Scan barcode
A review by anusha_reads
Enlightenment by Sarah Perry
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
BOOK#6 ENLIGHTENMENT, SARAH PERRY, LONGLISTED FOR #BOOKERPRIZE2024
The protagonist, Thomas Hart, a bachelor in his fifties and a columnist for the Essex Chronicle, is asked by his editor to write about the Hale-Bopp comet. He then receives a letter requesting him to look into the matter of a missing lady, Maria Vaduva. Thus begins a quest to unravel the mystery, and Thomas delves into the mysteries of the universe as well. The author beautifully depicts Thomas's anguish as he is unable to bring closure to the ongoing search of Maria Vaduva. I’m still a bit unclear about her disappearance - was this perhaps intentional?
Thomas is a friend and a father figure to a girl named Grace, just seventeen. I loved their relationship, which was filled with concern and love for each other. A major part of the book revolves around Grace, who is very pious, unassuming, and unstylish.
The characters are portrayed with peculiarities, flaws, inhibitions, fears, doubts, and unrequited love.
What swept me away were the Gothic undertones, which perfectly created an atmosphere of wilderness, the unknown, and ghosts. I fell in love with the rich and detailed prose.
Sarah Perry is a British author who grew up in a strict Baptist family and projects the religious turmoils of the characters in the novel. The book is filled with a lot of theological discussions about faith, belief, fear, love, and debates, good versus bad, sin versus virtue, ethical versus unethical; all of which were interesting.
Religion and being religious are very personal, and they differ from person to person. The author explores how people approach their daily lives based on these values. There are values, and there are temptations that might cause people to shun the learned doctrines. How far can people go within or beyond their religious ken? We see the cusp of change in people as they go about their worldly pursuits.
ENLIGHTENMENT subtly echoes the theme of POSSESSION BY A.S. BYATT. Both books share a captivating journey of research and discovery and are driven by the search for information about a person.
The book is divided into three parts, with Kepler's laws as their titles, symbolizing the astronomical journey undertaken by Thomas. Though the novel embarks on a quest to unravel the mystery of a missing lady, the core of the book deals with spiritual internal struggles, unrequited love, loneliness, and life per se. The book had a strong start and finish, though the middle section felt a bit slower.
Much of the book reads like articles, letters and emails. The prose is exquisite, filled with symbolism, and may not explicitly provide answers to everything. Were they looking at stars that hold our destiny?
If you like a blend of astronomy, Gothic elements, historical fiction, and missing-person mysteries, this is your book!
The protagonist, Thomas Hart, a bachelor in his fifties and a columnist for the Essex Chronicle, is asked by his editor to write about the Hale-Bopp comet. He then receives a letter requesting him to look into the matter of a missing lady, Maria Vaduva. Thus begins a quest to unravel the mystery, and Thomas delves into the mysteries of the universe as well. The author beautifully depicts Thomas's anguish as he is unable to bring closure to the ongoing search of Maria Vaduva. I’m still a bit unclear about her disappearance - was this perhaps intentional?
Thomas is a friend and a father figure to a girl named Grace, just seventeen. I loved their relationship, which was filled with concern and love for each other. A major part of the book revolves around Grace, who is very pious, unassuming, and unstylish.
The characters are portrayed with peculiarities, flaws, inhibitions, fears, doubts, and unrequited love.
What swept me away were the Gothic undertones, which perfectly created an atmosphere of wilderness, the unknown, and ghosts. I fell in love with the rich and detailed prose.
Sarah Perry is a British author who grew up in a strict Baptist family and projects the religious turmoils of the characters in the novel. The book is filled with a lot of theological discussions about faith, belief, fear, love, and debates, good versus bad, sin versus virtue, ethical versus unethical; all of which were interesting.
Religion and being religious are very personal, and they differ from person to person. The author explores how people approach their daily lives based on these values. There are values, and there are temptations that might cause people to shun the learned doctrines. How far can people go within or beyond their religious ken? We see the cusp of change in people as they go about their worldly pursuits.
ENLIGHTENMENT subtly echoes the theme of POSSESSION BY A.S. BYATT. Both books share a captivating journey of research and discovery and are driven by the search for information about a person.
The book is divided into three parts, with Kepler's laws as their titles, symbolizing the astronomical journey undertaken by Thomas. Though the novel embarks on a quest to unravel the mystery of a missing lady, the core of the book deals with spiritual internal struggles, unrequited love, loneliness, and life per se. The book had a strong start and finish, though the middle section felt a bit slower.
Much of the book reads like articles, letters and emails. The prose is exquisite, filled with symbolism, and may not explicitly provide answers to everything. Were they looking at stars that hold our destiny?
If you like a blend of astronomy, Gothic elements, historical fiction, and missing-person mysteries, this is your book!