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Jenna � ❀ �'s Reviews > Haven
Haven
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I've enjoyed several other historical novels by Emma Donoghue but Haven?
It could be that my tastes have changed since I last read Ms. Donoghue - some other reviewers have loved this book - or it could be that it's boring.
We've got these three dudes, monks, who are on adelusional divinely inspired mission to set up shop on a remote island away from civilization. Aart is the Prior and is bat-shit crazy if you ask me, sadistic too.
He swears the other two monks, a young man and an older one, to obedience and off they go in a tiny boat in search of their new home. They take few supplies because their boat is so small, and because Aart believes "God" will supply them with all they need.
This is a slow book and I prefer slow to action-packed. However, I like slow when it is intellectually stimulating and/or about the inner lives of the characters.
Haven was neither of these. It was about the men finding the island and then figuring out how to survive.
CW: There was a lot of bird hunting and killing, some of it graphic, which would have ruined the book for me even if I'd been enjoying it. (I wasn't.)
I found the story pointless. There's a tiny twist at the end which I think the author could have revealed early on and used it to build tension (would the Prior find out?) throughout the novel, rather than just tossing it in at the end as an afterthought.
I'm torn between 2 and 3 stars, mainly because I don't want to give a book by Emma Donoghue only 2.... but that's all it is in my estimation so I'll leave it at that and not be generous.
It could be that my tastes have changed since I last read Ms. Donoghue - some other reviewers have loved this book - or it could be that it's boring.
We've got these three dudes, monks, who are on a
He swears the other two monks, a young man and an older one, to obedience and off they go in a tiny boat in search of their new home. They take few supplies because their boat is so small, and because Aart believes "God" will supply them with all they need.
This is a slow book and I prefer slow to action-packed. However, I like slow when it is intellectually stimulating and/or about the inner lives of the characters.
Haven was neither of these. It was about the men finding the island and then figuring out how to survive.
CW: There was a lot of bird hunting and killing, some of it graphic, which would have ruined the book for me even if I'd been enjoying it. (I wasn't.)
I found the story pointless. There's a tiny twist at the end which I think the author could have revealed early on and used it to build tension (would the Prior find out?) throughout the novel, rather than just tossing it in at the end as an afterthought.
I'm torn between 2 and 3 stars, mainly because I don't want to give a book by Emma Donoghue only 2.... but that's all it is in my estimation so I'll leave it at that and not be generous.
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Reading Progress
October 27, 2022
–
Started Reading
October 27, 2022
– Shelved
October 30, 2022
– Shelved as:
historical-fic
October 30, 2022
– Shelved as:
european-and-uk-authors
October 30, 2022
–
Finished Reading
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Berengaria
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Oct 30, 2022 06:25AM
Wow, okay! I have this on my wanna read shelf because Donoghue, but it does seem to get very mixed reviews. Excessive bird killing. Hm. Might have to rethink this one!
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I've never read Donoghue, but I'll be sure to pick a different one if I decide to sample her writing! Hope you didn't loose too much precious reading time with this one, Jenna. Great review!
I got this from the library because I like slow reads too, but never got past chapter 3. I was bored, and that's the kiss of death for me these days.
Slow’s ok when it’s entertaining, not when it’s pointless. A hallucinatory trip would’ve been interesting.
Berengaria wrote: "Wow, okay! I have this on my wanna read shelf because Donoghue, but it does seem to get very mixed reviews. Excessive bird killing. Hm. Might have to rethink this one!"Yeh, the bird killing was overdone. Of course, any animal killing can be a book-ruiner for me (usually is), but this had a lot of it and sometimes was graphic. I don't think that's necessary but maybe some people enjoy reading about it? If you're bothered by this, you probably should skip the book. I would have had I known ahead of time.
Candi wrote: "I've never read Donoghue, but I'll be sure to pick a different one if I decide to sample her writing! Hope you didn't loose too much precious reading time with this one, Jenna. Great review!"Thanks, Candi. It's a quick read at least and I'll admit to some skimming here and there, mainly when the poor birds were getting snuffed.
