I needed something to read in case I finished this month's Commentary on Shabbos... so I took A Company of Swans with me to my in-laws' house. This is the "other" Eva Ibbotson I own (other than the Morning Gift, that is). I didn't buy it because it's my second favorite, but rather because it was for sale that Borders going-out-of-business sale. It's typical Eva Ibbotson - focused on the arts, melodramatic, and but of course a great love story. Also, this one, in common with a lot of her others, has a definite creepiness factor. I think it's especially prominent in this one because Harriet Morton is so alone... well actually many of the heroines are pretty alone, so I'm not sure why this one was so much worse. Because it takes place in the wilds of the Amazon among the questionable company of ballet dancers maybe. So there's definitely that to distract from the story, and it was creepy as ever I'd say.
That being said... I started this Friday night when I could have just gone to sleep and I stayed up until I finished it :) So clearly not too creepy for me. Great romance, eminently likeable characters (perhaps too Mary-Sueish for some in their apparent universal likeability and congeniality, but I could handle it). Adventure in the Amazon, talented ballerinas, a tropical villa with devoted staff, and all that good stuff. What can I say - the creepiness was there, the melodrama was ever present, it wasn't particularly well-written, but it's my kind of story :)
Verdict: 3.75/5
No comments:
Post a Comment