel like “I remember making friends with a small stone.”
The crux of it is: I hate books where I realize halfway through that I'm just not enjoying myself. There's nothing worse than feeling absolutely neutral about a book for a long time, then picking it up to read it one day and realizing that not your heart is sinking slightly at the prospect.
This wasn't unreadable, and it wasn't (that) offensive, and setting the aforementioned flowery prose aside, it wasn't even that badly written. It was just eye-rollingly self-important. Glacial. Boring. About as meaningless and padded as this review. Skip this, and read In the Woods instead.
EDIT: downgraded this to 1 star as of 6/2017. Every time this book has crossed my mind I've remembered only hating it, so it feels disingenuous to give it that extra star for... what? Not a COMPLETE lack of competence?
Up until the last 5 pages this book was - well, pretty bad, but at least had one potential for redemption: The Last Minute Twist™. The classic moment in mysteries when a foregone conclusion sometimes shifts radically at the LAST POSSIBLE MINUTE (and I mean literally once you're already thinking about your next book) just for the chance for a Grand A-Ha Moment™. The minute Charley showed back up at the game, I thought - aha. That's the Twist. There's still hope. And then final page turns and - nope. It was exactly who I thought it was, and not only that, who we were TOLD it was!, all along.
This book was overwritten, underdeveloped, and underpaced. Neither Morrow nor his main character seemed to treat this as a mystery, but Cass is a far cry from a compelling enough character to hold a straight drama. Her character arc seems mostly to revolve around whether she wears matronly dresses or ratty sneakers (relatable, but boring); events happen to her and she mostly tries to avoid them; and worst of all, she seems most like a TNT procedural lead: single mom of sassy but perfect twins, baby daddy was a one-night stand, brother died, she has visions (sorry, "forevisions" which is redundant fwiw), has special abilities which she doesn't believe in (though they're obviously true), sort-of job but not if it's not convenient, questionably depressed - this is not an antihero or a complicated protagonist, this is a cliche.
None of the other characters really stand out either: the twins are unfortunately cringeworthy. I appreciate that her kids matter to her, I do, but their obnoxious banter takes so long to read and was clearly written by an adult who thinks he’s hip to the jive but is really not. Niles was better-written but all the time spent on him is completely unnecessary. Why did she need this sorta-ex whose wife is sorta-jealous who sorta-helps but not-really-at-all? Being friends with a sheriff could be single-sentence exposition rather than pages and pages and pages of flaccid barely-there romantic tension.
Of course Morrow insists on my least favorite trope as well, the Manic Pixie Dream Parent. In my experience, people mostly have mixed relationships with both their parents. Sure, maybe good experiences and feelings FAR outweigh anything bad, but to have no tension whatsoever makes it feel like Cass & Nep just aren't related (another issue with the twins), plus, anytime you remove tension… it’s boring. (Don’t even get me STARTED on the quotation structure (“ vs —) - your readers understand flashbacks without the need for yet more pretentiousness.)
Does Cassandra just not have enough personality to have complex relationships? (One could say it was trauma; if that was the focus, it would have been a fascinating book, and one that Morrow surely would have butchered.) Rosalie was the only character whose personality seemed fleshed out & whose relationship with Cass was actually interesting, but it was sidelined far too often.
And poor Roy Skoler (a joke, a joke) was laden with so much foreshadowing that he was near to stumbling - usually, the mark of a clumsy red herring; here, just a clumsy author who either didn't realize how obvious he was being, or who was just so uninventive he couldn't even think of a different twist. (I say again, CHARLEY! The boys even give each other a suspicious look one time when Charley shows up! YOU ALREADY WROTE IT BRAD)
Relatedly, was the rape scene supposed to be a twist? It was so obvious I thought it had actually already been stated explicitly. Adding insult to injury, as someone else pointed out, the word "rape" is never said, which is inexcusable in a story as dude-centric as this one (Cass and Rosalie being the only women with any kind of nominal agency).
If anyone in a mystery gets some motivations and backstory, it’s the murderer, right? After all, that’s the whole impetus for the story! But here, Roy is left with nothing: why did he do it? why was he targeting Cass? was his claim of loving her sincere? why did he go to Covey? why talk to the boys? (Wouldn't Morgan KNOW... the FATHER.... of his TEAMMATES.....??) Why did he both stalk her and tell her to leave him alone, especially when she didn’t know he was around?
Maybe Morrow had a page count he had to stay under and/or a terrible editor and/or lost steam and/or had no idea how to end this ridiculous book. Either way, considering how much time we spent with Cassandra The Bland and her attempts to escape the mystery we're supposed to be reading about (wonderful cures for a reader's insomnia but pretty boring as a plot), the fact that the MURDERER, whose actions drive the majority of the story, is just as unexplained at the end of the book as before you open the very first page, leaves you feeling like the book is over, but not finished.
As if all this didn’t slow the book down enough, there was the flowery, precious, "melancholy" prose that opens every single chapter. It's such a cheap move, an attempt at the Gillian Flynn/Tana French/psychological thriller “atmosphere,” that it makes me think that Morrow read better books that make use of chapter-ending cliffhangers followed by flashbacks or atmosphere to draw out the tension, but he just can't make it work. To have a cliffhanger, you have to dangle your readers near the edge, which means the plot has to be actually SOMEWHAT propulsive. I'm not asking for a thrill-a-minute seat-gripper (though that's what it's sold as) but maybe like, not as much Cass trying to decide what to wear to church as a major plot point and a little more murder. Also - the atmosphere has to be well-written, not drivel like “I remember making friends with a small stone.”
The crux of it is: I hate books where I realize halfway through that I'm just not enjoying myself. There's nothing worse than feeling absolutely neutral about a book for a long time, then picking it up to read it one day and realizing that not your heart is sinking slightly at the prospect.
This wasn't unreadable, and it wasn't (that) offensive, and setting the aforementioned flowery prose aside, it wasn't even that badly written. It was just eye-rollingly self-important. Glacial. Boring. About as meaningless and padded as this review. Skip this, and read In the Woods instead.
EDIT: downgraded this to 1 star as of 6/2017. Every time this book has crossed my mind I've remembered only hating it, so it feels disingenuous to give it that extra star for... what? Not a COMPLETE lack of competence?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2010
I received an advance copy of The Diviner's Tale from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
The Diviner's Tale is, quite simply, like nothing I have read before. It is part mystery, part thriller and part personal discovery. It seems impossible that a writer could combine the mystical and ordinary into one plausible plot, but somehow Bradford Morrow has.
Cassandra "Cass" Brooks is a part time teacher (a tradition following her mother) and a part time "diviner" (a tradition following her father and a long line of male Brooks before him). A diviner is someone who searches for something lost or hidden, using instinct and an inate skill and gift to find their intended purpose. For Cass, that has always been water.
