docid stringlengths 19 26 | title stringlengths 0 9.15k | text stringlengths 1 427k |
|---|---|---|
browsecomp_plus_82109_68 | The Mercies | They talk of signs that suggested this was going to happen, a tern, a whale swimming upside down, signs that the women should have noticed. The devil himself is blamed for the storm and the loss of their men. Then the talk inevitably turns to leaving. The women have relations and family in other towns. Serious talk and... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_69 | The Mercies | The narrative now jumps to 1619, Bergen, which is in the southwest of Norway, almost as far away from Vardo, which is way up in the north, as you can get. Ursa has no choice in the husband she is to marry, she does not even get to see him before her father has agreed happily to the marriage. Commissioner Absalom Cornet... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_70 | The Mercies | On the long sea voyage to Vardo, Ursa comes to see her husband's true side and realises that she is trapped with no chance of escape. Upon overhearing her talking to the captain in Norwegian, Absalom becomes quite angry with her, he then asks the captain of the ship to teach him Norwegian. "Ursa feels a noose slip abou... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_71 | The Mercies | A dramatic statement that has a forbidding feeling attached to it. It does not take long for Maren to realise that Ursa is floundering in this new way of life and has no idea about the things that the women of Vardo find basic and rudimental. Marlen takes it upon herself to help Ursa, and a strong bond of friendship is... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_72 | The Mercies | This wonderful novel will be published by Little Brown and Company in February 2020. Thankyou to them and Netgally for the ARC. Maren and the other women are not aware of the consequences that this storm is going to have on the lives of their island town. As the storm subsides, the women observe the detritus rolling in... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_73 | The Mercies | There used to be fifty-three males living in the town, now there are thirteen. Two are merely babies, three are elders, and the rest are young boys who were too young to be out with the fleet. Superstition is rife. The women start looking for answers as to what caused this tragedy. The storm abnormally strong and swift... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_74 | The Mercies | However, King Christian IV is a strict Lutheran and times have changed, and laws have been brought in by the church banning such acts, although the pastor would normally let such things pass, turning away as if not noticing. Christianity has taken hold here and there is bad blood between the Christians and the Sami, wh... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_75 | The Mercies | When the Commissioner leaves Ursa watches him from an upstairs window and thinks, "Absalom Cornet. It sounds less like a prayer, and more like a knell." Ursa has no idea how prescient this thought will turn out to be. Absalom and Ursa set sail for Vardo, where Lensmann Cunningham will meet up with them. On the long sea... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_76 | The Mercies | There is an almost ominous feeling shrouding over this initial landing, and the weather, as if in agreement starts to rain. A little later, when Absalom publicly addresses the women, he tells them that, "Too long you have been left here without guidance. I am here to offer it, and I must ask you to be vigilant." A dram... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_77 | The Mercies | Looking at the world today, I would like to think we have moved forwards a little. We certainly don't burn "witches" at the stake anymore, but do we tolerate beliefs that are not our own? Do we persecute those who choose a different faith? A different style of life? Will we ever truly change? This wonderful novel will ... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_78 | The Mercies | They have to face not only the inhospitable weather and the difficulties of the sea but also the prejudices amongst them, that women should not go out to sea, or that they should not wear trousers, because that is for men only. Yet, by sticking together and braving the weather, they survive until a Lensmann is commissi... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_79 | The Mercies | Ursa is coming to terms with her new life in the tough environment of the village and with a husband she disdains, whilst Maren is finding her steps in a new world without men. Love, companionship and loyalty will blossom, but will be countered by hatred, envy, wickedness and small-mindedness. The story is well-paced a... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_80 | The Mercies | This Lensmann, however, is not only keen to stamp down on any behaviour that challenges the established order; moreover, he is intent upon sniffing out witchcraft and extirpating it by the most extreme means possible. To help with this task he employs a commissioner with a reputation for being severe, ambitious and tou... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_81 | The Mercies | In fact, I found it difficult to put the book down, and totally recommend it to anyone with an interest in historical fiction. I do have one or two critcisms though. April 29, 2021 "Inspired by the real events of the Vardo storm and the 1621 witch trials." On Christmas Eve 1617 the Vardo storm claims forty fishermen, a... