Victoria (YSB) - reviewed on 4/9/2010 + 636 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 3

This was a unique and quite enjoyable read. I really liked it! The whole story - the life of a woman who died on the book's very first page - unraveled in an original fashion. It is very rare to get the entire story from only the perspective of what seemed like the whole town in the cast of characters. It reminded me of Joanne Harris's _Chocolat_ in the way gossip operated in the small town, the vast cast of characters and the mystery surrounding the central character. I think the translation was well done, but my one complaint, though relatively minor, is a similar problem that I have found in novels translated from Russian: the names of the characters tend to have certain recurring first names that is at first a bit bewildering. An additional note regarding the cast of characters might be added to improve any future reprints... The themes of justice and equality were well played throughout the entire novel and I agreed with the ends that many of the characters, who though at time seemed a bit exaggerated, met. This book had a strong cinematic flair to it as well - a flair that I would hope Hollywood sees, since this could make a lovely film.

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