On a job divining for water amongst undeveloped wildlife that will soon be turned into homes, Cass runs into what she believes in a young girl hanging from a tree. When she returns with the police there is no sign of this dead girl, but soon a living, if shaken, girl is discovered. Apparently another talent of Cass's has amassed itself: her ability to see something bad the future holds for somone else. This "monster" ability, as she sees it, has reared its ugly head again after many years of her attempting to squash it.
Interlaced with this mysticism is her very real and concrete wish to be a normal mother to her twin boys and to the world at large. She faces disturbing memories of her brother's death years ago as well as the current dementia and mortality of her mentor father. While fighting against her "monster" she is forced to not only divine the way to try and save the life of this young girl she found but also face the horrors from her past. Because while she is trying to be as normal as possible, she is being stalked by a menacing phantom from her past that will stop at nothing to have what he wants. But who is he and what exactly does he want?
She finally finds she must be who she was meant to be, the strange and ordinary alike. What does this mean for her life? You will have to read to see. Highly recommend!
The Diviner's Tale is, quite simply, like nothing I have read before. It is part mystery, part thriller and part personal discovery. It seems impossible that a writer could combine the mystical and ordinary into one plausible plot, but somehow Bradford Morrow has.
Cassandra "Cass" Brooks is a part time teacher (a tradition following her mother) and a part time "diviner" (a tradition following her father and a long line of male Brooks before him). A diviner is someone who searches for something lost or hidden, using instinct and an inate skill and gift to find their intended purpose. For Cass, that has always been water.
On a job divining for water amongst undeveloped wildlife that will soon be turned into homes, Cass runs into what she believes in a young girl hanging from a tree. When she returns with the police there is no sign of this dead girl, but soon a living, if shaken, girl is discovered. Apparently another talent of Cass's has amassed itself: her ability to see something bad the future holds for somone else. This "monster" ability, as she sees it, has reared its ugly head again after many years of her attempting to squash it.
Interlaced with this mysticism is her very real and concrete wish to be a normal mother to her twin boys and to the world at large. She faces disturbing memories of her brother's death years ago as well as the current dementia and mortality of her mentor father. While fighting against her "monster" she is forced to not only divine the way to try and save the life of this young girl she found but also face the horrors from her past. Because while she is trying to be as normal as possible, she is being stalked by a menacing phantom from her past that will stop at nothing to have what he wants. But who is he and what exactly does he want?
She finally finds she must be who she was meant to be, the strange and ordinary alike. What does this mean for her life? You will have to read to see. Highly recommend!
January 12, 2011
I really enjoyed this. It's a paranormal suspense, which I have to say, I'm a fan. The main character, Cass, is psychic, but basically denies it her entire life. She calls it her "monster", and everyone in her life thinks she's a bit crazy and needs professional help. By the end, she starts to learn to accept herself and her gift, and to realize that "normal" ain't all it's cracked up to be. So it's kind of a coming of age story for a 36 year old. It's never too late, is it?
But what I liked most about this book were the characters & relationships--it's a wonderful look at a family and their heartaches, secrets & triumphs. And man, can Bradford Morrow turn a phrase--there were so many beautiful lines in this book. I'll definitely check out his other stuff.
My only complaint is about Cass' twin 11 year old sons. Loved them, but I felt, with all of their comments and "adultness", they should have been written as a few years older. I have a son who will be 11 next month, he's a straight A student like Cass' son Jonah, and a jock like her son Morgan. I just wanted to get that out there so you wouldn't think my kid was a total dolt when I say that he would never say, or even think, the things those boys said & thought. Yes, an 11 year old is approaching preteen status, but, when all is said & done, they're still babies. And yes, these boys have had to step up to the plate more than my son--mine still lives a perfectly sheltered life with parents who take care of the problems so he doesn't ever have to worry about that stuff, where hers had to deal with growing up with just 1 parent and small town gossip about their "crazy" mom. But she was still a good mom, it wasn't as if they were kids who were abused or living in dysfunction and therefore had to grow up way too soon. Can you tell this bugged me? Every time I was reminded of how old they were, it was jarring to me. If they were 13 or 14, I would have eaten it up with a spoon. But them being only 11 just felt wrong.
I received this as a free ARC from NetGalley.
But what I liked most about this book were the characters & relationships--it's a wonderful look at a family and their heartaches, secrets & triumphs. And man, can Bradford Morrow turn a phrase--there were so many beautiful lines in this book. I'll definitely check out his other stuff.
My only complaint is about Cass' twin 11 year old sons. Loved them, but I felt, with all of their comments and "adultness", they should have been written as a few years older. I have a son who will be 11 next month, he's a straight A student like Cass' son Jonah, and a jock like her son Morgan. I just wanted to get that out there so you wouldn't think my kid was a total dolt when I say that he would never say, or even think, the things those boys said & thought. Yes, an 11 year old is approaching preteen status, but, when all is said & done, they're still babies. And yes, these boys have had to step up to the plate more than my son--mine still lives a perfectly sheltered life with parents who take care of the problems so he doesn't ever have to worry about that stuff, where hers had to deal with growing up with just 1 parent and small town gossip about their "crazy" mom. But she was still a good mom, it wasn't as if they were kids who were abused or living in dysfunction and therefore had to grow up way too soon. Can you tell this bugged me? Every time I was reminded of how old they were, it was jarring to me. If they were 13 or 14, I would have eaten it up with a spoon. But them being only 11 just felt wrong.
I received this as a free ARC from NetGalley.
April 3, 2011
A complex, intricate story told with such skill that it was a quick, engaging read. The prose was, at times, utterly beautiful. As a mystery, there wasn't ever really doubt as to who the bad guy was... but I think the bigger story (and the more poignant mystery) was what happened in Cassandra's past. I really enjoyed watching it all unfold.
July 26, 2010
I finished the unproofed eGalley of The Diviner's Tale by Bradford Morrow last night, having read it on my new Kindle over the course of a few days. Before I talk about the novel itself, let me just say that the experience of reading unproofed galleys on an eReader is just the slightest bit unwieldy. For starters, the formatting can be nonexistent in places, with paragraphs running into each other, lack of double spaces between paragraphs, and the like. Nothing too daunting, just...unwieldy. I didn't hold it against the novel, though, or the process, which overall was one of othe most pleasant I've ever experienced, at least as compared to the one other unproofed galley I ever read, which was spiral bound and printed on 8x10" paper and pretty hard to deal with physically. I'm sure that was so a reviewer/editor could make notes in the margins, and of course it made perfect sense. It was just unwieldy in a whole different way. I was able to make notes and highlight portions of the eGalley on the Kindle without much trouble (just had to remember which button to push when, and to remember to even make notes, especially when engrossed in the story).
So, the technical stuff out of the way, let me just say that The Diviner's Tale, which is the story of the redemption of a family damaged by tragedy as much as it is a ghost story and mystery, has some of the loveliest prose I've read in a long time, with wonderful metaphors and similes and lyrical language. Here's the first of the passages I highlighted because of the use of a sweet turn of phrase.
