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Güller ve Dikenler : İki Taraflı Bir Aşk Hikayesi
Bu kitap, dünyadaki tüm talihsiz aşklara ithaf edilmiştir.
Büyüleyici bir romantizm. Bir araya gelemeyen iki sevgilinin sakladığı müthiş sırlar. Ve onların hikayelerini sonsuza kadar birleştiren benzersiz hazırlanmış bir kitap.
Evelyn köydeki kitapçıya yürüdüğünde, hayatının aşkıyla karşılaşacağını bilmiyordu. Brendan Thorne ona bir ortaçağ romantizmi kitabı önerdiğinde, bunun kendisinin gelecekteki hayatını nasıl değiştireceğini bilmiyordu. Bu eski kitap onları lanetinin içine çekmişti sanki.
Aşkın iki sesi vardır. Biri erkek biri kadın. Güller ve Dikenler'de, iki sesi birden, o aşkın esas kahramanlarından Brendan ve Evelyn'den dinleyeceksiniz. Bu talihsiz ve benzersiz aşk hikayesini, kitabın her iki yönünden okuyabilirsiniz. Onların aşkı insanın hem canını acıtan, hem de umutlandıran bir masal.
Amazon.com'un 14 Şubat Sevgililer Günü'nde verilebilecek en güzel hediye olarak gösterdiği bu aşk masalı, size sırlarla dolu yeni bir dünyanın kapılarını açacak.
Hem de iki kapılı bir dünyanın...
Büyüleyici bir romantizm. Bir araya gelemeyen iki sevgilinin sakladığı müthiş sırlar. Ve onların hikayelerini sonsuza kadar birleştiren benzersiz hazırlanmış bir kitap.
Evelyn köydeki kitapçıya yürüdüğünde, hayatının aşkıyla karşılaşacağını bilmiyordu. Brendan Thorne ona bir ortaçağ romantizmi kitabı önerdiğinde, bunun kendisinin gelecekteki hayatını nasıl değiştireceğini bilmiyordu. Bu eski kitap onları lanetinin içine çekmişti sanki.
Aşkın iki sesi vardır. Biri erkek biri kadın. Güller ve Dikenler'de, iki sesi birden, o aşkın esas kahramanlarından Brendan ve Evelyn'den dinleyeceksiniz. Bu talihsiz ve benzersiz aşk hikayesini, kitabın her iki yönünden okuyabilirsiniz. Onların aşkı insanın hem canını acıtan, hem de umutlandıran bir masal.
Amazon.com'un 14 Şubat Sevgililer Günü'nde verilebilecek en güzel hediye olarak gösterdiği bu aşk masalı, size sırlarla dolu yeni bir dünyanın kapılarını açacak.
Hem de iki kapılı bir dünyanın...
120 pages, Hardcover
First published January 17, 2012
57 people are currently reading
5078 people want to read
About the author
Theodora Goss
133 books2,169 followersTheodora Goss was born in Hungary and spent her childhood in various European countries before her family moved to the United States, where she completed a PhD in English literature. She is the World Fantasy and Locus Award-winning author of the short story and poetry collections In the Forest of Forgetting (2006), Songs for Ophelia (2014), and Snow White Learns Witchcraft (2019), as well as novella The Thorn and the Blossom (2012), debut novel The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter (2017), and sequels European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman (2018) and The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerizing Girl (2019). She has been a finalist for the Nebula, Crawford, Seiun, and Mythopoeic Awards, as well as on the Tiptree Award Honor List. Her work has been translated into thirteen languages. She teaches literature and writing at Boston University and in the Stonecoast MFA Program.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 443 reviews
March 30, 2012
Rating Clarification: 1.5 Stars
I'm bummed I wasn't as taken with this story as I hoped to be. After all, it involves (cue Julie Andrews from The Sound of Music) "a few of my favorite things":
1. A Cornish setting
2. A quaint bookstore
3. A hunky Brit hero
4. A fairy tale/legend about Sir Gawain, the Green Knight, and Queen Elowen
5. Lost loves/past lives intertwining throughout the centuries
6. A beautiful cover (one of the most beautiful I've personally ever seen)
7. A very cool book design, with an accordian-like spine that allows the reader to read a two sided story narrated by the hero in one story and the heroine in the other story on the flip side. The reader can choose either story to read first, and any gaps from the first story will be explained by the narrative from the other.
((sigh)))
So why the 2 stars? Well, it's one of those cases where (apologies to author Theodora Goss) I kept thinking to myself that this would have been EPIC in the hands of another writer (like Susanna Kearsley). I realize that's not fair, and Goss had a wonderful idea for a story, but for me personally, I thought her writing was trite. And it really pains me to say this, but at times it was cringeworthy, and had me rolling my eyes. For a story idea like this, I was hoping (expecting, even) magical prose and a clever twist, not a lovescene with the hackney sentence:
"And when he entered her, it was like going home, like going where he should have been all along..."
(PUH-LEZE-- as if a woman's hoo-hah needs a doormat in front of it saying "Home Sweet Home" -- excuse me while I go barf in a quiet corner). This, and other less egregious examples of prose-gone-bad prevented me from liking this book.
I know many readers enjoyed this tale, and I respect their opinions, since I like many books that others find sub-par. I expect I'm just generally sorry about this particular book because I wanted to love it, and I even petitioned my local library to purchase it (and they did, bless them).
5 stars for cover and book design. Otherwise, a big, fat meh (with regrets) :(
I'm bummed I wasn't as taken with this story as I hoped to be. After all, it involves (cue Julie Andrews from The Sound of Music) "a few of my favorite things":
1. A Cornish setting
2. A quaint bookstore
3. A hunky Brit hero
4. A fairy tale/legend about Sir Gawain, the Green Knight, and Queen Elowen
5. Lost loves/past lives intertwining throughout the centuries
6. A beautiful cover (one of the most beautiful I've personally ever seen)
7. A very cool book design, with an accordian-like spine that allows the reader to read a two sided story narrated by the hero in one story and the heroine in the other story on the flip side. The reader can choose either story to read first, and any gaps from the first story will be explained by the narrative from the other.
((sigh)))
So why the 2 stars? Well, it's one of those cases where (apologies to author Theodora Goss) I kept thinking to myself that this would have been EPIC in the hands of another writer (like Susanna Kearsley). I realize that's not fair, and Goss had a wonderful idea for a story, but for me personally, I thought her writing was trite. And it really pains me to say this, but at times it was cringeworthy, and had me rolling my eyes. For a story idea like this, I was hoping (expecting, even) magical prose and a clever twist, not a lovescene with the hackney sentence:
"And when he entered her, it was like going home, like going where he should have been all along..."
(PUH-LEZE-- as if a woman's hoo-hah needs a doormat in front of it saying "Home Sweet Home" -- excuse me while I go barf in a quiet corner). This, and other less egregious examples of prose-gone-bad prevented me from liking this book.
I know many readers enjoyed this tale, and I respect their opinions, since I like many books that others find sub-par. I expect I'm just generally sorry about this particular book because I wanted to love it, and I even petitioned my local library to purchase it (and they did, bless them).
5 stars for cover and book design. Otherwise, a big, fat meh (with regrets) :(
October 3, 2019
I'm in love.
With the gorgeousness of this book.
The Thorn and the Blossom is just a treat to hold and unfold. Yes, unfold. It's described as a "two-sided love story", and that's literally what it is. This book has two hardcover covers, but no spine. It opens accordion-style, so you can read it from either end. The two versions of the story complement each other. Each side is about 35 pages, so this is a quick read, but utterly enchanting.
Okay, so I've described the outside of the book. What about the inside? Is the story itself any good?
YES.
Two stories are told here -- one from Evelyn's perspective, and one from Brendan's. When we first meet Evelyn, she's finishing her graduate work in medieval literature. She's had a somewhat rocky past, but now on a brief holiday in Cornwall, she's enjoying a fresh burst of energy and inspiration. When she meets Brendan, he introduces her to a local folk tale, and this meeting, and the story she discovers, change her life.
Brendan is also pursuing graduate studies in literature, breaking away from his home in Cornwall to pursue his dreams. After their initial meeting, a long time passes before Evelyn and Brendan meet again... but they seem destined to reenter one another's lives.
