Rate this book

Antonia Lively Breaks The Silence (2013)

by David Samuel Levinson(Favorite Author)

3.25 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

1565129180 (ISBN13: 9781565129184)

languge

English

genre

Fiction

publisher

Algonquin Books

review 1: David Samuel Levinson’s ‘Antonia Lively Breaks the Silence’ is pure indulgence. Set in a small college town, a host of narrators—all writers or otherwise connected to the publishing industry—uncover the mystery surrounding one promising writer’s death. The premise lured me in immediately, but pedestrian plot twists and awkward pacing tempered my initial excitement. Though the meat of the novel takes place over a single summer, episodes of action follow each another without consequence (crimes are committed, police rarely called), never allowing me to fully invest in the characters’ world. Still, it’s a page turner, great for the long flight on which I read it.
review 2: I appreciated the payoff/reveal but I'm not sure it was worth the effort of ... morethe first 300-ish pages. Great writing, muddling and contrived plot. The characters range from less-than-sympathetic to wholly unlikable, which doesn't help. I often found myself irritated by them, and puzzled by their behavior, which at times was pretty much inexplicable (the only explanation being, "this otherwise inexplicable action is the only way the author can advance the plot"). And any explanation offered was generally pretty vague. It's worth 3 stars because the prose is excellent and some of the themes thought-provoking. less

Download links for: Antonia Lively Breaks The Silence

Advertising