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The Historian
This book sucks you in after chapter 1. The story is a nice balance of history and fiction keeping the reader engaged throughout the book. I'm still reading it, almost done. Can't wait to see how it ends.
Nothing like what I expected. I actually had it on my book shelf for months before I picked it up to read. Nothing special for a couple of chapters and I assumed I was going read another Bram Stoker and the eerie fantasy of fictional vampires taking over the world.
How wrong I was. The Historian is almost 700 pages of history told through the eyes of an Historian. For the author, Elizabeth Kostova, what better way in her debut novel to address a comprehensive review of 15th Century Eurasia, in particular the Ottoman Empire. Unless saturated with the curiosity and love for history such as would be possessed by a graduate student with a history major, this would be DRY stuff for most of us.
Not the way, Kostova weaves in characters, time shifts, dichotomies of locations, intrigue and factual documentation. By the last page, the reader knows much more about the history and geography of the area than s/he ever thought needed to be known - and is glad to have acquired it. Also, the reader has read a damn good novel with a sustained plot that works.
The good and the bad? The good is Kostova's research and writing. She is a natural author, gosh darn but she can write. Her descriptive phrasings, the environmental and mood drawings, the lines of each person's face, hands and body are etched and crafted with skill for us.
The bad? - Kostova suffers from what many first novelist have to deal with - perfunctory editing by the publisher. I am sure there were many rewrites and she incorporated many comments; however, there are a couple of places where she gets carried away with 'form'. She knows the literary tools, tricks and tasks that have to have a modicum, at least, of glue in a novel. Sometimes tho' she is wedded to ensuring she follows the 'rules' and this takes away from the otherwise easy flow of the novel shown throughout.
But ignore the 'bad' - everyone wants to hear something other than just praise. This book deserves copious amounts of praise. I believe I could re-read it again. I don't say that about many books. It will go down for me as a favorite like a Moby-Dick or Treasure Island except that it has left me with invaluable substance in what I learned.
An excellent read and a refreshing change from paint by number fiction writers, It's inspired me to go to eastern Europe on my next vacation, to try my own investigation(short of meeting with vampires) She very capably blurs the line between fact and fiction.
Great premise but ultimately a boring book with no characterization. The execution leaves much to be desired. There are many more deserving vampire books out there. Spend time with the original Dracula by Bram Stoker for a good read.
Chistina, me thinks perhaps that you mean to say that YOU were bored; would be rather judgmental to say the novel is boring.
I think from all the reviews including the negative ones, you are the first who allowed yourself to be 'bored'. Pity.... mais c'est la vie pour certaines personnes, n'est-ce-pas?
Of course I do not want to speak for others, but I did not read the book to read of Vampires. The title said: "The Historian" - sort of indicates it is about a Historian and/or history. Well, it SURE was... and then some. As many have indicated, the surprise in the novel is that it contained such acute geography relevance and geographic history. That alone was mesmerizing for me....
But you are entitled to your opinion - I just happen to think that the author deserves a rebuttal on her behalf. The novel speaks for itself - in my mind. ;-D
How condescending is that? Of course it's my opinion. If you want a travelogue, then it's fine to read The Historian. Or watch Rick Steves on PBS. He did a better job on Budapest. The point is there is a separate genre of books for that sort of thing.
If you want a gripping novel, then *in my opinion* you should look elsewhere. Even the just good for reading at the beach book, The DaVinci Code, was more engaging and exciting. Even if I yelled at that book for coming to conclusions chapters after I already figured parts out, it still entertained.
The Historian lacked characterization and often sense. The plot point where they're fighting over the library copy of Dracula was ridiculous. Had no one in the book ever heard of a bookstore? And the unlikely coincidences that the plot hangs on? Even the author admits how "extraordinary" they are as if admitting it should excuse them. Or how about the fact the author couldn't be bothered to name Paul and Helen's daughter? Helen's motivation for her graduate studies was really lame. You don't go to all that work at the same university out of childish spite. The characters are just flat props to the pedestrian story. The travelogue was decent (but not all that new to me), but a novel should stand up on strengths of the story, not the scenery.
Zut alors! L'ennui! Zut alors, les personnes dédaigneuses sans mérite!