Cass Brooks is a diviner, a witch some call her, who makes her living by locating water (and other lost things, as the story goes on to show) using metaphysical techniques that go back generations in her family. She's out on some undeveloped, densely forested property in upstate New York, dousing for water so the new property owner can build a huge resort hotel with a fake lake on its grounds. While she goes about her work, she reminisces a bit about her divining work:
After the twin towers went down, I found myself exploring bonier, harsher, uninhabited land for people from the city looking to relocate, to Thoreau for themselves a haven upstate.
"To Thoreau for themselves" ~ wonderful!
Cass is not easy in her vocation, feeling that the world is correct in viewing her a charlatan, that she's a fake who will never be a true diviner like her father the other men of the Brooks family before him were but who must to stay in the business because she needs the income her divining brings in. She ruminates:
No going back, fake or not. The thing was, for whatever little techniques I had developed to enhance my chances of, as it were, swimming along with the Brookses ~ my own confession will come in due course ~ nothing I had ever done could explain my forevisions, as we called them in our family.
"Swimming along with the Brookses" ~ oh, my.
As to her odd ability to see snatches of the future ~ what she calls "forevisions" or "the monster" and which is something she's been able to do since childhood ~ this ability is pivotal to the story, though a newly developed ability to apparently see into the past becomes even more important.
At the risk of letting slip a spoiler, the past, as personified by Cass's fore- and aft-visions play an important role in the story. As someone close to her begins to lose the past due to the onset of Alzheimer's disease, Cass begins to recover her own past, which she has hidden even from her own conscious mind. She describes the symptoms of the disease in its early stages and its terrible effect on the victim:
...[W:]ords [he:] had known so well once now eluded him once in awhile, as if they were butterflies and his net had holes in it, flaws in its webbing he didn't know how to fix.
All the while, Cass's past is struggling to come out into the light, both in waking dreams and dreams she has when asleep. She describes one waking vision where she is talking to someone whose long-ago death affected her deeply:
What's it like there in the land of the dead...?
Like nothing, like floating in warm flowers.
Can you see me?
There's nothing to see except your worries and hopes.
What do they look like?
Knives hovering over you.
The hopes, too?
The hopes especially.
Damn, gives me shivers ever time I read that.
The main protagonist and unreliable narrator, Cass, was annoying in parts ~ the kind of annoying that makes you want to say, "What the heck are you thinking? Why are you doing that? STOP!" and her growth was not delineated in a way that worked well for me. I guess what I'm saying is that I just never quite warmed to her. I loved her twin sons, though ~ Jonah and Morgan, who talk to her and each other like no other 11-year old boys I know but who charmed me and made me wish I'd had twin boys just like them. Other characters were equally charming, some were easy to dislike, and some left me cold. I found the villain ~ or at least the motives for his actions ~ relatively unbelievable, resulting in a lack of strong feeling about him. Not fatal but disappointing, at the very least.
There were some other minor flaws ~ a string left hanging at the end (but not one that presages a sequel), incohesiveness in parts of the storyline, due perhaps in part by a lack of explanation of some of the character's motives, and a denoument that was a bit abrupt and somewhat confusing, at least in its chronology. Still, it pulled me in and turned out to be a good read, actually a really good read, that to my mind is best savored slowly rather than raced through. I'm going to look for some of Morrow's earlier novels and am also looking forward to buying a copy of The Diviner's Tale when it comes out next January. I give this 4 stars out of 5.
DISCLAIMER: This was a free unproofed eGalley, sent to my Kindle by the publisher without strings attached. The opinions in the review are my own, and I am being paid nothing for my review. I apologize that I can't give page numbers for the examples set out above, and the passages may change between now and publication date.
So, the technical stuff out of the way, let me just say that The Diviner's Tale, which is the story of the redemption of a family damaged by tragedy as much as it is a ghost story and mystery, has some of the loveliest prose I've read in a long time, with wonderful metaphors and similes and lyrical language. Here's the first of the passages I highlighted because of the use of a sweet turn of phrase.
Cass Brooks is a diviner, a witch some call her, who makes her living by locating water (and other lost things, as the story goes on to show) using metaphysical techniques that go back generations in her family. She's out on some undeveloped, densely forested property in upstate New York, dousing for water so the new property owner can build a huge resort hotel with a fake lake on its grounds. While she goes about her work, she reminisces a bit about her divining work:
After the twin towers went down, I found myself exploring bonier, harsher, uninhabited land for people from the city looking to relocate, to Thoreau for themselves a haven upstate.
"To Thoreau for themselves" ~ wonderful!
Cass is not easy in her vocation, feeling that the world is correct in viewing her a charlatan, that she's a fake who will never be a true diviner like her father the other men of the Brooks family before him were but who must to stay in the business because she needs the income her divining brings in. She ruminates:
No going back, fake or not. The thing was, for whatever little techniques I had developed to enhance my chances of, as it were, swimming along with the Brookses ~ my own confession will come in due course ~ nothing I had ever done could explain my forevisions, as we called them in our family.
"Swimming along with the Brookses" ~ oh, my.
As to her odd ability to see snatches of the future ~ what she calls "forevisions" or "the monster" and which is something she's been able to do since childhood ~ this ability is pivotal to the story, though a newly developed ability to apparently see into the past becomes even more important.
At the risk of letting slip a spoiler, the past, as personified by Cass's fore- and aft-visions play an important role in the story. As someone close to her begins to lose the past due to the onset of Alzheimer's disease, Cass begins to recover her own past, which she has hidden even from her own conscious mind. She describes the symptoms of the disease in its early stages and its terrible effect on the victim:
...[W:]ords [he:] had known so well once now eluded him once in awhile, as if they were butterflies and his net had holes in it, flaws in its webbing he didn't know how to fix.
All the while, Cass's past is struggling to come out into the light, both in waking dreams and dreams she has when asleep. She describes one waking vision where she is talking to someone whose long-ago death affected her deeply:
What's it like there in the land of the dead...?
Like nothing, like floating in warm flowers.
Can you see me?
There's nothing to see except your worries and hopes.
What do they look like?
Knives hovering over you.
The hopes, too?
The hopes especially.
Damn, gives me shivers ever time I read that.
The main protagonist and unreliable narrator, Cass, was annoying in parts ~ the kind of annoying that makes you want to say, "What the heck are you thinking? Why are you doing that? STOP!" and her growth was not delineated in a way that worked well for me. I guess what I'm saying is that I just never quite warmed to her. I loved her twin sons, though ~ Jonah and Morgan, who talk to her and each other like no other 11-year old boys I know but who charmed me and made me wish I'd had twin boys just like them. Other characters were equally charming, some were easy to dislike, and some left me cold. I found the villain ~ or at least the motives for his actions ~ relatively unbelievable, resulting in a lack of strong feeling about him. Not fatal but disappointing, at the very least.