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_82 | The Mercies | Those gathering for social Wednesday meets at kirke (religious community). The women's gatherings and the friendship forged between two women, Maren and Ursa, are very heart-warming. My heart went out to those two women, especially Ursa, coming from a warm house and married to a cold, controlling husband. She carefully... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_83 | The Mercies | The women fish, chop the wood, ready the fields, butcher reindeer, tend the livestock. A new Pastor assigned to Vardo observes the women closely and asks for a commissioner to be assigned as he sees something that may not be a godly behavior. A firmer hand is needed, "to root the Church more fully into the land." Ursa,... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_84 | The Mercies | I enjoyed the customs of Sami people, who some considered wild. What one finds comfort in or sees as gestures of remembrance, another sees as witchcraft. The time period also gives a good sense of how it was to be a passenger on a boat or to be doing fishing. The simplicity of living huts is well-presented. Enjoyable d... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_85 | The Mercies | If you give yourself the freedom to begin your novel so imaginatively--with a passage about a dreaming young woman channeling the thoughts of a dying whale--then why not imagine your way to a different outcome for these women? Why chain yourself to a story that takes your characters down the least imaginative, most gri... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_86 | The Mercies | Several of the women, led by the indomitable Kirsten Sorensdatter, take up their husbands' nets and boats and teach themselves to fish. Soon these women are thriving, managing and butchering reindeer herds, repairing homesteads and maintaining order in the bereft village. Yet a rift grows between the sanctimonious "kir... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_87 | The Mercies | Cornet is dispatched to Vardø, where suspicions of the supernatural are being fomented by the villagers themselves. He is a witch hunter of some renown in his native land, where obsession with witchcraft boomed after King James VI published his treatise on sorcery, Daemonologie, in 1597. The voyage north from Bergen to... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_88 | The Mercies | Kiran Millwood Hargrave based her astonishing, gorgeous, heartbreaking novel on the true story of witch hunters and the 91 souls they condemned to death in Vardø in 1621. She writes with vivid intensity detail of birth, death, and survival, sparing no detail, and the result is potent and mesmerizing. This is a novel ab... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_89 | The Mercies | Several of the women, led by the indomitable Kirsten Sorensdatter, take up their husbands' nets and boats and teach themselves to fish. Soon these women are thriving, managing and butchering reindeer herds, repairing homesteads and maintaining order in the bereft village. Yet a rift grows between the sanctimonious "kir... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_90 | The Mercies | Cornet is dispatched to Vardø, where suspicions of the supernatural are being fomented by the villagers themselves. He is a witch hunter of some renown in his native land, where obsession with witchcraft boomed after King James VI published his treatise on sorcery, Daemonologie, in 1597. The voyage north from Bergen to... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_91 | The Mercies | Kiran Millwood Hargrave based her astonishing, gorgeous, heartbreaking novel on the true story of witch hunters and the 91 souls they condemned to death in Vardø in 1621. She writes with vivid intensity detail of birth, death, and survival, sparing no detail, and the result is potent and mesmerizing. This is a novel ab... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_92 | The Mercies | At first, I was interested and felt a lot of momentum, but it faded as this turned into the kind of story I had seen many times before, watching a community turn against itself and accuse members of witchcraft. There is still a lot of possibility here, and Hargrave has some great prose and character development so she'... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_93 | The Mercies | As lovely as Maren and Ursa are, as central as they are to the story, they are mostly observers. If you want a twist on the story you've heard from Salem, this may be just what you're looking for, since the setting is a big part of the story and vastly different. At first, I was interested and felt a lot of momentum, b... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_94 | The Mercies | Diinaa, Maren's sister-in-law who is from the indigenous Sámi people, viewed as suspicious pagans by the heavily Christian Norwegians, all alone with her new baby after the death of her husband. Kirsten, who responds to the death of the men of the town by taking on their roles herself, wearing pants and putting out the... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_95 | The Mercies | Life seems idyll until a storm, as though conjured by magic, rises from the sea and swallows all forty men who worked in the village when they'd gone to fish. At first, this book tries to be ambiguous about whether it's magical realism but it soon strips you of any notions of magic because while it may be ambient and w... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_96 | The Mercies | Maren has about as much personality as a cardboard cutout. The story starts with her betrothed to Dag, friendly with her sister in law Diinna, friends with her brother Erik and her father Pappa, and with a functional relationship with her Mamma. Beyond this there isn't much else to this woman. Sure she has a sapphic re... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_97 | The Mercies | Mamma calms down but then a few chapters later, Mamma is suddenly extremely hateful to Diinna and even wants her gone. It makes no sense. Just because it's fiction based on real events doesn't mean it has the right to skip necessary beats that show the character development or regression. Characters would also decide o... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_98 | The Mercies | Kirsten is also the best character in the book who is the most poorly treated. We barely get any scenes with her which is odd considering the large role she plays towards the end of the book. But we had to read pages dedicated to the consistency of Agnete's phlegm, Ursa's aforementioned sick sister. Maren was too incon... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_99 | The Mercies | Which is a shame, because that cover deserves a much better story. Buddy read with Christina June 15, 2020 And I thought the Salem Witch trials were bad! Hah! Apparently Christian IV of Denmark/Norway was obsessed with witchcraft and brought in experienced witch hunters from Scotland to hunt them down. He was particula... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_100 | The Mercies | Hargrave creates a powerful cast of women characters that the reader can empathize with as they face the suspicious authorities. Recommend. Hargrave's novel highlights the 1617 destructive storm that killed 40 men, leaving their wives and families without their prowess to fish and provide food. Conspiracy theories abou... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_101 | The Mercies | The premise grabbed me, as did the opening chapters when the storm hits, but after that the plot unfolds at a snail pace, filled with inconsequential details (and some historical inaccuracies) which add nothing to the main plot. The story is then rushed into the final chapters with one of the worst conclusions I've rea... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_102 | The Mercies | And on your way to this harsh, frozen land, you might like to find a wife as you travel north. There are some likely lasses in Bergen. Absalom Corbet is an ambitious, serious man who does as suggested, stops at Bergen, selects a girl, marries her in haste, and they spend their honeymoon on the ship that takes them to h... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_103 | The Mercies | The entire tiny community lives from fishing. Fish are their food and what they trade for other goods. When Absalom and Ursa arrive, it's the women who have learned to fish and who have kept the remaining families alive. Ursa is terribly homesick, frightened of her stern husband, who can't speak Norwegian, and appalled... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_104 | The Mercies | She knows nothing about cooking, and when one of the women, Maren, befriends her to teach her, Ursa realises again how different she is and how much she has to learn. "They sit together at the floury table. Ursa takes her own attempt and cracks it, sending crumbs and flakes of seeds scattering into her lap. She brushes... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_105 | The Mercies | "Erik only bowed his head to accept Mamma's kiss, and his wife Diinna's press of thumb to his forehead that the Sámi say will draw a thread to reel men at sea home again." Absalom was given this advice when he was offered the posting. "Many of the issues arise from a segment of the local population, endemic here in Fin... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_106 | The Mercies | Even here, at the edge of civilization, souls must be saved." Welcome to your new life, Absalom Corbet, Scottish witch-hunter. And on your way to this harsh, frozen land, you might like to find a wife as you travel north. There are some likely lasses in Bergen. Absalom Corbet is an ambitious, serious man who does as su... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_107 | The Mercies | And then maybe both of them are screaming but there is no sound save the sea and the sky and all the boat lights swallowed and the boats flashing and the boats spinning, the boats flying, turning, gone." The entire tiny community lives from fishing. Fish are their food and what they trade for other goods. When Absalom ... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_108 | The Mercies | She has been a child at home, looking after her much-loved, disabled sister, and now she's been thrown into a freezing, stark society of strangers. She knows nothing about cooking, and when one of the women, Maren, befriends her to teach her, Ursa realises again how different she is and how much she has to learn. "They... |
browsecomp_plus_82109_109 | The Mercies | "Erik only bowed his head to accept Mamma's kiss, and his wife Diinna's press of thumb to his forehead that the Sámi say will draw a thread to reel men at sea home again." Absalom was given this advice when he was offered the posting. "Many of the issues arise from a segment of the local population, endemic here in Fin... |
browsecomp_plus_14911_1 | 25 interesting and epic facts about Gladiator | Ridley Scott's Gladiator was released in 2000 and revitalised the sword-and-sandals epic. The story of a betrayed Roman general-turned-slave, it was a smash hit at the box office, left its mark on popular culture, and made a superstar of its lead, Russell Crowe. The following 25 interesting, fun facts tell the behind t... |
