I don't think it's bad by any means - I think some passages in this book are absolutely stunning and I am very interested in the themes it threatens to explore in-depth (I presume/hope the themes of class, gender, sexuality and politics are fleshed out later in the book but I cannot keep going I have to throw in the towel) - but the endless back-tracking, exposition, long descriptions of distant places, the very interesting plot was so bogged down I wasn't remotely compelled when actual events occurred. I was particularly taken with Jeanne, Marie Catherine's maid, but all the characters are engaging (which makes the threats feel even more real). ultimately, its attempt to depict passion is nowhere near as successful as the parts where it depicts marie catherine as shrewd and manipulative. Ghosts and shadows infuse Bell’s enigmatic tale with elements of the supernatural, while Marie Catherine’s allegorical fairy tales tell of feminist self-determination.

It’s an enthralling reappraisal that confirms King’s relevance to today’s debates over racial justice. The result is both an ideal entry point for newcomers, and a lovely way for existing fans to revisit or rediscover old favorites. In hindsight, I wish I’d known a bit more about the Affair of the Poisons (a period of witchcraft accusations against the aristocracy in the late 1600s France) going into this book. To make things more difficult, The Disenchantment went out just a few weeks before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it had quite a rocky path to acceptance, during which I revised the manuscript pretty extensively. The romance between the two main women was what I was most excited for but turned into the least interesting perspective overall.There is a romance at the center of the story, but I would describe it more as a richly detailed and nuanced historical fiction that explores the inner lives of wealthy noblewomen in 17th century Paris, the ties between them and the servants they depend on in sometimes unexpected ways, and how guilt and fear of discovery weigh on a relationship in the aftermath of a violent act that can't be undone. Shifting the focus from Israel’s territorial conflicts with its Arab neighbors to domestic issues, Kershner reveals how the unequal treatment of Jewish immigrants from Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, Russia, and other parts of the world, coupled with the failure of the Oslo Peace Accords, fostered deep-seated resentments against the political establishment and contributed to the rise of the right wing in Israel.

If the POV just flipped between the two of them, it would have been a lot more focused, though I understand that other characters' POVs (I will not name names in case of spoilers) are important and even necessary to the story. Marie Catherine is an interesting character, but I feel that the omniscient perspective made it difficult for the reader to know her on a deeper level. I've spent the last week or two chipping away at pages and pages - it's not super long in the grand scheme of things but my god this book feels like an impenetrable tome. And if you’re looking forward to what’s still ahead, we rounded up some of the buzziest releases of the summer.her] writing displays a mastery of language and artistry parallel to a seasoned professional of the craft, setting the reader loose in the wild, untamed chaos of France in the 1600s. You can taste the way the deed as tainted an otherwise exciting experience and just how fragile the concept of their love was. it could have done much more with the lesbianism and the court intrigues and the thrill of danger and discovery. It's difficult to believe this is a debut, so strong is the storytelling, characterisation and ambience. Scandal is rampant in seventeenth century Paris – poisonings have become more common among the upper class and many women have been imprisoned even for the slight suspicion of attempting to poison their husbands.

It is also a mystery, with the protagonist trying to outwit the police throughout the story, while the police are desperately trying to get on top of the poison affair, and directing much of their suspicion and anger towards women.The sights, the smells, the oppression and suspicions all feel very real in this evocative, atmospheric tale of intrigue and sapphic love.

There are so many things to love about Celia Bell’s debut novel, The Disenchantment—drama in the royal court! Paul has struggled with a drug addiction, and Cece, fearing he might have died, travels to South Carolina to find him. The novel explores witchcraft,female scholars, and characters who defy traditional gender norms, giving us everything to appease our desire for historical feminist stories. Like Elizabeth Strout’s “Olive Kitteridge,” the charm of Lin-Greenberg’s engaging story lies in the sweetness of the characters’ everyday lives.

In the book you present a vision of this period that is deeply attentive to the struggles facing women at the time, a contrast to more romantic portrayals of Versailles in fiction. Everything I learned about the court, as someone who doesn't know French history very well, was so interesting. The Disenchantment is a stunning debut that conjures an unexpected world of passion, crime, intrigue, and black magic.