There were some other minor flaws ~ a string left hanging at the end (but not one that presages a sequel), incohesiveness in parts of the storyline, due perhaps in part by a lack of explanation of some of the character's motives, and a denoument that was a bit abrupt and somewhat confusing, at least in its chronology. Still, it pulled me in and turned out to be a good read, actually a really good read, that to my mind is best savored slowly rather than raced through. I'm going to look for some of Morrow's earlier novels and am also looking forward to buying a copy of The Diviner's Tale when it comes out next January. I give this 4 stars out of 5.
DISCLAIMER: This was a free unproofed eGalley, sent to my Kindle by the publisher without strings attached. The opinions in the review are my own, and I am being paid nothing for my review. I apologize that I can't give page numbers for the examples set out above, and the passages may change between now and publication date.
September 19, 2023
If you're looking for a standard mystery tale, this book is not that. It is, however, a beautifully written story full of compelling and well-drawn characters. It's about family, love, the desire to fit in and be "normal" when you are actually special and unique. It's about the long aftereffects of trauma that often compel us to make bad decisions later in life, and how secrets left untold can fester and cause us to doubt ourselves and our judgment. It's about the things handed down to us from our families--those precious talents and quiet and abiding strengths, as well as the judgments and warping influences. It's about finding out who you truly are and accepting that, finally, as a gift given from the universe. This book also happens to have a mystery woven through it.
January 3, 2019
Very enjoyable story of a woman from a family of "dowsers", who find water using a forked stick. She finds that not only can she divine water, she "divines" ghostly appearances, and one such apparition triggers an investigation into the disappearance of a teen girl. The woman, her sons, her father are great characters.
July 27, 2020
This book was recommended to me by someone who really liked it and it was written in an interesting, very character driven, way, but what made me not to like it was that it was extremely slow-paced, as in 'you-will-read-every-possible-thought-of-the-main character' slow.
Still, some people might like it, not me unfortunately.
Still, some people might like it, not me unfortunately.
December 23, 2019
Audiobook. This is the story of a diviner. She is not just one who locates water by dowsing, however, Cassandra is also an intuit who can predict future events. But Cassandra struggles with her abilities as the locals think she is a nut job and this is the true story in my opinion. A lesson in accepting yourself even when everyone else thinks your crazy. A very slow burn which could be a turn off but the end is well worth the winding paths taken to get there.
September 21, 2013
Cassandra Brooks is a modern-day diviner, or dowser, living in upstate New York, the only woman in a long line of patriarchal diviners in her family. A dowser is someone who can sense a water source underneath layers of earth, (and sometimes minerals or other buried treasures), using a rudimentary Y-shaped rod or branch. This ancient art has not been embraced by the scientific community, and is often misunderstood as a pagan art. Cassandra's father, Nep, who is now declining from Alzheimer's, had passed her the legacy and taught her the art. Besides dowsing, single-mother Cassandra teaches high school classes part-time to help support her eleven-year-old twin boys. In this story, buried secrets from her past are coming back to haunt her.
This story received positive, exuberant accolades by authors Joyce Carol Oates and Valerie Martin, to name a few. It was described as mesmerizing, irresistible, insightful, riveting, charged with emotion, and a masterpiece. Did I read a different story? I am absolutely confounded. I love a gripping, haunting tale, and that is what I was expecting. But, what I got was a ham-handed, flat, one-note, contrived, manipulative narrative arc lacking any nuance or organic substance, filled with one-dimensional characters and villainous archetypes.
There was absolutely no atmosphere to the tale. It had the mood of a journalistic piece or a dry text. I learned some interesting facts, but it was expositional rather than braided into the story. When Morrow attempted a tone, it was folksy and beseeching, downright schlocky at times. The story was telegraphed relentlessly from beginning to end, and there was no mystery to the mystery, because the author foreshadowed with a hammer, and then restated his foreshadows in case the reader forgot. There was a hopeless lack of suspense and texture.
Cassandra is supposedly an outcast, but she seems to be a paragon of virtue with angelic sons. The townspeople are the blue meanies, until they see the light of Cassandra's unassailability. Her boys have the superegos of fully adult, mature men. They are completely devoted to their mother, at all times, and would sacrifice any of their desires to accommodate her. Jonah is brainy in math, Morgan is a super-athlete. They are darling. They clean house. They have the wisdom of forty-year-olds.
The author is long-winded, but never once brought me beyond the literate interpretation of events, events that he rebroadcasts without subtlety. He also sets up ludicrous scenarios. For example, Cassandra took her sons to the isolated family cottage on coastal Maine where there is no medical facility, telephone, or cell phone service, and only two other inhabitants. A mailboat is available for transportation at intervals. Once, following a creepy incident, she left the twins alone for several hours on the island while she boarded the mailboat to be taken to make a call. Later, her parents join her on the island, even though her father's health is precarious. But Nep is winningly lucid at all the right times, including producing a key to an old lighthouse at just the right moment.
When I read a story, I hope for literary elements, such as irony, contradiction, and metaphor. This was absent, except in the most obtuse way, such as an effigy that failed to produce its desired effect on me, other than eye-rolls. By then, I already knew what would happen, and who to suspect. In a suspense thriller, I expect to be alarmed or horrified, caught off guard. I wasn't. The narrative read much like a Young Adult novel, but I have read fiction for teens that contained much more subtext, surprise, and complexity. The only textural element is the parallel to dowsing (combing the land, circling until you strike the source) and how it relates to events in Cassandra's personal history, but it was weak.
I cannot recommend this book for readers of literature or lovers of haunting suspense thrillers. The age range for appreciating this book is roughly between twelve and sixteen, but only if subtext, pacing and atmosphere are irrelevant to the reader. There was so much potential, as this was an unusual subject (dowsing/divining) and a strong opening. But it was inevitably diluted, and soon veered from its source and dried up like an empty well.
This story received positive, exuberant accolades by authors Joyce Carol Oates and Valerie Martin, to name a few. It was described as mesmerizing, irresistible, insightful, riveting, charged with emotion, and a masterpiece. Did I read a different story? I am absolutely confounded. I love a gripping, haunting tale, and that is what I was expecting. But, what I got was a ham-handed, flat, one-note, contrived, manipulative narrative arc lacking any nuance or organic substance, filled with one-dimensional characters and villainous archetypes.
There was absolutely no atmosphere to the tale. It had the mood of a journalistic piece or a dry text. I learned some interesting facts, but it was expositional rather than braided into the story. When Morrow attempted a tone, it was folksy and beseeching, downright schlocky at times. The story was telegraphed relentlessly from beginning to end, and there was no mystery to the mystery, because the author foreshadowed with a hammer, and then restated his foreshadows in case the reader forgot. There was a hopeless lack of suspense and texture.
Cassandra is supposedly an outcast, but she seems to be a paragon of virtue with angelic sons. The townspeople are the blue meanies, until they see the light of Cassandra's unassailability. Her boys have the superegos of fully adult, mature men. They are completely devoted to their mother, at all times, and would sacrifice any of their desires to accommodate her. Jonah is brainy in math, Morgan is a super-athlete. They are darling. They clean house. They have the wisdom of forty-year-olds.