browsecomp_plus_14911_2 | 25 interesting and epic facts about Gladiator | Translated from latin, Argento means Silver, and Scarto means Trigger. Silver was the name of The Lone Ranger's horse, and Trigger was the name of Roy Rodgers' horse. 3. Russell Crowe improvised one of the film's most famous lines In the battle sequence, We also hear one of the film's most iconic lines of dialogue. Aft... |
browsecomp_plus_14911_3 | 25 interesting and epic facts about Gladiator | The painting is called Pollice Verso – which means 'thumbs down' – and shows a gladiator standing over a beaten opponent. Scott loved the painting and it played a part in him signing on to direct the film. Pollice Verso, by Jean Leon Gerome 5. Scott wanted to depict ancient Rome as realistically as possible Ridley Scot... |
browsecomp_plus_14911_4 | 25 interesting and epic facts about Gladiator | Scott cast Crowe after seeing him in Romper Stomper – a 1992 Australian drama – and said he was, "someone worth watching" but, as is often the case, there were other names up for the part before Crowe was cast. Most notably, there have been rumours Mel Gibson was offered the role, and turned it down. Gibson says he was... |
browsecomp_plus_14911_5 | 25 interesting and epic facts about Gladiator | And you're being directed by me.'" Crowe was suitably impressed, and took the part. 8. Crowe was not a fan of the script Crowe was so unhappy with the script during production that he would frequently walk off the set and inititally refused to say the famous line, "I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next." C... |
browsecomp_plus_14911_6 | 25 interesting and epic facts about Gladiator | Phoenix was Ridley Scott's first choice, but he did have one other name in consideration in case it didn't work out – Jude Law. Joaquin Phoenix is a big name now, but at the time this film was a big step up for him, and he was nervous about playing Commodus. He felt so out of his depth that he offered to pay the produc... |
browsecomp_plus_14911_7 | 25 interesting and epic facts about Gladiator | Commodus kills Marcus Aurelius 11. Scott told Phoenix he had to lose some weight Midway through production, Scott was looking at the dailies and noticed Phoenix was noticeably "chunkier". He spoke to Phoenix about it and Phoenix said, "Yes, I'm a fat little hamster. Why wouldn't I be? I'm the Emperor of Rome." Scott to... |
browsecomp_plus_14911_8 | 25 interesting and epic facts about Gladiator | And he was such a megalomaniac that he renamed Rome to be called Colonia Commodiana, and he began charging the state for his appearances in the Colosseum. He charged them so much that the value of Roman currency fell, and historians say this is what directly led to the fall of the Roman Empire. Commodus was eventually ... |
browsecomp_plus_14911_9 | 25 interesting and epic facts about Gladiator | And Djallil said: "The film got an Oscar, Russell Crowe got an Oscar, Ollie got a posthumous Oscar. I got a partial erection." Omid Djalili grabbed by the crotch by Oliver Reed 14. A bodybuilding legend could've made an appearance After Maximus successfully winns the Battle of Carthage recreation in his first appearanc... |
browsecomp_plus_14911_10 | 25 interesting and epic facts about Gladiator | The tigers weren't supposed to be allowed within 15ft of Russell Crowe but, due to a miscalculation, the biggest tiger, which was 11 ft long, got within two feet of him and swiped at him. That shot is in the film. 16. A key part of the Colessuem fights was (incorrectly) based on reality Something we see all the way thr... |
browsecomp_plus_14911_11 | 25 interesting and epic facts about Gladiator | He got the idea from a book about the Roman games called Those Who Are About To Die (1958) by Daniel P. Mannix. Then, in the 90s, Franzoni wrote Amistad (1997), about the North American slave trade, directed by Steven Spielberg. He told Spielberg the idea for Gladiator, and Spielberg loved it. He had three questions fo... |
browsecomp_plus_14911_12 | 25 interesting and epic facts about Gladiator | He made Maximus more sensitive, brought out his friendship with Juba, and added in the afterlife aspect, so Maximus wasn't just out for revenge. Connie Nielsen played Commodus' sister, Lucilla and, as a part-time historian, knew a lot about ancient Rome. She complained about the first draft of the script as it made ref... |
browsecomp_plus_14911_13 | 25 interesting and epic facts about Gladiator | Some big music names had a part to play, too Before Lisa Gerrard came on board, the legendary operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti was asked to sing a song for the soundtrack, but he said no. Also, Hans Zimmer was actually sued by the Gustav Holst Foundation, who said that parts of Zimmer's score were too similar to Holst'... |
browsecomp_plus_14911_14 | 25 interesting and epic facts about Gladiator | The Austrian Oak could've made an appearance Reed ended up being posthumously nominated for an Oscar but, when the film was first announced, Scott didn't want Ollie Reed for Proximo, he wanted somebody else – Arnold Schwarzenegger. He changed his mind to cast Reed when the character was changed to be older, with more l... |
browsecomp_plus_14911_15 | 25 interesting and epic facts about Gladiator | The film had an impact on the popularity of ancient Rome Away from Hollywood, Gladiator had a direct impact on an increased interest in Roman history – particularly in the U.S. – after it was released. The New York Times called it, "The Gladiator Effect," and books like Cicero's biography and Marcus Aurelius' meditatio... |
