Rate this book

Das Lied Der Hoffnung: Roman (German Edition) (2013)

by Linda Holeman(Favorite Author)

3.75 of 5 Votes: 1

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Goldmann Verlag

review 1: The novel is set in Russia in the mid 1800s, during a time of great upheaval within the traditional Russian way of life. The emancipation of the serfs by Tsar Alexander II has created an atmosphere of tension and uncertainty for both peasants and nobility. We follow the story of Antonina, born a pampered Russian princess, severely restricted by the narrow, misogynistic rules of society, which dictate her marriage to a much older man. We also find out about the lives of the people closest to her, the servants, peasants and freemen who surround her. It's well written, meticulously researched and flows smoothly between present and past scenarios, developing background and depth to each of the main characters. So it should have been at least a 4-star book for me. However, alth... moreough it held my interest for the most part and certainly promised well during the first part of the book, by the time I had passed the halfway mark I was beginning to feel disappointed. I became frustrated with the slowness of the plot, the repetition of various scenarios and the basic lack of appeal of any of the characters. By the time I got to the last few chapters, it had declined into a kind of mawkish melodrama, which had me skimming passages in order to reach the end as quickly as possible.I have always enjoyed Linda Holeman's books and expected to be similarly pleased with this one. Unfortunately I finished it with a feeling of relief rather than satisfaction.
review 2: The thing I enjoyed most about the book was how the author had the thread of a particular piece of music tying together many elements of the plot. I hadn't listened to Glinka's Separation in f minor before, and when I looked it up on iTunes, it made a great "soundtrack" for the story as I was reading the book. Other than that, I did find the book to be a pretty typical depressing Russian story of alcoholism, and I didn't come to identify with or like any of the characters. That's just me though. I am glad I found that piano piece through the book though. I've been listening to it and now I really like it. less

Download links for: Das Lied der Hoffnung: Roman (German Edition)

Advertising