Review of The Aviculturist
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Review of The Aviculturist
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Aviculturist" by Ann Smythe.]
I loved The Aviculturist at the first sight. The cover enchanted me immediately. All the lines, dots, and dashes in white, black, and red got me thinking of a gloomy murder story, where the aviculturist mentioned right in the title plays a major role. Ann Smythe’s novel is indeed a crime story, however, I wouldn’t call it gloomy after having read it. A young woman arrives in Lostmor, a place where she had spent her childhood before her father and little sister tragically died in a huge storm. The woman’s name is Lily, she is a successful artist and she has to solve some problems peculiarly connected to her late mother’s will. Lily has been suffering from nightmares for 24 years and subconsciously wants to find out what really happened that night.
The plot seems quite simple and I believe, it gives the author a range of opportunities to make the book outstanding in other ways. And indeed, Ann Smythe seems to be able to create any kind of atmosphere. Her writing style makes a reader fully immerse into the book, and the descriptions of nature and Lostmor, a tiny town at the sea, with all the catchy metaphors and colorful epithets, are simply wonderful. The weather in The Aviculturist plays a significant role, and I guess symbolizes a lot, so every time it is described with remarkable skill. This is also true for birds and dogs who appear in the novel to make it bright and, if I can say, living.
Yet, not everything is perfect in the book. The characters, for my liking, lack depth. The women in the book are all the same – polite and kind. Male characters are also surprisingly similar – brave and fair. Change names and I will unlikely understand who is who. And perhaps, because of this, may I say, shallowness, romantic relationships between people in the book seem nothing but fake. Antagonists in The Aviculturist would rather fit in a cartoon. They are rude and cruel, their dwelling is a complete mess, they are cowards and always up to something evil, usually with no reason. The plot sometimes is too familiar. Every now and then I stopped myself only to realize I had read or heard it all before. What is more, the book is full of repetitions. As a rule, the situation is presented to a reader and then the character presents this situation to another character. To be honest, it made me think the story should have been much shorter.
I rate this book 2 out of 4. In my opinion, the characters are unlikable and, sadly, it spoiled the overall impression. But still, others might enjoy reading the book. It is full of vivid flora and fauna descriptions, and editorial work is great in every aspect.
Certainly, the book is perfect for people who love light fiction and mysteries. Readers who pay a lot of attention to the style will also enjoy it. However, I wouldn’t recommend The Aviculturist to people who seek originality and characters with whom one can empathize.
******
The Aviculturist
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
I loved The Aviculturist at the first sight. The cover enchanted me immediately. All the lines, dots, and dashes in white, black, and red got me thinking of a gloomy murder story, where the aviculturist mentioned right in the title plays a major role. Ann Smythe’s novel is indeed a crime story, however, I wouldn’t call it gloomy after having read it. A young woman arrives in Lostmor, a place where she had spent her childhood before her father and little sister tragically died in a huge storm. The woman’s name is Lily, she is a successful artist and she has to solve some problems peculiarly connected to her late mother’s will. Lily has been suffering from nightmares for 24 years and subconsciously wants to find out what really happened that night.
The plot seems quite simple and I believe, it gives the author a range of opportunities to make the book outstanding in other ways. And indeed, Ann Smythe seems to be able to create any kind of atmosphere. Her writing style makes a reader fully immerse into the book, and the descriptions of nature and Lostmor, a tiny town at the sea, with all the catchy metaphors and colorful epithets, are simply wonderful. The weather in The Aviculturist plays a significant role, and I guess symbolizes a lot, so every time it is described with remarkable skill. This is also true for birds and dogs who appear in the novel to make it bright and, if I can say, living.
Yet, not everything is perfect in the book. The characters, for my liking, lack depth. The women in the book are all the same – polite and kind. Male characters are also surprisingly similar – brave and fair. Change names and I will unlikely understand who is who. And perhaps, because of this, may I say, shallowness, romantic relationships between people in the book seem nothing but fake. Antagonists in The Aviculturist would rather fit in a cartoon. They are rude and cruel, their dwelling is a complete mess, they are cowards and always up to something evil, usually with no reason. The plot sometimes is too familiar. Every now and then I stopped myself only to realize I had read or heard it all before. What is more, the book is full of repetitions. As a rule, the situation is presented to a reader and then the character presents this situation to another character. To be honest, it made me think the story should have been much shorter.
I rate this book 2 out of 4. In my opinion, the characters are unlikable and, sadly, it spoiled the overall impression. But still, others might enjoy reading the book. It is full of vivid flora and fauna descriptions, and editorial work is great in every aspect.
Certainly, the book is perfect for people who love light fiction and mysteries. Readers who pay a lot of attention to the style will also enjoy it. However, I wouldn’t recommend The Aviculturist to people who seek originality and characters with whom one can empathize.
******
The Aviculturist
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
Latest Review: That Guy What Kill Topsy by Peter Wood Cotterill