The author is long-winded, but never once brought me beyond the literate interpretation of events, events that he rebroadcasts without subtlety. He also sets up ludicrous scenarios. For example, Cassandra took her sons to the isolated family cottage on coastal Maine where there is no medical facility, telephone, or cell phone service, and only two other inhabitants. A mailboat is available for transportation at intervals. Once, following a creepy incident, she left the twins alone for several hours on the island while she boarded the mailboat to be taken to make a call. Later, her parents join her on the island, even though her father's health is precarious. But Nep is winningly lucid at all the right times, including producing a key to an old lighthouse at just the right moment.
When I read a story, I hope for literary elements, such as irony, contradiction, and metaphor. This was absent, except in the most obtuse way, such as an effigy that failed to produce its desired effect on me, other than eye-rolls. By then, I already knew what would happen, and who to suspect. In a suspense thriller, I expect to be alarmed or horrified, caught off guard. I wasn't. The narrative read much like a Young Adult novel, but I have read fiction for teens that contained much more subtext, surprise, and complexity. The only textural element is the parallel to dowsing (combing the land, circling until you strike the source) and how it relates to events in Cassandra's personal history, but it was weak.
I cannot recommend this book for readers of literature or lovers of haunting suspense thrillers. The age range for appreciating this book is roughly between twelve and sixteen, but only if subtext, pacing and atmosphere are irrelevant to the reader. There was so much potential, as this was an unusual subject (dowsing/divining) and a strong opening. But it was inevitably diluted, and soon veered from its source and dried up like an empty well.
March 5, 2011
The Diviner's Tale / 978-0-547-38263-0
I'd not heard of Bradford Morrow before this book came available on Vine and NetGalley, but I will definitely have to check out his other novels after this exquisite tale. Equal parts an ambiguous tale of madness and magic (for we're never sure where the diviner's talents actually come from), a heart-warming tale of coming to terms with family disaster at all stages of life, and a terrifying tale of mystery and suspense, it's impossible to set down "The Diviner's Tale" from beginning to end.
There's something very beautiful and touching about the writing style here; the author clearly has a touching love affair with words and with etymology, and just as clearly trusts the reader enough not to bang them repeatedly over the head. For instance, the main character is aptly named Cassandra - a young woman cursed with prophetic visions and rarely able to convince others to listen, as well as deeply interested in Greek literature and mythology - but the point is made lightly and never dwelt on, with the end result that the naming never feels cheap or gimmicky. Morrow lingers over carefully wording and phrases like a gourmand might linger over a particularly delicious meal, but as soon as the taste has had a moment to spread over the tongue, he swallows and moves on to the next dish - the end result is a book that will be deeply enjoyable to devoted linguists without being tiresome or slow for the rest of us.
The plot itself puts me somewhat in mind of The Gift - a sometimes psychic of dubious standing in a small-town community has a vision of something horrible happening, and is torn between a desire to return to her quiet life, and a desire to do the right thing and help an innocent victim find peace. Whether Cassandra's fore-visions are magic or madness, we're never quite sure - and she's a more vulnerable main character because of it. While you or I might go to the police immediately upon something threatening happening, Cassandra realistically worries that her perceptions of reality may be so skewed as to be imagining danger where there is none.
The writing itself, as it carefully doles out tiny pieces of Cassandra's childhood and dark memories long hidden as the present forces them to the surface, reminds me somewhat of Five Quarters of the Orange, where just beneath a quiet and peaceful community lies a dark past, hushed up and yet still ominously affecting the present. Morrow's writing here, however, has a good deal faster pace and sharper bite than Harris' also-excellent writing, and this edge gives "The Diviner's Tale" a strong broad appeal to multiple audiences.
It's hard to imagine that anyone would dislike this book. I highly recommend picking it up - once you're past the first chapter and acclimated to the author's distinctly poetical rhythm, I can almost guarantee that you won't be able to put the book down again until the satisfactory conclusion.
NOTE: This review is based on a free Advance Review Copy of this book provided through NetGalley.
NOTE: This review is based on a free Advance Review Copy of this book provided through Amazon Vine.
~ Ana Mardoll
I'd not heard of Bradford Morrow before this book came available on Vine and NetGalley, but I will definitely have to check out his other novels after this exquisite tale. Equal parts an ambiguous tale of madness and magic (for we're never sure where the diviner's talents actually come from), a heart-warming tale of coming to terms with family disaster at all stages of life, and a terrifying tale of mystery and suspense, it's impossible to set down "The Diviner's Tale" from beginning to end.
There's something very beautiful and touching about the writing style here; the author clearly has a touching love affair with words and with etymology, and just as clearly trusts the reader enough not to bang them repeatedly over the head. For instance, the main character is aptly named Cassandra - a young woman cursed with prophetic visions and rarely able to convince others to listen, as well as deeply interested in Greek literature and mythology - but the point is made lightly and never dwelt on, with the end result that the naming never feels cheap or gimmicky. Morrow lingers over carefully wording and phrases like a gourmand might linger over a particularly delicious meal, but as soon as the taste has had a moment to spread over the tongue, he swallows and moves on to the next dish - the end result is a book that will be deeply enjoyable to devoted linguists without being tiresome or slow for the rest of us.
The plot itself puts me somewhat in mind of The Gift - a sometimes psychic of dubious standing in a small-town community has a vision of something horrible happening, and is torn between a desire to return to her quiet life, and a desire to do the right thing and help an innocent victim find peace. Whether Cassandra's fore-visions are magic or madness, we're never quite sure - and she's a more vulnerable main character because of it. While you or I might go to the police immediately upon something threatening happening, Cassandra realistically worries that her perceptions of reality may be so skewed as to be imagining danger where there is none.
The writing itself, as it carefully doles out tiny pieces of Cassandra's childhood and dark memories long hidden as the present forces them to the surface, reminds me somewhat of Five Quarters of the Orange, where just beneath a quiet and peaceful community lies a dark past, hushed up and yet still ominously affecting the present. Morrow's writing here, however, has a good deal faster pace and sharper bite than Harris' also-excellent writing, and this edge gives "The Diviner's Tale" a strong broad appeal to multiple audiences.
It's hard to imagine that anyone would dislike this book. I highly recommend picking it up - once you're past the first chapter and acclimated to the author's distinctly poetical rhythm, I can almost guarantee that you won't be able to put the book down again until the satisfactory conclusion.
NOTE: This review is based on a free Advance Review Copy of this book provided through NetGalley.
NOTE: This review is based on a free Advance Review Copy of this book provided through Amazon Vine.
~ Ana Mardoll
January 17, 2011
I'm a huge fan of Bradford Morrow's and I've been waiting for this book, The Diviners Tale, for a long time. Not only is it worth the wait, it's one of the best contemporary novels I've read in years.