I love the ambiguity of the story. Are they meant to be the embodiment of the fairy tale characters, or are they simply two compatible people who become obsessed by the same story? Does Evelyn hallucinate, or is she blessed (cursed?) with the second sight spoken of in tales? Is what she sees real? What do she and Brendan really mean to one another?
I read the Evelyn story first, and then the Brendan story, and I really liked the way both stories developed and being able to see how they match up and where they diverge. I wonder how the story would have felt if I'd read Brendan's side first, not knowing the other pieces to the story?
Maybe I'll come back to this unique book after a few months, read it the other way, and see if my impressions change!
Meanwhile, let me just say that I really loved reading and experiencing this beautiful book.
And now, I must read more by this author!
With the gorgeousness of this book.
The Thorn and the Blossom is just a treat to hold and unfold. Yes, unfold. It's described as a "two-sided love story", and that's literally what it is. This book has two hardcover covers, but no spine. It opens accordion-style, so you can read it from either end. The two versions of the story complement each other. Each side is about 35 pages, so this is a quick read, but utterly enchanting.
Okay, so I've described the outside of the book. What about the inside? Is the story itself any good?
YES.
Two stories are told here -- one from Evelyn's perspective, and one from Brendan's. When we first meet Evelyn, she's finishing her graduate work in medieval literature. She's had a somewhat rocky past, but now on a brief holiday in Cornwall, she's enjoying a fresh burst of energy and inspiration. When she meets Brendan, he introduces her to a local folk tale, and this meeting, and the story she discovers, change her life.
Brendan is also pursuing graduate studies in literature, breaking away from his home in Cornwall to pursue his dreams. After their initial meeting, a long time passes before Evelyn and Brendan meet again... but they seem destined to reenter one another's lives.
I love the ambiguity of the story. Are they meant to be the embodiment of the fairy tale characters, or are they simply two compatible people who become obsessed by the same story? Does Evelyn hallucinate, or is she blessed (cursed?) with the second sight spoken of in tales? Is what she sees real? What do she and Brendan really mean to one another?
I read the Evelyn story first, and then the Brendan story, and I really liked the way both stories developed and being able to see how they match up and where they diverge. I wonder how the story would have felt if I'd read Brendan's side first, not knowing the other pieces to the story?
Maybe I'll come back to this unique book after a few months, read it the other way, and see if my impressions change!
Meanwhile, let me just say that I really loved reading and experiencing this beautiful book.
And now, I must read more by this author!
October 29, 2024
This is one of the instances where the beautiful cover has matching beautiful words inside!
This book is so unique! You can read it 2 ways. Hold the book one direction and it's the FMC POV...then flip the book and it's the MMC POV.
This book is the definition of a perfect palette cleanser! Short story, that was fast paced and had such an interesting retelling in it. Definitely something I could reread once a year for a quick 45minute "awwww" moment.
This book is so unique! You can read it 2 ways. Hold the book one direction and it's the FMC POV...then flip the book and it's the MMC POV.
This book is the definition of a perfect palette cleanser! Short story, that was fast paced and had such an interesting retelling in it. Definitely something I could reread once a year for a quick 45minute "awwww" moment.
May 24, 2016
Beautiful but could have been richer in events..
"
When Evelyn Morgan walked into the village bookstore, she didn’t know she would meet the love of her life. When Brendan Thorne handed her a medieval romance, he didn’t know it would change the course of his future. It was almost as if they were the cursed lovers in the old book itself . . ."
Evelyn, an american wealthy girl, litt student in Oxford, decides to spend a week in Cornwall to write something other than -according to professor Lambert- her fanciful nonsense. While exploring the little town, she comes across THORNE & SON, BOOKSELLERS where she meets Brendan Thorne. During that week, they get to know each other and he tells her the story of the "Gawan’s Court" the same way his dad used to..
Evelyn has hallucinations (or can we really call them hallucinations?) since she was eight, she's been on and off medication and feeling better until Brendan (whom she didn't talked to about her condition) decides to kiss her, she panicked and ran away..
Ten years later, they meet again, as teachers at Bartlett college and this time Brendan has a little secret, and they grew apart again but not because of the truth...
Evelyn, goes back to Cornwall and so does Brendan, but none of them know about the other...so what happens then?
" Then Gawan turned and saw Elowen lying on the ground. He knelt beside her, raised her head, and said, “Why do you lie here, my love?”
“The spell was too strong for me,” she said. “I’m dying, Gawan. But I shall see you again. In another life, we shall be together, although we cannot be in this one.”
“That you shall not!” cried Morva. “Not for a thousand years. You have killed my father and brother, and so I curse you, queen of Cornwall. You shall not be with your beloved until a thousand years have passed.” She cast her own spell and then clapped her hands, disappearing in flame and smoke."
The two of them decide to find each other again, but, were they really cursed? and when would the thousand years pass? Open ending for the reader to finish the story.
It was a good read and I kept imagining Tom Hiddleston as Brendan, I still don't know why :D
"
When Evelyn Morgan walked into the village bookstore, she didn’t know she would meet the love of her life. When Brendan Thorne handed her a medieval romance, he didn’t know it would change the course of his future. It was almost as if they were the cursed lovers in the old book itself . . ."
Evelyn, an american wealthy girl, litt student in Oxford, decides to spend a week in Cornwall to write something other than -according to professor Lambert- her fanciful nonsense. While exploring the little town, she comes across THORNE & SON, BOOKSELLERS where she meets Brendan Thorne. During that week, they get to know each other and he tells her the story of the "Gawan’s Court" the same way his dad used to..
Evelyn has hallucinations (or can we really call them hallucinations?) since she was eight, she's been on and off medication and feeling better until Brendan (whom she didn't talked to about her condition) decides to kiss her, she panicked and ran away..
Ten years later, they meet again, as teachers at Bartlett college and this time Brendan has a little secret, and they grew apart again but not because of the truth...
Evelyn, goes back to Cornwall and so does Brendan, but none of them know about the other...so what happens then?
" Then Gawan turned and saw Elowen lying on the ground. He knelt beside her, raised her head, and said, “Why do you lie here, my love?”
“The spell was too strong for me,” she said. “I’m dying, Gawan. But I shall see you again. In another life, we shall be together, although we cannot be in this one.”
“That you shall not!” cried Morva. “Not for a thousand years. You have killed my father and brother, and so I curse you, queen of Cornwall. You shall not be with your beloved until a thousand years have passed.” She cast her own spell and then clapped her hands, disappearing in flame and smoke."
The two of them decide to find each other again, but, were they really cursed? and when would the thousand years pass? Open ending for the reader to finish the story.
It was a good read and I kept imagining Tom Hiddleston as Brendan, I still don't know why :D
December 7, 2014
Mathias Malzieu, the singer of the French music band, Dionysos, has quoted while saying about "love":
“We love each other like matches in the dark. We don't talk, we catch fire instead”
Theodora Goss, an American author, has weaved a sweet fairy tale in her new book, The Thorn and the Blossom .
Synopsis:
One enchanting romance. Two lovers keeping secrets. And a uniquely crafted book that binds their stories forever.
When Evelyn Morgan walked into the village bookstore, she did not know she would meet the love of her life. When Brendan Thorne handed her a medieval romance, he did not know it would change the course of his future. It was almost as if they were the cursed lovers in the old book itself...
Well the story is mostly a corny love-story, where girl-meets-boy and falls in love in the very first sight! However, unfortunately evil magic curses their fate! Wow now that really sounds like a fairy tale!
Honestly, for the first time ever, I am going to praise about the book's look-and-feel instead of its content! The plot could have been very enchanting and interesting because I felt the author's story telling was quite articulate. Nevertheless, readers will not fall for her story telling since there is no charm the way she has narrated the story! Sorry to say, the book is not up-to-the-mark and I was very heart-broken!
I will tell you why:
A) The book comes in a cool book-jacket like an old record!
B) The book does not open like any typical book; instead, it opens like an accordion.
C) Two protagonists and there is no hard-and-fast rule to read the girl's story first or the boy's story first.
D) Benefit of two POVs
E) The book illustrations will arrest your mind and soul. Moreover, for that I would like to applaud Scott McKowen for his hard work.
When these factors were involved in the making of this book, I wished the story could have been better, and then it would have won millions of hearts! Most above all, I though there will be some kind of mystery fore- playing for their fate, instead the plot became very predictable!