Definitely start with another one when you decide to try an Emma Donoghue book. Then again, some people really love this one so you might too. I think it's pretty much one of those love it or hate it type of books.
Diane wrote: "I got this from the library because I like slow reads too, but never got past chapter 3. I was bored, and that's the kiss of death for me these days."I wish I'd done as you, Diane. It never did get any better, if anything, I thought the beginning chapters were the best of the book so that tells you how boring it was!
Judith wrote: "Slow’s ok when it’s entertaining, not when it’s pointless. A hallucinatory trip would’ve been interesting."Yea, a hallucinatory trip could be interesting but there's not really much to it. Actually, it's ol' Aarty-boy having grandiose dreams... seeing himself as someone who will go down in the history books as a great and admirable prior. He has a literal dream of himself and two others on a remote island and takes that as a hint to get himself a boat and two followers. Not much else happens. Besides the bird killings. (Actually, I've changed it from hallucinatory to delusional since, which better suits it.)
Maureen wrote: "Hope your next is a winner Jenna!"Thanks, Maureen! I just DNF'ed one this morning so maybe the next one?
I’m going with option #2! It sounds awful! Onwards
JanB wrote: "I’m going with option #2! It sounds awful! Onwards"My leanings are towards #2 as well, Jan!
I've only read "Room", and while an interesting premise, the book didn't blow me away. None of her other books sounded particularly interesting to me.
Jasmine wrote: "I've only read "Room", and while an interesting premise, the book didn't blow me away. None of her other books sounded particularly interesting to me."I personally really liked "Room" but since you didn't like it you probably aren't going to like this one either. If the blurb doesn't entice you, know that the book is even more boring than the blurb.
Jenna wrote: "If the blurb doesn't entice you, know that the book is even more boring than the blurb..."Yeah, the synopsis has to at least entice me!
It's not that I didn't like Room, it just wasn't anything special for me. But the synopsis was very enticing!
Agree! Usually I have to at least be enticed by the synopsis too, but in this case added the book simply because I like her other historical fictions. I thought that though the blurb was boring, I would like the book. Obviously I was wrong!
Jenna wrote: "Agree! Usually I have to at least be enticed by the synopsis too, but in this case added the book simply because I like her other historical fictions. I thought that though the blurb was boring, I ..."Yeah, I have read books simply because I like the author's previous books. But I have learned that I must like the synopsis. For example Colson Whitehead; I have enjoyed a couple of his books, but Harlem Shuffle does not sound particularly interesting to me.
Jasmine wrote: "Jenna wrote: "Agree! Usually I have to at least be enticed by the synopsis too, but in this case added the book simply because I like her other historical fictions. I thought that though the blurb ..."Same here, Jasmine. I loved Nickleboys but DNFed Harlem Shuffle early on.
Jenna wrote: "I loved Nickleboys but DNFed Harlem Shuffle early on."I just removed Harlem Shuffle from my list of books to read. Also, it appears that it is a first in a series. Not a fan of reading series.
Another great review, Jenna. In my critique of it, my only concern is that you crossed out the most accurately descriptive word in it.
Jerry wrote: "Another great review, Jenna. In my critique of it, my only concern is that you crossed out the most accurately descriptive word in it."😂 Thank you, Jerry, for making me bust out laughing so hard my partner heard me through her noise-cancelling headphones 🤣
Oh, no! Oh well, different strokes for different folks.
This sounds like a good one for me to skip. Hope your next book is better!
Debbie wrote: "Oh, no! Oh well, different strokes for different folks."Yep. You and I had totally different reactions to this, Debbie. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Lisa wrote: "This sounds like a good one for me to skip. Hope your next book is better!"Thanks, Lisa!
Hope the author commits another book soon which you'll enjoy more, Jenna! :))
Beata wrote: "Hope the author commits another book soon which you'll enjoy more, Jenna! :))"Thanks, Beata. I'm glad you enjoyed it more than I did!
Paradise wrote: "Totally agree 🥱"Sorry you didn't enjoy it either, Paradise, but I'm glad I'm not the only one to find it boring.
I agree 100% loved her other books. This one not so much.