browsecomp_plus_14911_16 | 25 interesting and epic facts about Gladiator | The beginning of a beautiful friendship Stay up-to-date with all things All The Right Movies by signing up for our e-newsletter. |
browsecomp_plus_32850_1 | Always Emily | What do you think? Rate this book Emily and Charlotte Brontë are about as opposite as two sisters can be. Charlotte is practical and cautious; Emily is headstrong and imaginative. But they do have one thing in common: a love of writing. This shared passion will lead them to be two of the first published female novelist... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_2 | Always Emily | (Publishers Weekly) Regency romance blends enjoyably with historical fiction, with a plucky heroine for each mode. (Kirkus) This novel is full of historical detail, vivid settings, and richly drawn characters, and themes of friendship and romance give the story teen appeal. (Booklist) MacColl offers a whip-smart, spunk... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_3 | Always Emily | If you haven't already but someday get a chance to visit the UK, you should visit London and see all the traditional sights it has to offer: Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, the British Museum, Hyde Park, Harrods, the Tate Modern, Big Ben, Westminster and St Paul's. You should see all of those. But if you get th... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_4 | Always Emily | But it's actually a well-researched piece of historical fiction that imagines life within the Bronte household back in the early days when the girls were experimenting with writing their own fairy tales. It focuses mainly on the relationship between Charlotte and Emily - one which I've always personally been fascinated... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_5 | Always Emily | I've often wondered when reading their novels and when visiting the picturesque village of Haworth (pronounced "How-Earth") just what it was that inspired these young women to write such beautiful and, at times, horrifying novels. What crazy adventures could their youth have held to inspire a dark tale such as Wutherin... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_6 | Always Emily | If you haven't already but someday get a chance to visit the UK, you should visit London and see all the traditional sights it has to offer: Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, the British Museum, Hyde Park, Harrods, the Tate Modern, Big Ben, Westminster and St Paul's. You should see all of those. But if you get th... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_7 | Always Emily | But it's actually a well-researched piece of historical fiction that imagines life within the Bronte household back in the early days when the girls were experimenting with writing their own fairy tales. It focuses mainly on the relationship between Charlotte and Emily - one which I've always personally been fascinated... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_8 | Always Emily | I've often wondered when reading their novels and when visiting the picturesque village of Haworth (pronounced "How-Earth") just what it was that inspired these young women to write such beautiful and, at times, horrifying novels. What crazy adventures could their youth have held to inspire a dark tale such as Wutherin... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_9 | Always Emily | This is all great fun for Emily, who thinks that the death of old Mr. Heaton and the appearance of the dashing Henry would make for a jolly good story. But it's another matter entirely when the web of intrigue and deceit extends into her family. Members of the various plots start exploiting Branwell, an addict to alcoh... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_10 | Always Emily | Harry and Emily kiss, which makes Charlotte very fretful over her sister's reputation (and jealous, let's face it). Language: Nothing. Substance Abuse: We see Branwell, a bright and promising young man, turn into an alcoholic. He's also addicted to laudanum and gambling, the latter being a threat to the whole family's ... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_11 | Always Emily | Conclusions I remember really enjoying Michaela MacColl's Prisoners in the Palace. Always Emily isn't as good as I remember Prisoners being, but it's quite enjoyable in its own right. The central mystery isn't much of a mystery. We know from the first appearance of that he can't be a good guy, and it's easy from there ... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_12 | Always Emily | What a sad story he was, and the book never even speculates what might have turned such a brilliant child into such a pathetic young adult. Not terribly deep or complex, but a clean period drama sort of book. Definitely recommended for fans of the Brontë sisters, although it will seem very tame and safe compared to wha... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_13 | Always Emily | Just when things are getting interesting (and alarming), who should come home but Emily's fussy older sister, Charlotte, who's on leave from her job as a schoolteacher after a higher-up discovered that she's been writing a (fetch the smelling salts) novel that features romance and fantasy elements. In her immaturity, E... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_14 | Always Emily | Branwell's sisters feel badly for him, since he's clearly miserable, but they are ultimately disgusted by his refusal to take even the first step toward getting well. Nightmare Fuel: Tabby is convinced that the big dog prowling around the moors is an evil spirit. Her descriptions of said dog are quite frightening. . Po... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_15 | Always Emily | Many of the characters are similar to ones that show up in Charlotte and Emily's novels— That said, the atmosphere is impressively Brontëan. MacColl captured the personalities of her two protagonists—wild, antisocial, misanthropic, unmannered Emily; reserved, resourceful, responsible, observant Charlotte. You can see a... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_16 | Always Emily | July 21, 2024 This has sat on my TBR pile for many years, and likely been dragged round a few houses as well, but I finally, finally picked it up this year. This is a surprisingly strong, emotional story that opens with the funeral of Emily and Charlotte's sisters, and their grief is well written. Anne doesn't make an ... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_17 | Always Emily | The mystery in this story is cleverly interwoven with some of their biggest stories, particularly Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, and it's very obvious which sister wrote which book without being told. I thought this was a sensitive portrayal of the sisters, that didn't take liberties with their short lives. July 2, 2... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_18 | Always Emily | February 23, 2014 3.5-esque Always Emily was a cozy, read-in-your-pj's mystery in a totally comfortable position NOT on your computer in a wicked hard chair, but obviously the star of the book is the cast of characters: the Bronte sisters. The story is told in Emily and Charlotte Brontë's perspectives. While the title ... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_19 | Always Emily | All these little elements that make it more a story than a mystery. The mystery itself I found to be lackluster, and same goes for Emily's adventures on the moors, which end too early in the book for my tastes. However, there's all this sneaking about and lying and pretending to be an idiot girl during the book to make... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_20 | Always Emily | In all, it was a good book for the winters, but beyond that, with the onset of spring, not everyone might like it. Review copy provided by the publishers. Always Emily was a cozy, read-in-your-pj's mystery in a totally comfortable position NOT on your computer in a wicked hard chair, but obviously the star of the book ... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_21 | Always Emily | Branwell, their brother, was a classic example of guy messing with the wrong crowd. There's a bit of romance for Emily, whose ending we can predict. All these little elements that make it more a story than a mystery. The mystery itself I found to be lackluster, and same goes for Emily's adventures on the moors, which e... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_22 | Always Emily | I might not have gotten a clear picture of English moors from the writing, but the temperature and climate and mood were all very well conveyed, creating a setting that fits snugly around the mystery and, duh!, the Brontës. In all, it was a good book for the winters, but beyond that, with the onset of spring, not every... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_23 | Always Emily | August 2, 2016 Ok i have a confession to make, don't judge me, I have requested this book purely because of the cover and because my daughter is called Emily. Other then that I went in there blind. Sometimes a risk like this pays off and sometimes it really doesn't. This time it was a winner. If I had looked at this cl... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_24 | Always Emily | This isn't just for fans of the Bronte sisters at all, I for one don't know much about them but I still really enjoyed it. Emily has been an amazing character who clearly didn't want to be like all the other girls and women. She wanted so much more from life then just to find a husband and have a family. I rather admir... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_25 | Always Emily | But before they become famous writers they return from a school at which Emily is the student and Charlotte the teacher, to discover a serious of burglaries have been happening. To add to all the mystery on one of Emily's walks she discovers a boy, one she remembers from her past. He seems to be staying outside and kee... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_26 | Always Emily | This was a rather pleasant surprise. I didn't see the ending coming at all and I have literally flown through this book. It was a nice quick and lovely read that I can highly recommend. Thank you to Abrams and Chronicle for my copy of Always Emily. April 17, 2014 While a lot of the plot points in this novel are fiction... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_27 | Always Emily | Highly recommended for fans of the Victorian period, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, and the Brontës in general. In fact, MacColl's characterization of Emily makes me want to reread Wuthering Heights since I didn't love it the first time around like I did Jane Eyre. November 30, 2014 1.5 stars. Two things I remember: 1. ... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_28 | Always Emily | I mean, besides hot tea and butter pecan ice cream and the smell of fabric softener? Finishing a book on my TBR (to be read) list. "Always Emily" by Michaela MacColl was a book on aforementioned list and I just finished it, so…yay me. :) Two quick things about the book: 1) You can't tell me that's not one of the pretti... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_29 | Always Emily | This is a standalone book, and as far as I can tell it doesn't have a ton of hype around it, but seems to be meant more for fans of historical fiction, English Literature, and Bronte fans. I'm all three (especially the last two), so I enjoyed the book quite a bit. Seriously, I'm a lifelong Bronte fan – my all-time favo... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_30 | Always Emily | Young women that are underestimated but end up surprising everyone with their intelligence, cunning, and sharp wit? Yes please, to all of the above. You know what makes me really happy? I mean, besides hot tea and butter pecan ice cream and the smell of fabric softener? Finishing a book on my TBR (to be read) list. "Al... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_31 | Always Emily | Weird things start happening around their house – strange men are on the moors, their brother Branwell is acting odder than ever, and a handful of men are getting very angry at the girls' father, a local preacher, for his politicking. This is a standalone book, and as far as I can tell it doesn't have a ton of hype aro... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_32 | Always Emily | I'm admittedly a complete sucker for the scenes and period of this book, which played into the Bronte books I love so much as well. Cool, rainy fields in England in the 1800s? Men riding horses and saying gentlemanly things? Young women that are underestimated but end up surprising everyone with their intelligence, cun... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_33 | Always Emily | She sends a letter, but she doesn't live at the parsonage. October 23, 2014 Really enjoyed this book. It really took me through what the main characters, emily and Charlotte were feeling. I loved the suspense and mystery that Michaela MacColl tied into her book. Also I was very fascinated in how this story was based on... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_34 | Always Emily | In accordance with the FTC, I would like to disclose that I received a review copy of this title through Edelweiss. The opinions expressed are mine and no monetary compensation was offered to me by the author or publisher. When Emily and Charlotte Brontë return home from Roe Head School, they are swept up in a world of... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_35 | Always Emily | From the start, I was shrouded in the setting of Haworth. The writing is so palpable, and I was intrigued by the history of the Brontë family, which I knew nothing of. MacColl manages to thread information about the characters throughout the story, without resorting to numerous amounts of backstory or info dumps. The B... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_36 | Always Emily | She had a very tactful execution of cliff-hangers, often implemented at the end of chapters, and constantly upped the stakes, thrusting the heroines into increasingly challenging situations. Being unfamiliar with the Brontë family, I was fascinated to learn more about their history. Anne is absent for the novel, but th... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_37 | Always Emily | It was a stark commentary on the way women were automatically devalued because of their sex, regardless of their social standing. 'Always Emily' is a riveting read, which I would recommend to anyone who loves to be swept up in a tale of adventure and intrigue. I will admit that I am utterly unfamiliar with the works of... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_38 | Always Emily | The two sisters have always been so different, but they must come together to solve the mystery that plagues Haworth...before someone else meets a swift death. An insight into two young women who broke the gender barrier and wrote timeless classics was a captivating enough premise, but entwined in mystery I was hooked.... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_39 | Always Emily | Emily and Charlotte cannot help but compare the circumstances they face to the stories they write, or imagine how they would translate something onto the page. It is a sensation that any writer can relate to, and really defined their shared nature. I was absorbed by the plot of 'Always Emily.' MacColl established the m... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_40 | Always Emily | He is somewhat of an infuriating character, and a troubled soul. It was interesting to see how he was spoiled for allowance by his father, and given much more freedom than his sisters, despite being an established wreck. It was a stark commentary on the way women were automatically devalued because of their sex, regard... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_41 | Always Emily | Although the book is titled Emily, I think Charlotte present just as much. Also, Branwell, who seems to be forgotten in the bright lights of the two sisters, had his fair share of goings on in this book. I liked how MacColl brought out Branwell. I liked his role in the book and I liked how she didn't fade his character... |
browsecomp_plus_32850_42 | Always Emily | There was a touch of romance in the book. I liked how the author just introduced this desire for the young ladies but reminded the reader of social formalities and expectations, while also reminding the reader who were we're reading about. This is a fictional book. The lives and experiences of Emily, Branwell, Charlott... |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.