The only thing that I liked the most was character-development, which is okay and somewhat strong! Since this was a fairy tale, so you can obviously expect a fragile girl and a hunk kind of person and trust me, this is where the book will not fail you.
If you read from Evelyn's side, you will feel like "this is the cheesiest love-story ever written!" Also fills up your heart with joy and happiness! Although it is a modern-day love-story but lets, you feel like inside the pages of a fairy tale. However, it was not that touching and moving, instead, I felt like it ended so abruptly.
If you read from Brendan's side, you will terribly hate the story! Although he is a very strong character, like some hot brooding hunk, still I felt very incoherent. Moreover, at times, I felt myself drifting away from it. The narration was not at all striking enough.
For fairy tale lovers, this book can be their perfect getaway to the enchanting land of love, thrill and magic.
Hence, I would like to appreciate author's approach for writing this mystical story!
Verdict: This two-sided love-story looks flawless only from the outside!
Courtesy: Thanks to the publishers from Quirk Books, for sending me over a copy of this book, in return for an unbiased review.
“We love each other like matches in the dark. We don't talk, we catch fire instead”
Theodora Goss, an American author, has weaved a sweet fairy tale in her new book, The Thorn and the Blossom .
Synopsis:
One enchanting romance. Two lovers keeping secrets. And a uniquely crafted book that binds their stories forever.
When Evelyn Morgan walked into the village bookstore, she did not know she would meet the love of her life. When Brendan Thorne handed her a medieval romance, he did not know it would change the course of his future. It was almost as if they were the cursed lovers in the old book itself...
Well the story is mostly a corny love-story, where girl-meets-boy and falls in love in the very first sight! However, unfortunately evil magic curses their fate! Wow now that really sounds like a fairy tale!
Honestly, for the first time ever, I am going to praise about the book's look-and-feel instead of its content! The plot could have been very enchanting and interesting because I felt the author's story telling was quite articulate. Nevertheless, readers will not fall for her story telling since there is no charm the way she has narrated the story! Sorry to say, the book is not up-to-the-mark and I was very heart-broken!
I will tell you why:
A) The book comes in a cool book-jacket like an old record!
B) The book does not open like any typical book; instead, it opens like an accordion.
C) Two protagonists and there is no hard-and-fast rule to read the girl's story first or the boy's story first.
D) Benefit of two POVs
E) The book illustrations will arrest your mind and soul. Moreover, for that I would like to applaud Scott McKowen for his hard work.
When these factors were involved in the making of this book, I wished the story could have been better, and then it would have won millions of hearts! Most above all, I though there will be some kind of mystery fore- playing for their fate, instead the plot became very predictable!
The only thing that I liked the most was character-development, which is okay and somewhat strong! Since this was a fairy tale, so you can obviously expect a fragile girl and a hunk kind of person and trust me, this is where the book will not fail you.
If you read from Evelyn's side, you will feel like "this is the cheesiest love-story ever written!" Also fills up your heart with joy and happiness! Although it is a modern-day love-story but lets, you feel like inside the pages of a fairy tale. However, it was not that touching and moving, instead, I felt like it ended so abruptly.
If you read from Brendan's side, you will terribly hate the story! Although he is a very strong character, like some hot brooding hunk, still I felt very incoherent. Moreover, at times, I felt myself drifting away from it. The narration was not at all striking enough.
For fairy tale lovers, this book can be their perfect getaway to the enchanting land of love, thrill and magic.
Hence, I would like to appreciate author's approach for writing this mystical story!
Verdict: This two-sided love-story looks flawless only from the outside!
Courtesy: Thanks to the publishers from Quirk Books, for sending me over a copy of this book, in return for an unbiased review.
September 25, 2014
I’m totally a Shardbearer!
So this morning was not such a great morning. I woke up late, forgot to wash my hair last night, the puppies had accidents in their kennels, forgot to write a check for my daughters school pictures…the day was not going so well :(
Until this baby was in the pile of yesterdays mail. I would like to thank Quirk Books Publishing for sending me a copy of The Thorn and the Blossom by Theodora Goss. I was not expecting this in the mail! WOOP WOOP!!!
Look at the detail and the illustration! UGH…Totally in love!
Here is the synopsis.
One enchanting romance. Two lovers keeping secrets. And a uniquely crafted book that binds their stories forever.
When Evelyn Morgan walked into the village bookstore, she didn’t know she would meet the love of her life. When Brendan Thorne handed her a medieval romance, he didn’t know it would change the course of his future. It was almost as if they were the cursed lovers in the old book itself …
The Thorn and the Blossom is a remarkable literary artifact: You can open the book in either direction to decide whether you’ll first read Brendan’s, or Evelyn’s account of the mysterious love affair. Choose a side, read it like a regular novel—and when you get to the end, you’ll find yourself at a whole new beginning.
I’m totally psyched to get into this book! Also, Quirk Books you guys rock!!!
P.S. As a graphic designer, I’m in love with the detail of this book. From the inside jacket to the folios. It’s all beautiful and not over done. Ugh…I can’t express enough how awesome this is!
November 26, 2016
This book was incredibly disappointing for me! No substance here and not much of a tale; I don't know what to make of this book. Is it a book? No, it's more of a short tale (less than 40 pages each for the two tales). The characters were flat and there was not much of a story or plot. It's incredibly short and devoid of any details. I found it insipid and cliche and do NOT recommend it to my Goodreads friends!
April 30, 2017
If I was giving out an award for most creative book format The Thorn and the Blossom would win it hands down. Instead of a normal book you have an accordion style binding that allows you to read two different views of the same story depending on which side you start from. The book is held together in a cardboard sleeve to stop it unfolding when on the shelf.
One side of the book introduces Evelyn, a young woman with an interest in medieval literature who is in Cornwall on holiday after finishing a term studying at Oxford university. She only has a week to relax before she returns home to America to complete her education. The other side introduces Brendan, a local teenager who is currently working at his father's bookstore while trying to decide what he wants to do with his life. Their paths cross in the bookstore and then the book follows them over several years as life takes them both in different directions but always seems to draw them back together again eventually.
I absolutely love the idea of this book, the creative format is something I've not come across before and there are 4 beautiful illustrations by Scott McKowan. Although the setting is contemporary the two main characters share a love of Medieval literature - especially the tale of Elowen, the queen of Cornwall, and Gawan, one of the knights of the Round Table, who agrees to help her fight the giants plaguing her lands - so at times it has quite an old fashioned feel to it.
I enjoyed getting to see both sides of the romance but because it was written so you could read their stories in either order it meant that you ended up reading the exact same conversations and events twice which made it a little repetitive. Yes the character's internal thoughts were slightly different each time and they are both keeping secrets from each other but essentially you don't learn a great deal more by reading the second story no matter which one you start with. I think I'd have enjoyed it more if there was a set order to read the points of view in so that the second story could cover events that you hadn't seen in the first half, for example you wouldn't need to see their meeting twice if you read that in Evelyn's part and Brendan talked more about the first week they spent together while Evelyn's story skipped ahead to their second meeting etc. It would have allowed the author to flesh out the story a bit more and I think that would have made it easier for me to connect to the characters and become more invested in their romance.
As it was things happen a little too quickly, there are a few too many large jumps in time (they meet, spend a week together and the next thing you know it's 8 years later!), and Brendan in particular was keeping a major secret that I really would have liked a little more information on. I also would have loved more of a solid ending to the story, it's left with a feeling of hope to it but personally I prefer something more definite and less open ended.
There is no doubt that this is a beautiful and unique book though and I'm glad I have a copy on my shelves.
One side of the book introduces Evelyn, a young woman with an interest in medieval literature who is in Cornwall on holiday after finishing a term studying at Oxford university. She only has a week to relax before she returns home to America to complete her education. The other side introduces Brendan, a local teenager who is currently working at his father's bookstore while trying to decide what he wants to do with his life. Their paths cross in the bookstore and then the book follows them over several years as life takes them both in different directions but always seems to draw them back together again eventually.
I absolutely love the idea of this book, the creative format is something I've not come across before and there are 4 beautiful illustrations by Scott McKowan. Although the setting is contemporary the two main characters share a love of Medieval literature - especially the tale of Elowen, the queen of Cornwall, and Gawan, one of the knights of the Round Table, who agrees to help her fight the giants plaguing her lands - so at times it has quite an old fashioned feel to it.