When the novel opens the narrator, Cassandra Brooks, describes her first "forevision," a premonition of her brother's death. It got me hooked right away and set up story lines which enrich the book throughout: Cassandra's strong yet complicated relationships with her family; the unique gifts that make her feel like an outsider; and the burdens that accompany her talent for divination (she foresees her brother's death but can't stop him from dying). Cassandra struggles to live a quiet life, raising twin sons as a single parent and forging bonds with her challenging mother and her ailing father, teaching, and "divining" -- a talent tied to her premonitory powers. Cassandra quickly became a character I adore, someone whose insecurities I can relate to as easily as I can to the capaciousness of her heart.
While divining (for water, a fascinating process Morrow describes so well) Cassandra sees a horrifying sight, a dead girl hanging from a tree in the woods. However, when she summons the police the girl has vanished without a trace. Did she imagine the whole thing? Was it the sign of a murder to come, or the residue of one that already happened? When a missing girl who resembles the dead girl (and reminds Cassandra of herself) is found, Cassandra is pulled even further into this frightening web. The tension builds slowly but masterfully; there are moments near the end that left me reading doubly fast because I couldn't bear to wait to find out what happened.
The whodunit is the least interesting aspect of The Diviner's Tale, and the easiest to figure out. That didn't bother me; there were enough twists and turns to keep me guessing. Besides, I was most interested in Cassandra's journey, the path by which she learned to accept her warts, powers of divination, and all, and finally to embrace her valiant life. Also, while I might have appreciated some insight into the motivations of the villain, Morrow's interest in fleshing out the good guys rather than the bad ones is a refreshing change. Usually, the villains are more interesting than the heroes! Here, the flawed but admirable individuals - and they are many - are the people you wind up wanting to know.
Morrow's Trinity Fields is my favorite of his novels: a brilliant meditation about America in the 20th Century, the saga of two men particularly burdened by the legacy of the atomic bomb, and a beautiful, graceful love story. I highly recommend it to those many of you who doubtless will be looking for another Bradford Morrow book the minute you finish reading this one. Although The Diviner's Tale doesn't supplant Trinity Fields on my list, it takes its place right alongside it. And, Cassandra Brooks already stands as one of the great characters in 21st Century fiction.
When the novel opens the narrator, Cassandra Brooks, describes her first "forevision," a premonition of her brother's death. It got me hooked right away and set up story lines which enrich the book throughout: Cassandra's strong yet complicated relationships with her family; the unique gifts that make her feel like an outsider; and the burdens that accompany her talent for divination (she foresees her brother's death but can't stop him from dying). Cassandra struggles to live a quiet life, raising twin sons as a single parent and forging bonds with her challenging mother and her ailing father, teaching, and "divining" -- a talent tied to her premonitory powers. Cassandra quickly became a character I adore, someone whose insecurities I can relate to as easily as I can to the capaciousness of her heart.
While divining (for water, a fascinating process Morrow describes so well) Cassandra sees a horrifying sight, a dead girl hanging from a tree in the woods. However, when she summons the police the girl has vanished without a trace. Did she imagine the whole thing? Was it the sign of a murder to come, or the residue of one that already happened? When a missing girl who resembles the dead girl (and reminds Cassandra of herself) is found, Cassandra is pulled even further into this frightening web. The tension builds slowly but masterfully; there are moments near the end that left me reading doubly fast because I couldn't bear to wait to find out what happened.
The whodunit is the least interesting aspect of The Diviner's Tale, and the easiest to figure out. That didn't bother me; there were enough twists and turns to keep me guessing. Besides, I was most interested in Cassandra's journey, the path by which she learned to accept her warts, powers of divination, and all, and finally to embrace her valiant life. Also, while I might have appreciated some insight into the motivations of the villain, Morrow's interest in fleshing out the good guys rather than the bad ones is a refreshing change. Usually, the villains are more interesting than the heroes! Here, the flawed but admirable individuals - and they are many - are the people you wind up wanting to know.
Morrow's Trinity Fields is my favorite of his novels: a brilliant meditation about America in the 20th Century, the saga of two men particularly burdened by the legacy of the atomic bomb, and a beautiful, graceful love story. I highly recommend it to those many of you who doubtless will be looking for another Bradford Morrow book the minute you finish reading this one. Although The Diviner's Tale doesn't supplant Trinity Fields on my list, it takes its place right alongside it. And, Cassandra Brooks already stands as one of the great characters in 21st Century fiction.
June 27, 2014
I am a librarian, and my job is to catalog U.S. government publications. A year or two ago I cataloged a little pamphlet by the U.S. Geological Survey called Water Witching. This little book was published in 1966, and it was the Geological Survey's brief examination into the history and validity of the practice of using Y-shaped sticks and/or dowsing rods to locate hidden sources of ground water. The pamphlet was quaint, a glimpse back into the past, and it did declare that the practice of water witching, or divining, was not really a reliable method of discovering water.
When I read The Diviner's Tale, that little pamphlet came back to me in full force. The Diviner's Tale is a meaty book about a woman named Cassandra who is descended from a long line of diviners. She talks a lot about the artful science behind water witching, and I think that having read Water Witching helped me to understand what she was referring to in her story.
This book is an interesting one. It's a literary story, a book about divining, about finding yourself, about growing up. It's also a mystery of sorts. The book is about 300 pages (it seems longer), and it takes its time to unwind Cassandra's story. There is a lot in this book that could have been cut out, because in places things do get a little bogged down. On the flip side of that, though, the character development is beautiful. The author really gives you the time you need to get to know each of the characters in the story, and they come to seem very three-dimensional and real. The language is very beautiful, and it's used to convey complex ideas and emotions.
Much of this story seemed a little bit improbable. Really, the acts of water witching were some of the more believable parts of the story. Many of Cassandra's actions and decisions seem a little foolish considering she and others are in some amount of danger. If not for these bits, I think I would have enjoyed the story a little more. I did like it, it's just that the incongruous parts really stuck out.
I'm not really big on novels of self-discovery, but as far as they go, I enjoyed this one. I believe that the audio narration by Cassandra Campbell enhanced the story, as her voice is soothing and calm, perfectly suited for a contemplative novel like The Diviner's Tale.
When I read The Diviner's Tale, that little pamphlet came back to me in full force. The Diviner's Tale is a meaty book about a woman named Cassandra who is descended from a long line of diviners. She talks a lot about the artful science behind water witching, and I think that having read Water Witching helped me to understand what she was referring to in her story.
This book is an interesting one. It's a literary story, a book about divining, about finding yourself, about growing up. It's also a mystery of sorts. The book is about 300 pages (it seems longer), and it takes its time to unwind Cassandra's story. There is a lot in this book that could have been cut out, because in places things do get a little bogged down. On the flip side of that, though, the character development is beautiful. The author really gives you the time you need to get to know each of the characters in the story, and they come to seem very three-dimensional and real. The language is very beautiful, and it's used to convey complex ideas and emotions.
