Just couldn't get through this one. I kept waiting for the story to get going, but it felt like a series of endless digressions on wind, rockDNF/pg470
Just couldn't get through this one. I kept waiting for the story to get going, but it felt like a series of endless digressions on wind, rock, sea, etc. Sure seashells can be interesting but 10 pages on them starts feeling like a hammer to one's head. Now I do love Victor Hugo and am aware he is prone to digressions in his writing, but this story is shipwrecked in an endless ocean of details that got to be way too grating for me.
The characters themselves are great, centering around Gilliat the noble-hearted fisherman. Hugo is a humanist with a large heart, his writing shows that, he has huge respect for people from every background. And he is immensely curious, as the book can testify to his insatiable interest in the minutiae of this world, you get massive insights into the world of Guernesey and its cultures and natural qualities. He also touches on themes of man vs nature which are actually interesting, but this book is an endless anfractuosity (learned that word from this book so I use it here!), and it lost me.
This is not necessarily bad. I just got lost in the maddening warrens of information/various characters. I may try and come back to this at some futurThis is not necessarily bad. I just got lost in the maddening warrens of information/various characters. I may try and come back to this at some future date but I probably need to find a more straight forward history to give me better fundamental schooling on the French Revolution. It's quite complex and Schama doesn't really ground things with solid timelines and exposition imo. Probably a better read for those who already have some knowledge on the subject....more
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