I enjoyed getting to see both sides of the romance but because it was written so you could read their stories in either order it meant that you ended up reading the exact same conversations and events twice which made it a little repetitive. Yes the character's internal thoughts were slightly different each time and they are both keeping secrets from each other but essentially you don't learn a great deal more by reading the second story no matter which one you start with. I think I'd have enjoyed it more if there was a set order to read the points of view in so that the second story could cover events that you hadn't seen in the first half, for example you wouldn't need to see their meeting twice if you read that in Evelyn's part and Brendan talked more about the first week they spent together while Evelyn's story skipped ahead to their second meeting etc. It would have allowed the author to flesh out the story a bit more and I think that would have made it easier for me to connect to the characters and become more invested in their romance.
As it was things happen a little too quickly, there are a few too many large jumps in time (they meet, spend a week together and the next thing you know it's 8 years later!), and Brendan in particular was keeping a major secret that I really would have liked a little more information on. I also would have loved more of a solid ending to the story, it's left with a feeling of hope to it but personally I prefer something more definite and less open ended.
There is no doubt that this is a beautiful and unique book though and I'm glad I have a copy on my shelves.
December 30, 2019
”Sabret aşkım, kavuşacağız
Yabangülleri nasıl dikenleriyle kavuşursa öyle.
Yorucu yıllar elbet bir gün sona erer.”
İflah olmaz romantik ruhumu onikiden vurdu hikaye.😍😍 Ortaçağ hikayesi ve en sevdiğim konunun birbirine bağlanması çok tatlıydı. Sadece, son sahne olarak tepede geçecek bir sayfa daha yazmasını isterdim.♥️♥️
August 20, 2016
Like most other readers, I was drawn to this little book by the format: an accordion book with the same story from two different perspectives printed on either side of the pages, so that you can start from either direction and get a different version. How cool is that? Answer: very cool.
The story is a well-written little romance that can be read in a sitting (each story has 36 pages of text). While the structure is traditional, the author’s writing makes it feel fresh, and I was drawn into Evelyn and Brendan’s love story. But I was happier with it after finishing the first story than after reading both, because Goss fails to take advantage of the dual-perspective format other than to add more texture to the life of the current viewpoint character. Brendan’s and Evelyn’s perspectives are very similar, and there are no big surprises waiting in either story that we don’t eventually find out in the other. When I read the same story from multiple perspectives I want revelations that make me look back at the prior account with new eyes. Sarah Waters’s Fingersmith is the gold standard for that sort of story, this one not so much. This book would make a good gift idea for the romantic book nerd in your life. But while I enjoyed the first story quite a bit, the addition of a second, only slightly altered version of the same thing seemed unnecessary.
The story is a well-written little romance that can be read in a sitting (each story has 36 pages of text). While the structure is traditional, the author’s writing makes it feel fresh, and I was drawn into Evelyn and Brendan’s love story. But I was happier with it after finishing the first story than after reading both, because Goss fails to take advantage of the dual-perspective format other than to add more texture to the life of the current viewpoint character. Brendan’s and Evelyn’s perspectives are very similar, and there are no big surprises waiting in either story that we don’t eventually find out in the other. When I read the same story from multiple perspectives I want revelations that make me look back at the prior account with new eyes. Sarah Waters’s Fingersmith is the gold standard for that sort of story, this one not so much. This book would make a good gift idea for the romantic book nerd in your life. But while I enjoyed the first story quite a bit, the addition of a second, only slightly altered version of the same thing seemed unnecessary.
July 1, 2012
Originally posted at Paperback Wonderland.
Never judge a book by its cover.
I already knew this and yet, here I am.
This is, quite easily, one of the prettiest books I own. The book itself, as an object, is worth a whole star (perhaps even more...).
Now the story...
First of all, and this is important, it's not badly written.
The dialogue is a bit trite and at times unbelievable, but other than that it's fine.
The plot hinges on a cliché I personally hate: that of star crossed lovers who will fall in love because it was all meant to be. This may appeal to many people but it's a particular deterrent to my full enjoyment of a story. "Even so," I thought, "The characters... they'll be what will pull it all together, if they're great, it can still end up being good."
The characters didn't help.
I started with Evelyn's story, perhaps that was a mistake. Normally, when I find a character like this, I will dislike him or her. A spoiled rich girl whose "parents just don't understand" (thanks Fresh Prince) why she'll drop into whimsical considerations every other paragraph and whose only refuge is her poetry (which was criticised by the poet laureate, but that makes him an idiot because, really, what does he know, am I right?) Like I said, I don't like characters like this. But I couldn't even muster dislike for Evelyn. She was so wishy-washy, so barely interesting at all, that she gave me a serious case of "I nothing her."
Brendan's story was easier to get through. He was still annoying here and there, talking about how he'd never made real friends with the other boys in his fishing village because he "was different, a scholar", which just about tells us he doesn't know what friendship is at all, I mean, can you imagine how dull life would be if you were only friends with people who are like you? He just seemed snobbish, he was "a little hurt - that she'd assume he was just a poor boy from Clews." Seriously? Seriously? But not even that made him interesting.
In the end, the only thing I felt strongly about was the fact that I paid €12 for this :(
Never judge a book by its cover.
I already knew this and yet, here I am.
This is, quite easily, one of the prettiest books I own. The book itself, as an object, is worth a whole star (perhaps even more...).
Now the story...
First of all, and this is important, it's not badly written.
The dialogue is a bit trite and at times unbelievable, but other than that it's fine.
The plot hinges on a cliché I personally hate: that of star crossed lovers who will fall in love because it was all meant to be. This may appeal to many people but it's a particular deterrent to my full enjoyment of a story. "Even so," I thought, "The characters... they'll be what will pull it all together, if they're great, it can still end up being good."
The characters didn't help.
I started with Evelyn's story, perhaps that was a mistake. Normally, when I find a character like this, I will dislike him or her. A spoiled rich girl whose "parents just don't understand" (thanks Fresh Prince) why she'll drop into whimsical considerations every other paragraph and whose only refuge is her poetry (which was criticised by the poet laureate, but that makes him an idiot because, really, what does he know, am I right?) Like I said, I don't like characters like this. But I couldn't even muster dislike for Evelyn. She was so wishy-washy, so barely interesting at all, that she gave me a serious case of "I nothing her."
Brendan's story was easier to get through. He was still annoying here and there, talking about how he'd never made real friends with the other boys in his fishing village because he "was different, a scholar", which just about tells us he doesn't know what friendship is at all, I mean, can you imagine how dull life would be if you were only friends with people who are like you? He just seemed snobbish, he was "a little hurt - that she'd assume he was just a poor boy from Clews." Seriously? Seriously? But not even that made him interesting.
In the end, the only thing I felt strongly about was the fact that I paid €12 for this :(
February 1, 2012
Lent to me by a friend (thanks!) -- I received it in the post today and read it this evening in one go. It's a pair of connected novellas/short stories, which cover more or less the same events from the point of view of the two main participants. It doesn't really matter which you read first: each illuminates and complements the other. It's a lot of fun, actually: the physical copy of the book has concertina pages, so you read it one way, turn it round, and read back the other. It's a very nice little volume.
The story itself is a little bit thin, I think: it's vaguely based on the Arthurian romance tradition, though on a story that I've never heard of and which I think was invented by the author. I like the idea, but I feel like a lot more could've been done with it -- despite the freshness of the idea, it does feel a little... gimmicky.
Oh, and I liked the fact that the narratives didn't exactly mesh. They don't remember, word-for-word, what each said to the other. It's very human, and unreliable. I liked it, in this instance.
The story itself is a little bit thin, I think: it's vaguely based on the Arthurian romance tradition, though on a story that I've never heard of and which I think was invented by the author. I like the idea, but I feel like a lot more could've been done with it -- despite the freshness of the idea, it does feel a little... gimmicky.
Oh, and I liked the fact that the narratives didn't exactly mesh. They don't remember, word-for-word, what each said to the other. It's very human, and unreliable. I liked it, in this instance.
March 16, 2023
"Sabret aşkım, kavuşacağız.
Yabangülleri nasıl dikenleriyle kavuşursa öyle.
Yorucu yıllar elbet bir gün sona erer."
Yabangülleri nasıl dikenleriyle kavuşursa öyle.
Yorucu yıllar elbet bir gün sona erer."