Much of this story seemed a little bit improbable. Really, the acts of water witching were some of the more believable parts of the story. Many of Cassandra's actions and decisions seem a little foolish considering she and others are in some amount of danger. If not for these bits, I think I would have enjoyed the story a little more. I did like it, it's just that the incongruous parts really stuck out.
I'm not really big on novels of self-discovery, but as far as they go, I enjoyed this one. I believe that the audio narration by Cassandra Campbell enhanced the story, as her voice is soothing and calm, perfectly suited for a contemplative novel like The Diviner's Tale.
January 20, 2011
Single sentence summary: Cassandra's family has always been dowsers and when searching for water on some property, she sees a young women hanging from a tree but when she returns to the spot with the police, the girl is no longer there.
I loved parts of this book and other times I had no idea where it was going. The first 70 percent of the novel felt like a meandering stream – beautiful at moments but without a set course. I kept hoping it was going somewhere and eventually it did...but it took over half the book to show where it was going. That left me with some frustrating moments as you get flashbacks to Cassandra's past, some of which I didn't even feel like added to the story in the end (she describes how she ended up as a single mom, which I don't really feel was that important to the progression of the story). Some of the flashbacks were great and really added to getting to know Cassandra, I would have liked them a little more spaced out and the major plot elements earlier. Instead everything plodded along slowly to start with and then the ending was rushed.
I did enjoy Cassandra's character and many of those around here but there was no build up to or real fear of the villain until the very last part of the book and by then, it was little late for me. I just wanted something to happen and it did, but so quickly that the real horror of the villain didn't come across. I think that the villain could have been played up more and given this more of a mystery feel instead of a story of a woman's life. Not that there is anything wrong with that, I enjoy those novels but I didn't feel like something was happening with Cassandra either.
I found the writing engaging but struggled keeping entertained by the book because it felt slow for me. I give this book 3 Stars. It was good but a I was hoping for a little more plot development.
I loved parts of this book and other times I had no idea where it was going. The first 70 percent of the novel felt like a meandering stream – beautiful at moments but without a set course. I kept hoping it was going somewhere and eventually it did...but it took over half the book to show where it was going. That left me with some frustrating moments as you get flashbacks to Cassandra's past, some of which I didn't even feel like added to the story in the end (she describes how she ended up as a single mom, which I don't really feel was that important to the progression of the story). Some of the flashbacks were great and really added to getting to know Cassandra, I would have liked them a little more spaced out and the major plot elements earlier. Instead everything plodded along slowly to start with and then the ending was rushed.
I did enjoy Cassandra's character and many of those around here but there was no build up to or real fear of the villain until the very last part of the book and by then, it was little late for me. I just wanted something to happen and it did, but so quickly that the real horror of the villain didn't come across. I think that the villain could have been played up more and given this more of a mystery feel instead of a story of a woman's life. Not that there is anything wrong with that, I enjoy those novels but I didn't feel like something was happening with Cassandra either.
I found the writing engaging but struggled keeping entertained by the book because it felt slow for me. I give this book 3 Stars. It was good but a I was hoping for a little more plot development.
July 4, 2013
Single mom Cassandra Brooks comes from a long line of "diviners", or water dowsers, and her father has taught her the secrets of the craft. Some folks say she's a witch, and she has always felt like an outsider. One day while searching for a source of water on an about-to-be-developed farm, she comes upon the body of a young girl hanging by the neck from a tree. Horrified and saddened, she contacts the police, but when she leads them to the site, the body has disappeared. The Diviner's Tale is the story of her reaction to that incident, which prompts her to question her sanity and her place in the world. What is reality and what is a figment of the mind?
Cassandra's is a spooky sort of tale, a slowly simmering eeriness pervading it all. Like the mythological Cassandra, from time to time she sees visions, and some of them come true. She tells of her experiences in her own words, sometimes straightforwardly and other times, poetically and metaphorically. The language in this book is thoughtful, beautiful and affecting. Perhaps Cassandra thinks too much, complicating things beyond their significance. But as a character, she is engaging, intelligent and courageous, and if she's profoundly unsure of herself, she nevertheless faces problems head on. The Diviner's Tale also has its suspenseful segments, built around three different crimes that took place in three different decades. While it becomes clear who the middle malefactor is, the nature of his crimes, as well as the the identities of the first and third, require more delving into the details of the story itself. In the process, her most significant relationships must change.
As Cassandra herself concludes, “All we had ever been were stories, and saying ourselves, unveiling our stories, was the best, the only, chance at divining ourselves.”
Cassandra's is a spooky sort of tale, a slowly simmering eeriness pervading it all. Like the mythological Cassandra, from time to time she sees visions, and some of them come true. She tells of her experiences in her own words, sometimes straightforwardly and other times, poetically and metaphorically. The language in this book is thoughtful, beautiful and affecting. Perhaps Cassandra thinks too much, complicating things beyond their significance. But as a character, she is engaging, intelligent and courageous, and if she's profoundly unsure of herself, she nevertheless faces problems head on. The Diviner's Tale also has its suspenseful segments, built around three different crimes that took place in three different decades. While it becomes clear who the middle malefactor is, the nature of his crimes, as well as the the identities of the first and third, require more delving into the details of the story itself. In the process, her most significant relationships must change.
As Cassandra herself concludes, “All we had ever been were stories, and saying ourselves, unveiling our stories, was the best, the only, chance at divining ourselves.”
January 28, 2013
I wish I had read the reviews here on Goodreads first! It would have saved several hours of my listening life, as I had this as an audiobook. After listening up through chapter 11, I wrathfully sent it back through the ether to the library!
The story, supposedly, is about a woman diviner who, when she is out divining for water for a developer, sees a dead girl hung by the neck in the woods. She calls the police, but when they go back to investigate, there is no body to be found. The next day, however, a more thorough search turns up a disheveled, mute girl in the woods. And 11 chapters later that is pretty much all that has happened.
The lyrical and descriptive language of the book at first enchanted me, but the rambling way the story is told, alternating between current events and the whimsical reminiscences of the protagonist was maddening! I listened to every single leaf and plant described in vivid detail and threw up my hands in disgust when the heroine hears a twig snap, wonders if it could be a black bear, but no, there probably aren't any black bears on the island, although her great uncle said there was a black bear once that chased the whitetail dear. He must have swum over to the island, and here I am standing on my great-uncle's grave, I wonder if I could have carved out a living here and I'll be buried here, too.......... aaarrrgh! I don't usually write bad reviews, but this book made my brain hurt!
The story, supposedly, is about a woman diviner who, when she is out divining for water for a developer, sees a dead girl hung by the neck in the woods. She calls the police, but when they go back to investigate, there is no body to be found. The next day, however, a more thorough search turns up a disheveled, mute girl in the woods. And 11 chapters later that is pretty much all that has happened.
