I struggled to finish this book. I finished it, but at multiple points I thought about setting it aside completely.
In some ways, I found “The Animals at Lockwood Manor” predictable and annoying instead of feeling like I was in the author’s created world. I struggled when unacknowledged feelings or sensations were referenced by Hetty, with more of an “oh, so this is where the story is headed” mental reaction versus living through the characters eyes. There were points where I didn’t really like any of the characters, yet something niggled in my brain enough that I kept picking the book back up.
Some of these characters are quite horrid in morals and situations. The situation of the war is a hard enough subject, and I initially picked this up because I enjoy new perspectives in historical fiction based around real events or people. I don’t feel like I got what I was expecting at all. Mental illnesses reflected that are hereditary, or inflicted by upbringing. Abuse of women by employers, father figures and wealthy peers, and the idea of ownership, intrigue and sexually. So much bottled into this book, that yet barely begins to delve into the psyche at the same time. It was hard to get to the end without ditching in annoyance, but that may have been me as the reader and the authors paired in word and phrase choices. I’m curious to hear what others think of this book, so for this rather ambiguous review, I am choosing the rate it middle of the road. I finished, but yet I didn’t really want to until almost the last chapter (it wasn’t until about halfway in that I considered stopping).
In some ways, I found “The Animals at Lockwood Manor” predictable and annoying instead of feeling like I was in the author’s created world. I struggled when unacknowledged feelings or sensations were referenced by Hetty, with more of an “oh, so this is where the story is headed” mental reaction versus living through the characters eyes. There were points where I didn’t really like any of the characters, yet something niggled in my brain enough that I kept picking the book back up.
Some of these characters are quite horrid in morals and situations. The situation of the war is a hard enough subject, and I initially picked this up because I enjoy new perspectives in historical fiction based around real events or people. I don’t feel like I got what I was expecting at all. Mental illnesses reflected that are hereditary, or inflicted by upbringing. Abuse of women by employers, father figures and wealthy peers, and the idea of ownership, intrigue and sexually. So much bottled into this book, that yet barely begins to delve into the psyche at the same time. It was hard to get to the end without ditching in annoyance, but that may have been me as the reader and the authors paired in word and phrase choices. I’m curious to hear what others think of this book, so for this rather ambiguous review, I am choosing the rate it middle of the road. I finished, but yet I didn’t really want to until almost the last chapter (it wasn’t until about halfway in that I considered stopping).