April 14, 2012
Evelyn and Brendan are both students at Oxford when they meet in the tiny Cornish town of Clews, where Evelyn is taking a much-needed break and Brendan is working in his father's bookstore. A romance begins to bloom between the two, and Brendan shares with Evelyn his favorite legend: a local Arthurian variant about star-crossed lovers Gawan and Elowen. Then something uncanny occurs, and Evelyn and Brendan part and lose touch. Ten years later they meet again while teaching at Bartlett College in Virginia. They reconnect, but still all is not smooth...
Theodora Goss unfolds this love story in a unique format. The book is printed in an accordion fashion, with printing on both sides, so that if you open the book one way you read the story from Brendan's point of view, and then you can flip it over, open it again, and read Evelyn's. Or vice versa, because you can start with either. The downside to this is that it lacks the usual spine binding, so it is more difficult to hold than a "regular" book. There are four illustrations: one each of Evelyn, Brendan, Gawan, and Elowen. The book comes in a beautiful slipcover whose design calls to mind a medieval tapestry. The book as a physical object is a work of art in and of itself.
Inside is a story of love found and lost and found again -- both within Evelyn and Brendan's own lives and possibly over the course of a thousand years, as it's suggested that these present-day lovers may be the reincarnations of the ones from the legend. It's also a story of creativity lost and found. Both lovers are writers whose imaginative minds often go unappreciated by those around them and even in academia: one of Evelyn's professors tells her to stop writing poetry on "fanciful" topics, and Brendan at one point realizes he'd rather write a story than write *about* stories. During the course of the book, the two characters are each navigating their own relationship with their creativity in addition to their relationship with each other.
Perhaps the most clever aspect of the "two-sided" story is that, no matter which one you start with, the ending is unresolved. But when you read the other side, it fills in other details about the ending that give it more of a sense of resolution. There is still ambiguity, but one can make a pretty good guess what will happen next.
I'm slightly uneasy with the parallel drawn between the character of Isabel and one of the figures from the legend. It seemed that this somewhat hampered the reader's capacity to feel sympathy for her, when Isabel had done nothing wrong in this life (and possibly not ever, depending on whether the reincarnation is real).
The Thorn and the Blossom is a short read; each of the two versions of the story is only about 40 pages long. You can read it in one leisurely afternoon. The way the two perspectives play off one another, however, may have you wanting to read it again!
written for Fantasyliterature.com
Theodora Goss unfolds this love story in a unique format. The book is printed in an accordion fashion, with printing on both sides, so that if you open the book one way you read the story from Brendan's point of view, and then you can flip it over, open it again, and read Evelyn's. Or vice versa, because you can start with either. The downside to this is that it lacks the usual spine binding, so it is more difficult to hold than a "regular" book. There are four illustrations: one each of Evelyn, Brendan, Gawan, and Elowen. The book comes in a beautiful slipcover whose design calls to mind a medieval tapestry. The book as a physical object is a work of art in and of itself.
Inside is a story of love found and lost and found again -- both within Evelyn and Brendan's own lives and possibly over the course of a thousand years, as it's suggested that these present-day lovers may be the reincarnations of the ones from the legend. It's also a story of creativity lost and found. Both lovers are writers whose imaginative minds often go unappreciated by those around them and even in academia: one of Evelyn's professors tells her to stop writing poetry on "fanciful" topics, and Brendan at one point realizes he'd rather write a story than write *about* stories. During the course of the book, the two characters are each navigating their own relationship with their creativity in addition to their relationship with each other.
Perhaps the most clever aspect of the "two-sided" story is that, no matter which one you start with, the ending is unresolved. But when you read the other side, it fills in other details about the ending that give it more of a sense of resolution. There is still ambiguity, but one can make a pretty good guess what will happen next.
I'm slightly uneasy with the parallel drawn between the character of Isabel and one of the figures from the legend. It seemed that this somewhat hampered the reader's capacity to feel sympathy for her, when Isabel had done nothing wrong in this life (and possibly not ever, depending on whether the reincarnation is real).
The Thorn and the Blossom is a short read; each of the two versions of the story is only about 40 pages long. You can read it in one leisurely afternoon. The way the two perspectives play off one another, however, may have you wanting to read it again!
written for Fantasyliterature.com
November 15, 2015
I received this book courtesy of Quirk Books in exchange for an honest review.
Have patience, love, and we shall meet again
As surely as wild roses have their thorns
For weary years eventually pass.
The 'Thorn and the Blossom' is quite literally a "two-sided love story" about Brendan Thorne and Evelyn Morgan. Intertwined with their love story is the tale of Elowen, queen of Cornwall and Gawan and their own timeless love story. Brendan and Evelyn first meet when she walks into Brendan's family bookstore in Cornwall. After introducing himself and finding out she's from America and will only be in town for a week he offers to show her around town. The two end up spending the entire week together and on their final day together something happens that results in her immediate departure without even a goodbye. The story of Elowen and Gawan is essentially what brings them back together 10 years later.
I was initially intrigued by this book after hearing about it's unique accordion-fold binding which I've never seen done before. From a practical stand-point the book could be considered lacking as it's hard to hold since it's missing a binding; however, I think that it was still a beautifully executed idea.
You can start with either Brendan or Evelyn's side of the story. Read one side and then simply flip the book over and read the other persons point of view. I originally thought that this would be the same story simply retold from separate points of view but I felt that each person managed to tell their own story. I chose to begin reading Brendan's story first and found myself glad I did. I felt that Brendan's side generated most of the questions while Evelyn's sufficiently answered them. I'm sure either way you start will suffice though.
I felt a bit put off how the story was progressing but I think it was because it wasn't the love story I was expecting. This was a bit more tragic than I had anticipated although I did enjoy how the ending left much to the imagination.
Have patience, love, and we shall meet again
As surely as wild roses have their thorns
For weary years eventually pass.
The 'Thorn and the Blossom' is quite literally a "two-sided love story" about Brendan Thorne and Evelyn Morgan. Intertwined with their love story is the tale of Elowen, queen of Cornwall and Gawan and their own timeless love story. Brendan and Evelyn first meet when she walks into Brendan's family bookstore in Cornwall. After introducing himself and finding out she's from America and will only be in town for a week he offers to show her around town. The two end up spending the entire week together and on their final day together something happens that results in her immediate departure without even a goodbye. The story of Elowen and Gawan is essentially what brings them back together 10 years later.
I was initially intrigued by this book after hearing about it's unique accordion-fold binding which I've never seen done before. From a practical stand-point the book could be considered lacking as it's hard to hold since it's missing a binding; however, I think that it was still a beautifully executed idea.
You can start with either Brendan or Evelyn's side of the story. Read one side and then simply flip the book over and read the other persons point of view. I originally thought that this would be the same story simply retold from separate points of view but I felt that each person managed to tell their own story. I chose to begin reading Brendan's story first and found myself glad I did. I felt that Brendan's side generated most of the questions while Evelyn's sufficiently answered them. I'm sure either way you start will suffice though.
I felt a bit put off how the story was progressing but I think it was because it wasn't the love story I was expecting. This was a bit more tragic than I had anticipated although I did enjoy how the ending left much to the imagination.
December 4, 2013
I will be honest. The thing that attracted me first to this book was the different way in which it was packaged, an "accordian style binding". The whole concept was pretty clever I thought, one story told from two different people's perspectives.
The underlyning message of the story was not cloaked by any means. The reader knows right away who the characters are / were and the fate that they face, but instead of making the story boring it was more interesting to be able to pick out the details of the original legend and superimpose it upon the characters in the story (as I'm pretty sure we, the reader, are encouraged to do).
Obviously it's up to the reader to decide with whom's story to begin. I chose to start with Brendan's story mainly because the title of the book "The Thorn and the Blossom" and his name is Brendan Thorne. I will say that his telling of the story is more hopeful and real. While Evelyn's story seems more mystical and magical.
It's a quick read, and while reading Evelyn's story I was trying really hard to line it up with Brendan's in terms of dialogue and places they went, comparing what one person saw as opposed to the other person. Different perspectives. I immediately wanted to go back and re-read Brendan's story to then compare it to Evelyn's, but I didn't. I think I read through the book too quickly. Although it's a short book at only about 80 pages total, I think the details need to be drawn out more. I do intend to go back and read this book again. Probably starting with Eveyln's story. Until Then!