The lyrical and descriptive language of the book at first enchanted me, but the rambling way the story is told, alternating between current events and the whimsical reminiscences of the protagonist was maddening! I listened to every single leaf and plant described in vivid detail and threw up my hands in disgust when the heroine hears a twig snap, wonders if it could be a black bear, but no, there probably aren't any black bears on the island, although her great uncle said there was a black bear once that chased the whitetail dear. He must have swum over to the island, and here I am standing on my great-uncle's grave, I wonder if I could have carved out a living here and I'll be buried here, too.......... aaarrrgh! I don't usually write bad reviews, but this book made my brain hurt!
November 8, 2011
Frankly, this was a boring book. I thought the characters were flat and boring, and I never grew to care about any of them much. I also don't care for the author's writing style. Far from being a "Tale" it's mostly just a series of random and mostly meaningless flashbacks mixed with current events that weren't tied very closely together. I think the author depended too heavily on flashbacks to develop the characters, rather than letting their actions build their descriptions. I'm far from needing a linear story, but this jumped back and forth way too much and made it confusing. I never knew where I was... her childhood, two months ago, relatives 200 year plus, teenager, current happenings, 10 years ago, with her parents before her birth, etc. I also thought that the author's attempt at being poetic or lyrical fell short and came out as longwinded with almost a pompous feel. I have to admit that I abandoned this one about 2/3 of the way in. Maybe there was some great twist in the end that tied it all together, but my time is precious and I was through giving it to this book.
June 7, 2021
"The Diviner's Tale" is a novel you can pass on.
"Diviners" has an interesting idea, but the execution isn't great. Most of the issues are with the characters, who often act in ways that make them seem dim or inconsistent just to keep the plot going. Take the time that the protagonist, who is being stalked, goes to church and hears that an "old friend" has been asking after her. She asks "Who?" ... and then doesn't bother to stick around to hear the answer! That's one of the worst instances, but there are many small things like that. The author also reveals things late in the novel that would have made sense to bring up before, except that they would have made things too obvious too early on. The Wonder Twins are just terribly dull no matter how smart or athletic they are supposed to be, and the InstaLove was unneeded.
"The Diviner's Tale" could have been an interesting story, but the author makes the characters act stupidly in order to hold back plot points until later in the story.
"Diviners" has an interesting idea, but the execution isn't great. Most of the issues are with the characters, who often act in ways that make them seem dim or inconsistent just to keep the plot going. Take the time that the protagonist, who is being stalked, goes to church and hears that an "old friend" has been asking after her. She asks "Who?" ... and then doesn't bother to stick around to hear the answer! That's one of the worst instances, but there are many small things like that. The author also reveals things late in the novel that would have made sense to bring up before, except that they would have made things too obvious too early on. The Wonder Twins are just terribly dull no matter how smart or athletic they are supposed to be, and the InstaLove was unneeded.
"The Diviner's Tale" could have been an interesting story, but the author makes the characters act stupidly in order to hold back plot points until later in the story.
January 21, 2012
Shirley Jackson - "Our tragic Universe" - "The Girl with Glass Feet" - "The Raising" - "The Beginners" - "Diviner´s Tale"
Psychology meets biography meets supernatural meets good storytelling.
Dieser Roman gehört in die Reihe der "übernatürlichen" Bücher, aber letztlich wird hier vor allem die Geschichte einer Familie erzählt, die mit etlichen Schicksalsschlägen umgehen muß: Der frühe Unfalltod des Bruders der Protagonistin, die Alzheimererkrankung des Vaters; die Protagonistin ist alleinerziehend und Wünschelrutengängerin, was sie sozial isoliert.
Die unerklärlichen Ereignisse, die Ausgangspunkt der Romanhandlung sind, führen in der Folge dazu, dass sich die Heldin mit ihrem Leben erneut auseinandersetzen und ihren Platz finden muß.
Dieses wird mit großer Herzenswärme und Intensität geschildert.
Die Figuren sind mir während des Lesens schnell ans Herz gewachsen und ich wäre gerne länger mit ihnen zusammen geblieben.
Psychology meets biography meets supernatural meets good storytelling.
Dieser Roman gehört in die Reihe der "übernatürlichen" Bücher, aber letztlich wird hier vor allem die Geschichte einer Familie erzählt, die mit etlichen Schicksalsschlägen umgehen muß: Der frühe Unfalltod des Bruders der Protagonistin, die Alzheimererkrankung des Vaters; die Protagonistin ist alleinerziehend und Wünschelrutengängerin, was sie sozial isoliert.
Die unerklärlichen Ereignisse, die Ausgangspunkt der Romanhandlung sind, führen in der Folge dazu, dass sich die Heldin mit ihrem Leben erneut auseinandersetzen und ihren Platz finden muß.
Dieses wird mit großer Herzenswärme und Intensität geschildert.
Die Figuren sind mir während des Lesens schnell ans Herz gewachsen und ich wäre gerne länger mit ihnen zusammen geblieben.
June 6, 2025
I'd be willing to bet money that Morrow's family had a house on an island off the coast of Maine. I don't think he realizes that most of us see his setting as elitist, dripping with white privilege. Most of us are struggling to maintain a house or pay rent, and can only imagine having summers away at a second home --on a freaking island!
Downgrading to a generous three stars from a first read of the ARC 15 years ago. I seem to have become more discerning in my old age. The book I remember was better than this. Can't help feeling this would have been better in third person. Or told from someone else's POV. As it is, Cassandra's first person is not engaging. The text needlessly wanders into asides which I learned to skip over. An exploration of an extraordinary gift that was bland. I don't read to spend my time with bland, boring people. I am dnf'ing this time round, utterly uninterested in these people.
Downgrading to a generous three stars from a first read of the ARC 15 years ago. I seem to have become more discerning in my old age. The book I remember was better than this. Can't help feeling this would have been better in third person. Or told from someone else's POV. As it is, Cassandra's first person is not engaging. The text needlessly wanders into asides which I learned to skip over. An exploration of an extraordinary gift that was bland. I don't read to spend my time with bland, boring people. I am dnf'ing this time round, utterly uninterested in these people.
July 8, 2016
Illogical and idiotic at times, this book conjures good imagery and an intriguing premise, however the thought processes of the main character has me scratching my head more often than not. I'm listening to this, and I really don't appreciate the jumps in time. I'm not sure that's the reason though, why I find myself at times saying outloud, "WTF is she talking about now?" The recording has flaws in it which I found hard to ignore because I was being irritated by the story. Over all though, the narrator did an adequate job.
February 14, 2011
Okay the reason I didn't like this:
the narrative felt unnatural. I kept thinking 'who talks like that'. The story moved too slowly for me and maybe because of the subject I was expecting a mystical touch and didn't quite get it. I don't want to ruin the novel for other readers, it may well just be that it wasn't a what I expected, hence the poor review rating. Decide for yourself.
the narrative felt unnatural. I kept thinking 'who talks like that'. The story moved too slowly for me and maybe because of the subject I was expecting a mystical touch and didn't quite get it. I don't want to ruin the novel for other readers, it may well just be that it wasn't a what I expected, hence the poor review rating. Decide for yourself.
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