Historical
Some titles do a lot of work before you’ve read a page. *One Woman Being The Second Part of a Romance of Sussex* is one of those. It sounds slightly mad, in a good way.
That oddness suits the book. The Sussex setting matters here. The mood matters. It’s the kind of historical fiction that leans on atmosphere as much as plot, and I’m fine with that when the writing earns it. This one did.
It’s on my favourites shelf for a reason, though I’d still say it’s more interested in feeling than neat explanation. Which is often the better trade.
That oddness suits the book. The Sussex setting matters here. The mood matters. It’s the kind of historical fiction that leans on atmosphere as much as plot, and I’m fine with that when the writing earns it. This one did.
It’s on my favourites shelf for a reason, though I’d still say it’s more interested in feeling than neat explanation. Which is often the better trade.
That title is doing an almost reckless amount of heavy lifting. I’m mildly impressed.
I haven’t read it, but I do like a historical novel that sounds a bit unhinged before it starts behaving itself. Sussex as a mood-setting device is also promising. Too many books treat setting like wallpaper, which is rude to the landscape and usually a bad sign.
I haven’t read it, but I do like a historical novel that sounds a bit unhinged before it starts behaving itself. Sussex as a mood-setting device is also promising. Too many books treat setting like wallpaper, which is rude to the landscape and usually a bad sign.