The underlyning message of the story was not cloaked by any means. The reader knows right away who the characters are / were and the fate that they face, but instead of making the story boring it was more interesting to be able to pick out the details of the original legend and superimpose it upon the characters in the story (as I'm pretty sure we, the reader, are encouraged to do).
Obviously it's up to the reader to decide with whom's story to begin. I chose to start with Brendan's story mainly because the title of the book "The Thorn and the Blossom" and his name is Brendan Thorne. I will say that his telling of the story is more hopeful and real. While Evelyn's story seems more mystical and magical.
It's a quick read, and while reading Evelyn's story I was trying really hard to line it up with Brendan's in terms of dialogue and places they went, comparing what one person saw as opposed to the other person. Different perspectives. I immediately wanted to go back and re-read Brendan's story to then compare it to Evelyn's, but I didn't. I think I read through the book too quickly. Although it's a short book at only about 80 pages total, I think the details need to be drawn out more. I do intend to go back and read this book again. Probably starting with Eveyln's story. Until Then!
March 12, 2012
Note: This review will be done in 3 parts. One for each version of the story and then the final for an overview of the entire story as a whole. I began with Brendan's Story.
Brendan's Story:
In this part, we are introduced to Brendan Thorne. He lives in Clewes, where he helps his father with the Thorne & Son bookstore. This part left my heart aching with romantic longing. I was really hoping they would end up together. This is exactly the kind of romance I enjoy. One where there are obstacles, but the story is believable and the story so likeable that you just can't help but root for the star-crossed couple. =)
Evelyn's Story:
This part begins with Evelyn Morgan and her hallucinations. She attends Oxford but needs to get away after years of her poetry being degraded by everyone around her. So, she heads off to Clewes where her family was supposed to have been from. There, she meets Brendan Thorne, a local boy who helps run his fathers' bookstore. They spend a few days together but circumstances arise and they don't see each other for 10 years. They both end up working as professors at Bartlett. Evelyn's story fills the gaps that were formed in Brendan's story. This completed the romantic atmosphere and left me with a sense of hope but still a closure if the two did not end up together after all. (which I am still hoping for!!!) =)
OVERVIEW:
Separate, these stories are good. Put together, they are even better and really sew up the seams. In both parts, I felt that the story was a romance, but I felt a more romantic sense in Brendan's story. Evelyn's story seemed more like a story about a girl who is trying to find herself and figure out where she belongs. Granted, Brendan also has to find a place to belong, but I feel it even more so with Evelyn. She is in need of appreciation for herself. I am really hoping they end up together. At the end of Brendan's story, I had my doubts. But when I finished Evelyn's I felt a sense of hope spark up. If it were up to me, they would meet on the hill on that very last day that they both made up their minds to accept whatever came. & I don't know if any one else was feeling it, but Evelyn and Brendan seem to be a part of the Gawan/Elowen tale. Maybe I'm just stating the obvious, but that's my theory.
Presentation:
The book is very unique in its printed style. I really liked the accordion fold. Very fun! Also, the Title is very pretty, but simple and very unassuming. Perfect for this story. The font is basic, but I liked the bigger letters taht began each section. The pictures on either side of the stories were very well drawn and visually appealing.
Final Thoughts:
I enjoyed this story. It was simple and easy to digest, but still made me want to savor it for all its worth. I honestly believe that this could be a full-length novel and not just a short presentation. This would have been a delightful "lengthy" read. Definitely a book I would have sat through on a sunny summer day. Well-done, a very delicious-but simple-romance that kept me wanting to know more about the characters relationship outcome. =)
*Additional Note: Best read with Celtic music playing in the background to create a wonderful atmosphere. ---Soundtrack to Braveheart works well too. =]*
Brendan's Story:
In this part, we are introduced to Brendan Thorne. He lives in Clewes, where he helps his father with the Thorne & Son bookstore. This part left my heart aching with romantic longing. I was really hoping they would end up together. This is exactly the kind of romance I enjoy. One where there are obstacles, but the story is believable and the story so likeable that you just can't help but root for the star-crossed couple. =)
Evelyn's Story:
This part begins with Evelyn Morgan and her hallucinations. She attends Oxford but needs to get away after years of her poetry being degraded by everyone around her. So, she heads off to Clewes where her family was supposed to have been from. There, she meets Brendan Thorne, a local boy who helps run his fathers' bookstore. They spend a few days together but circumstances arise and they don't see each other for 10 years. They both end up working as professors at Bartlett. Evelyn's story fills the gaps that were formed in Brendan's story. This completed the romantic atmosphere and left me with a sense of hope but still a closure if the two did not end up together after all. (which I am still hoping for!!!) =)
OVERVIEW:
Separate, these stories are good. Put together, they are even better and really sew up the seams. In both parts, I felt that the story was a romance, but I felt a more romantic sense in Brendan's story. Evelyn's story seemed more like a story about a girl who is trying to find herself and figure out where she belongs. Granted, Brendan also has to find a place to belong, but I feel it even more so with Evelyn. She is in need of appreciation for herself. I am really hoping they end up together. At the end of Brendan's story, I had my doubts. But when I finished Evelyn's I felt a sense of hope spark up. If it were up to me, they would meet on the hill on that very last day that they both made up their minds to accept whatever came. & I don't know if any one else was feeling it, but Evelyn and Brendan seem to be a part of the Gawan/Elowen tale. Maybe I'm just stating the obvious, but that's my theory.
Presentation:
The book is very unique in its printed style. I really liked the accordion fold. Very fun! Also, the Title is very pretty, but simple and very unassuming. Perfect for this story. The font is basic, but I liked the bigger letters taht began each section. The pictures on either side of the stories were very well drawn and visually appealing.
Final Thoughts:
I enjoyed this story. It was simple and easy to digest, but still made me want to savor it for all its worth. I honestly believe that this could be a full-length novel and not just a short presentation. This would have been a delightful "lengthy" read. Definitely a book I would have sat through on a sunny summer day. Well-done, a very delicious-but simple-romance that kept me wanting to know more about the characters relationship outcome. =)
*Additional Note: Best read with Celtic music playing in the background to create a wonderful atmosphere. ---Soundtrack to Braveheart works well too. =]*
December 22, 2015
kısa ve etkileyiciydi.. çift taraflı okumak cidden farklı bir etki yaratıyor..
August 24, 2021
4 stars--I really liked it.
This is a short and sweet romance book about thwarted lovers finally (maybe?) joining together. I liked the Arthurian mythology and enjoyed the characters.
This is a short and sweet romance book about thwarted lovers finally (maybe?) joining together. I liked the Arthurian mythology and enjoyed the characters.
May 25, 2018
I was drawn to The Thorn and the Blossom with its charming synopsis and unique, parallel narrative. The writing was quaint and picturesque, creating a fluid and inviting read that unfolded easily over a cup of tea. I did, however, find the story to lack in substance. Maybe this can be partially attributed to brevity. But for some much "occurring" between our protagonists, it felt like so very little. The outcome was less than gratifying. 3 stars for presentation and a concept that I feel could have really evolved into something quite fascinating but just missed the mark. Still enjoyable.
March 15, 2023
hikayenin dayandırıldığı efsaneye yapılan göndermeler güzeldi. bir roman değil de masal gözüyle bakarak okunduğunda keyif verici kitaptı. hatta keşke biraz daha masalsı olsaydı derken buldum kendimi, kurgusu bunu kaldırırdı çünkü. baskısı da çok güzeldi ama yabancıların fotoğraflarını görünce kıskandım onlarınki daha güzelmiş!! dkdkdk
August 23, 2018
I'm only six years late to the party, but finally got around to reading Goss's fine, viridescent THE THORN AND THE BLOSSOM. Many thoughts, but instead of trying to explicate away its charm & beauty, I'll leave you with this African proverb:
"For the beauty of the rose we also water the thorns."
"For the beauty of the rose we also water the thorns."
February 9, 2012
I'm a fan of Quirk Books. They're always looking for ways to challenge the status quo a bit, try something new, and I appreciate that. (And with hits like Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children to their name, they aren't doing a bad job of it, either.) So I'm always curious to see what they have planned next. But The Thorn and the Blossom surprised even me. I mean, I knew of accordion bindings in a sort of abstract way, as something that's just not done. And yet, here they are, doing it.
And I have to say, I liked it.
