The Lace Reader: A Novel
by Brunonia Barry
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Book Reviews of The Lace Reader: A Novel
Book Review: Very disappointing...
Summary: 2 Stars
This book is 304 pages long but you can start at page 176 and not have missed a thing as Brunonia Barry, the author, repeats the same snippets of information over and over again. Believe me, the first 176 pages are like wading through molasses - very slow.
On top of that the book is full of blind alleys such as Chapter 18 in which Ms. Barry devotes 5 pages to describing Detective Rafferty's migraine headache and Towner's ability to take over his boat and sail it expertly. I figured the author was setting up an important scene later in the book where Rafferty is incapacitated by a migraine headache and Towner somehow saves the day by sailing everyone to safety. Silly me - it was just more reading going nowhere.
It is very difficult to critique this book without revealing too much. Suffice it to say that the central plot, especially the twin part, is reminiscent of Tom Tryon's 1971 novel "The Other," but without the wonderful ending. By the time I had reached this book's ending, I had figured most of it out for myself, primarily because of the author's complete lack of information regarding May's husband.
All in all, very disappointing - especially after all the hype.
Book Review: Incredible first novel
Summary: 5 Stars
Its hard to believe that this is a first novel. I have heard so many rave reviews as well as those which appear here - Its that good. If this doesn't end up on the short list for one of the book awards, I will be surprised.
I am a History nut from Massachusetts and am very familiar with the ins and outs of Salem and the witches. The time is the present, and the author is funny about the industry which has grown up around these legends. However, the main story is about women who derive a power from being with each other, both as family and as friends. This story also shows the kind of secrets which are maintained within a family. I'm sure my own large extended family has a few which are being kept.
The brand new author tells her story softly, carrying on the narrative while giving the reader snippets and hints which brings one to the end of the book partly surprised and partly knowing what is going to happen.
When I picked up this book, I had just finished grumbling about having to set aside four books in a row which were not worth my time. This one is definitely a keeper, and I would recommend it highly. Be prepared to be educated and surprised.
Book Review: Are you a good witch or a bad witch?
Summary: 5 Stars
Brunonia Barry's impressive debut novel is not set in Kansas, but in Salem, MA, forever infamous as the home of witches and other "crazies". The site of the tragic trials in 1692 is like no other town in the US. Setting her story of a mentally unbalanced young woman in Salem was a brilliant choice, because its foggy, mystical elements are more easily accepted against that most eccentric of backgrounds.
Protagonist Towner (Sophya) Whitney starts telling us her biographical tale by warning us not to believe her. She is a self-described liar, but having reached the end of the narrative (in which another point of view is also provided), I do not regard her as untruthful so much as deeply, seriously deluded, a fearful patient in denial so impenetrable that it requires breaking down with a sledge hammer. Towner's personal and psychological odyssey is a scary one, and the difficulty she experiences in coming to terms with it is fully understandable. This is an evocative page turner of a novel, and it is easy to fall under its spell. This book belongs on the shelf along side the likes of Rebecca, The Catcher in the Rye, and Housekeeping.
Book Review: Lace Reader: A well-crafted story
Summary: 5 Stars
I was lucky enough to receive The Lace Reader, by Brunonia Barry, from a friend's mother as a gift. I'm almost half way into the book, and have found many personally meaningful threads running through the story. For one, the antique lace around which the story is centered brings me back to a textile boutique in the Westminster Arcade I used to frequent in my twenties. I had a penchant for antiques at the time, and collected quite a few hand-made pieces. I remember the owner of the store eschewing the machined lace in favor of the fine handiwork and intricacies of the older lace she offered. It was beyond my understanding how anyone could create such a delicate, decorative piece by hand. Similarly, I've found that Brunonia Barry subtly works fine details into The Lace Reader with seemingly as little effort. I am fascinated by her clever technique of weaving depth into the characters and story line with each turn of the page. I've yet to finish reading the book, but am certain it is well-crafted from beginning to end.
Jackie Gately
Marketing, Technical, and Editorial Communications
jackiegately.wordpress.com
Book Review: A book for women
Summary: 3 Stars
This is a novel that is well constructed, framed well without a stitch lost in the telling. Set in historic Salem, Massachusetts, the book is a modern-day telling of witches but with a touch of lace that I suspect is much more easily understood by women than men--even this gay one. The novel is written almost as though it were a movie script--the scenes are very precise, as though the writer is behind a camera picking up everything. Unfortunately that style became laborious at times for me. I found myself skimming, trying to get out from under all the lacy stuff that seemed too much, too labored. The sentences at times are choppy. And the dialogue sometimes seems forced and often unnecessary. Yet I wanted to get to the end, I wanted to find out what happened. I leave the work realizing that the author is a very skilled novelist who has really done her research although I think she could have used some editing assistance. I found the ending surprising although in retrospect it is a rightful conclusion. This is definitely a novel for women and would probably be a wonderful book for a club dealing with abuse issues.