I'm sure some will find the accordion binding gimmicky, and hey, maybe it is, but the fact is, it's also perfectly suited to the story that's being told. Evelyn and Brendan's stories just ...wouldn't have been the same if they were just told in parts, rather than back to back. I can't explain why, but it would have lessened it somehow.
Their stories fit together and complemented each other very nicely, and the unique format of the book helped facilitate that. I was worried that it was going to be a little hard to read, but aside from a bit of flopping about when I first began reading, the book actually wasn't that hard to manage. Also - it's a flipping accordion. I would have put up with a bit of frustration just to be able to play with the book like a magic deck of cards...
But onto the story itself. You can start at either side, and I started with Evelyn. I have no idea how or if this colored my reading of the story, but I have to say I'm glad I started with Evelyn. It felt right, starting with her, and plunged me into the magical feel of the book a bit more thoroughly than I think it would have if I'd started with Brendan. Regardless of where you start, though, the story is very sweet and charming. It's modern, but it reads a bit like a fairy tale, borrowing from folklore and adding in some magical realist bits that kept me completely engaged. But light as it was, Evelyn and Brendan are adults and so are there stories - there were touches of darkness, little bits of doubt, but done so very lightly and subtly. It worked to make the fairy tale aspect seem heightened, but also more real. It was that little bit of counterpoint to an otherwise almost airy story that helped ground it and make it have a little more impact.
It's an incredibly quick read, being only about 80 pages - a slim little novella easily read in 1 sitting. I know some people don't like to read anything under novel length; they feel like they won't get enough meat to the story, that there's not enough depth or development in such a short span. And yes, I suppose there isn't a ton of development going on in this book; there are things glossed over, large swaths of time skipped. But it didn't feel like any negligence on Goss' part. It just wasn't necessary. As I said, it's very much like a fairy tale, like a story people would tell aloud, and those are never very lengthy. They tend instead to be brief, succinct, relying on a few symbols and common tropes, and the reader's (or listener's) familiarity with them to give the story any import.
In this case, there can be no real conclusion to the story, other than the ones drawn by readers. I mean, with a story that is going to be retold as soon as you finish it (since you are merely flipping the book over and starting again), you can't know for sure how it ends, or it would give away the other half and render it pointless. But it's the type of ending where all pieces are there, and it's up to the reader to determine how everything will go from there - whether the magic contained in this slim book is worldly or otherworldly - and whether it matters at all, so long as there is love.
So, gimmicky or not, Goss carries it off well, and I think this would be a pleasant addition (perhaps even a necessary addition) to any bibliophile's coffee table. And if you don't believe me, just wait until you see it in person. See if you can resist the siren song of the accordion binding then...
And I have to say, I liked it.
I'm sure some will find the accordion binding gimmicky, and hey, maybe it is, but the fact is, it's also perfectly suited to the story that's being told. Evelyn and Brendan's stories just ...wouldn't have been the same if they were just told in parts, rather than back to back. I can't explain why, but it would have lessened it somehow.
Their stories fit together and complemented each other very nicely, and the unique format of the book helped facilitate that. I was worried that it was going to be a little hard to read, but aside from a bit of flopping about when I first began reading, the book actually wasn't that hard to manage. Also - it's a flipping accordion. I would have put up with a bit of frustration just to be able to play with the book like a magic deck of cards...
But onto the story itself. You can start at either side, and I started with Evelyn. I have no idea how or if this colored my reading of the story, but I have to say I'm glad I started with Evelyn. It felt right, starting with her, and plunged me into the magical feel of the book a bit more thoroughly than I think it would have if I'd started with Brendan. Regardless of where you start, though, the story is very sweet and charming. It's modern, but it reads a bit like a fairy tale, borrowing from folklore and adding in some magical realist bits that kept me completely engaged. But light as it was, Evelyn and Brendan are adults and so are there stories - there were touches of darkness, little bits of doubt, but done so very lightly and subtly. It worked to make the fairy tale aspect seem heightened, but also more real. It was that little bit of counterpoint to an otherwise almost airy story that helped ground it and make it have a little more impact.
It's an incredibly quick read, being only about 80 pages - a slim little novella easily read in 1 sitting. I know some people don't like to read anything under novel length; they feel like they won't get enough meat to the story, that there's not enough depth or development in such a short span. And yes, I suppose there isn't a ton of development going on in this book; there are things glossed over, large swaths of time skipped. But it didn't feel like any negligence on Goss' part. It just wasn't necessary. As I said, it's very much like a fairy tale, like a story people would tell aloud, and those are never very lengthy. They tend instead to be brief, succinct, relying on a few symbols and common tropes, and the reader's (or listener's) familiarity with them to give the story any import.
In this case, there can be no real conclusion to the story, other than the ones drawn by readers. I mean, with a story that is going to be retold as soon as you finish it (since you are merely flipping the book over and starting again), you can't know for sure how it ends, or it would give away the other half and render it pointless. But it's the type of ending where all pieces are there, and it's up to the reader to determine how everything will go from there - whether the magic contained in this slim book is worldly or otherworldly - and whether it matters at all, so long as there is love.
So, gimmicky or not, Goss carries it off well, and I think this would be a pleasant addition (perhaps even a necessary addition) to any bibliophile's coffee table. And if you don't believe me, just wait until you see it in person. See if you can resist the siren song of the accordion binding then...
March 5, 2017
This is a beautiful little book... it looks so good on a book shelf... just the look of it deserves 5 stars!
But when I have to rate the story... then the only thing I can say ... at least it was short.
What bothered me the most was that a grown-up woman would constantly run away like that and not apologize for this irritating behavior as soon as possible. And sadly, the two main characters stayed flat... never really coming to life. This story is not for me.
But when I have to rate the story... then the only thing I can say ... at least it was short.
What bothered me the most was that a grown-up woman would constantly run away like that and not apologize for this irritating behavior as soon as possible. And sadly, the two main characters stayed flat... never really coming to life. This story is not for me.
February 20, 2015
Whatever else there is to say about this book, it's a lovely concept, and beautifully executed. It is called a "Two-Sided Love Story", and this is literal: we are able to read the story from the point of view of each of the lovers. Rather than being bound like an ordinary book, the pages are strung together in accordion folds, sandwiched between two very pretty covers, and encased in a gorgeous slipcover. When one story is finished, the book is turned around, and the end of one leads into the beginning of the other. It's a charming idea, and quite unique.
Unfortunately, one reason for its uniqueness might be its awkwardness. It's a story more than a book – each side being only about 40 square-ish pages; anything longer would have been almost impossible to read without spreading the book out in one long scroll and reading it that way. The back side of whichever story is being read has to be held together in order to allow the reading to progress normally. It might have been helpful if there had been some sort of strap incorporated into the design which would take the place of and do the job of a spine.
Also unfortunately, the slight little tale told in this unusual book did not, for me, live up to the charming format. There are almost-connections and near-mysticism, and fits and starts of love affairs – in short, the story was as awkward in a way as the format, when it had promised as much. In the end I was disappointed and unsatisfied by both the story and the characters. I simply didn't like the main characters, and to me the magickal elements fitted poorly with the mundane, both in the story and in the characters' lives. The idea of the two overlapping stories was supposed, as I read, to be that one character's tale would alter the focus on the other's. What I found, rather, was that one simply contradicted the other.
Between an attention-getting format and a truly lovely design, this could have been spectacular, a gem of a book to be treasured. Instead, it's a story memorable, I'm afraid, only for the format and design.
Unfortunately, one reason for its uniqueness might be its awkwardness. It's a story more than a book – each side being only about 40 square-ish pages; anything longer would have been almost impossible to read without spreading the book out in one long scroll and reading it that way. The back side of whichever story is being read has to be held together in order to allow the reading to progress normally. It might have been helpful if there had been some sort of strap incorporated into the design which would take the place of and do the job of a spine.
Also unfortunately, the slight little tale told in this unusual book did not, for me, live up to the charming format. There are almost-connections and near-mysticism, and fits and starts of love affairs – in short, the story was as awkward in a way as the format, when it had promised as much. In the end I was disappointed and unsatisfied by both the story and the characters. I simply didn't like the main characters, and to me the magickal elements fitted poorly with the mundane, both in the story and in the characters' lives. The idea of the two overlapping stories was supposed, as I read, to be that one character's tale would alter the focus on the other's. What I found, rather, was that one simply contradicted the other.
Between an attention-getting format and a truly lovely design, this could have been spectacular, a gem of a book to be treasured. Instead, it's a story memorable, I'm afraid, only for the format and design.
September 14, 2016
Esse livro é maravilhoso em tantos sentidos que vou ter dificuldade em saber por onde começar.
Vamos tentar começar pela edição. Essa capa é maravilhosa, uma das mais lindas que tenho na minha estante, o livro tem algumas ilustrações e ele parece ter sido feito com muito cuidado.
O formato do livro, sanfonado, também é um diferencial (apesar de eu ter tido dificuldades para segurar o livro no começo da leitura haha)
O livro possui este formato porque ele conta a mesma história duas vezes, cada lado do livro é o ponto de visto de um dos personagens principais: Evelyn e Brendan.
A história é simples, rápida e tocante.
A princípio eu pensei que gostaria de uma história maior, com mais detalhes e eventos, mas eu acho que a simplicidade é parte do que a autora quis passar com este livro e, na verdade, essa falta de explicação das coisas cai bem na história.
Eu amei como há uma ligação entre a história que está sendo contada com a história medieval que aparece no enredo.
Adorei também que somos livres para escolher por qual ponto de vista começar. Eu comecei pelo da Evelyn e fechei a história com o do Brendan, e acho que foi a escolha mais acertada!
Recomendo muito a leitura deste livro. É um romance gostoso de ler, que nos faz pensar em como nós facilitaríamos as coisas para o destino se nós aprendêssemos a nos comunicar melhor, a deixar a outra pessoa fazer mais parte dos nossos segredos, se tivéssemos menos medo de tudo, o tempo todo.
Vamos tentar começar pela edição. Essa capa é maravilhosa, uma das mais lindas que tenho na minha estante, o livro tem algumas ilustrações e ele parece ter sido feito com muito cuidado.
O formato do livro, sanfonado, também é um diferencial (apesar de eu ter tido dificuldades para segurar o livro no começo da leitura haha)
O livro possui este formato porque ele conta a mesma história duas vezes, cada lado do livro é o ponto de visto de um dos personagens principais: Evelyn e Brendan.
A história é simples, rápida e tocante.
A princípio eu pensei que gostaria de uma história maior, com mais detalhes e eventos, mas eu acho que a simplicidade é parte do que a autora quis passar com este livro e, na verdade, essa falta de explicação das coisas cai bem na história.
Eu amei como há uma ligação entre a história que está sendo contada com a história medieval que aparece no enredo.
Adorei também que somos livres para escolher por qual ponto de vista começar. Eu comecei pelo da Evelyn e fechei a história com o do Brendan, e acho que foi a escolha mais acertada!
Recomendo muito a leitura deste livro. É um romance gostoso de ler, que nos faz pensar em como nós facilitaríamos as coisas para o destino se nós aprendêssemos a nos comunicar melhor, a deixar a outra pessoa fazer mais parte dos nossos segredos, se tivéssemos menos medo de tudo, o tempo todo.
June 13, 2013
The reversible book that tells the story of a romance separately from each character's point of view.
I expected more. I mean, it would be very tricky to do this, not knowing which story the reader would read first, but if I read the same events twice from different POVs, I expect that the second story will in some way change the meaning of the first one, or shed new light on it, or whatever. Instead, frankly this just felt like reading the same story twice.
Also, maybe I'm too old and grumpy for romance, but I don't buy this as some sort of life-changing romance; these people didn't know anything important about one another at all; they were practically strangers.
I expected more. I mean, it would be very tricky to do this, not knowing which story the reader would read first, but if I read the same events twice from different POVs, I expect that the second story will in some way change the meaning of the first one, or shed new light on it, or whatever. Instead, frankly this just felt like reading the same story twice.
Also, maybe I'm too old and grumpy for romance, but I don't buy this as some sort of life-changing romance; these people didn't know anything important about one another at all; they were practically strangers.
March 15, 2020
This is a cool artifact/book that folds up and out like an Escherian accordion with two different viewpoints of the same story printed on the reverse sides of the stiff pages. It's a neat gimmick, but somewhat limited by the fact that each story has to be exactly the same length, and the length is limited by the nature of the design, so there's a little lack in detail and character depth. Still, it's a nicely told fairy-tale like romance between two star-crossed youngsters who grow close and then apart and then find one another again... It's a nicely executed concept and a very good one-trick-pony read. I enjoyed it.
October 13, 2021
Theodora Goss earned my forever love because of her Monsters series. Her love for literature, her love for girls, her love for rewriting those classic tales and giving back some power to the wronged women in those stories was all so clearly visible and even though the books were quite big it was such a pleasure to read them. I had this standalone novel since then on my wishlist and last week it finally got discounted which means I had to get it.
The story in itself has a lot of fairytale like qualities. Or maybe, it's much better to compare it to folklore. There is a little bit of magic in the story, although it's very subtile and never explained, and the ending is not spelled out. We get a sense of the direction of the ending, but we don't actually get to see that ending. Just like a lot of things I suspect after reading the book are never confirmed, nor denied. And I loved it!
Just like I really loved experiencing the story two times. Of course, when I read the second story I already knew where it was going, but I like how both stories really make each other richer and more complete. One side of the story is just a nice story, but it's the two sides of the story making the story something special. And yet, each story can be read and enjoyed on its own, telling (almost) everything you need to know.
Since the story is told like a fairytale or some folklore tale, not everything is shown and the focus is not so much on the emotions. I wonder what would have happened if these stories had both been longer, with more details and more focus on the emotions, on the romance, on the feelings. On the other hand, I think a full and complete story would also take what makes this story so special away. However, I think this is now one of the most unique books I own!
The story in itself has a lot of fairytale like qualities. Or maybe, it's much better to compare it to folklore. There is a little bit of magic in the story, although it's very subtile and never explained, and the ending is not spelled out. We get a sense of the direction of the ending, but we don't actually get to see that ending. Just like a lot of things I suspect after reading the book are never confirmed, nor denied. And I loved it!
Just like I really loved experiencing the story two times. Of course, when I read the second story I already knew where it was going, but I like how both stories really make each other richer and more complete. One side of the story is just a nice story, but it's the two sides of the story making the story something special. And yet, each story can be read and enjoyed on its own, telling (almost) everything you need to know.
Since the story is told like a fairytale or some folklore tale, not everything is shown and the focus is not so much on the emotions. I wonder what would have happened if these stories had both been longer, with more details and more focus on the emotions, on the romance, on the feelings. On the other hand, I think a full and complete story would also take what makes this story so special away. However, I think this is now one of the most unique books I own!
February 6, 2017
This is a very beautifully produced book. Presented in a slip case, the volume within folds like an accordion, allowing you to finish one of the two parallel stories within and then turn around and read the other one. The stories themselves tell you the tale of the relationship between an American woman and a British man who meet in Cornwall, find each other, lose each other, find each other again and lose each other once again. By the end of the stories they are both in Cornwall again. Apart from mutual attraction, they are brought together by the story of Gawan, a variant of the tale of Sir Gawain and the green knight.
The two stories are quite short - about 39 pages each. As such, this is a book you can finish in a couple of hours, as I did. It's a charming story, and the resonances with fairy tales add a fascinating layer to the love story. Goss does such a good job of imagining her protagonists through each other's eyes and of the parallels and divergences between their accounts of their shared story, that I wish the narrative had been more substantial. This more like a sketch for a novel, perhaps even a novella. I don't want to seem ungrateful, because what there is, is very good, but it seems to just skim the surface of what Goss could have done.
So while I like this book, I am still more interested in the novel Goss is releasing next year and would direct new readers to her short story collection In The Forest Of Forgetting instead, as well as to her wonderful poetry collection, Songs For Ophelia.
The two stories are quite short - about 39 pages each. As such, this is a book you can finish in a couple of hours, as I did. It's a charming story, and the resonances with fairy tales add a fascinating layer to the love story. Goss does such a good job of imagining her protagonists through each other's eyes and of the parallels and divergences between their accounts of their shared story, that I wish the narrative had been more substantial. This more like a sketch for a novel, perhaps even a novella. I don't want to seem ungrateful, because what there is, is very good, but it seems to just skim the surface of what Goss could have done.
So while I like this book, I am still more interested in the novel Goss is releasing next year and would direct new readers to her short story collection In The Forest Of Forgetting instead, as well as to her wonderful poetry collection, Songs For Ophelia.
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