[Aptorian]

BOOK CLUB: THE SEVEN DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE BY STUART TURTON

April 1st - July 1st 2022.

Quote

Tonight, Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed ... Again

It is meant to be a celebration but it ends in tragedy. As fireworks explode overhead, Evelyn Hardcastle, the young and beautiful daughter of the house, is killed.

But Evelyn will not die just once. Until Aiden – one of the guests summoned to Blackheath for the party – can solve her murder, the day will repeat itself, over and over again. Every time ending with the fateful pistol shot.

The only way to break this cycle is to identify the killer. But each time the day begins again, Aiden wakes in the body of a different guest. And someone is determined to prevent him ever escaping Blackheath...

New Year, New Book Club, New Reading Schedule.

2nd quarter of 2022 we're reading The Princess Bride by William Goldman and The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton.

To make participation more inclusive and easier to follow along with this year, we're doing quarterly reads and picking two distinctly different books. Meaning for the members with busy lives and slow reading progress, it'll be easier to finish and you can chose whether you want to read both books or stick to one.

1st rule of Book Club: You are allowed to talk about Book Club.

2nd rule of Book Club: You are allowed to talk about Book Club even if you're not participating in Book Club.

3rd rule of Book Club: Spoilers are to be put in a black box and labelled properly with a chapter number and if you like to be precise a page number. Overall thoughts and feelings are fine and don't need to be spoilered, use discretion.

4th rule of Book Club: I Win

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Reading prompts:

What do you think of the authors writing?

What do you think of the books story and plot?

What are the characters like? Who's your favorite? Who's your least favorite?

Are there any books you would compare this book to? Any you would recommend?

Did the book surprise you or disappoint you? Give us examples.

Is there any memorable quotes?

Would you recommend this book to others?

Did you like the book overall?

[Tiste Simeon]

Started this today, nearly 50 pages in I don't suspect this will take too long (the MMPB version I have is 505 pages long).

Already enjoying the atmosphere, currently reminiscent of an Agatha Christie novel - the group of people all in one location and a mysterious death right from the get go and a protagonist with no memory.

But then a character arrives and adds the somewhat fantasy element (not a spoiler we know this from the blurb).

It's got me intrigued and I think I'll enjoy this one a lot!

[Gwynn ap Nudd]

Started this Thursday evening, currently 280 pages in. Enjoying it so far. In some ways it reminds me of Mullholand Drive, with the fantasy aspect thrown in for good measure. A few spoilerific thoughts to this point:

Spoiler

I had thoughts early on that there was something incorrect about the accepted theory of Evelyn's brother's murder and that this would play into things. Might still be a red herring, but interested to see where that goes.

I think the story so far could have been told without the Footman (men?). The murderer(s) trying to shut down the "investigation" seem superfluous to rest of the plot to me. Hoping for a revelation/info dump that ties the existence of the footman into the reason for Aiden and Anna being at the party in the first place or gives the footman a reason to exist as part of the mystery plot.

Not really liking the Daniel character - not in the way of Derby or Stanwin, whom the reader is clearly not meant to like.

Enjoying the parts where the different hosts notice different things about the same events (or see them in a different light) E.g. the different views of Stanwin reacting to being called Ted by the maid.

[Gwynn ap Nudd]

Finished this evening. Think I'll wait before posting on the end parts until I know others are near there.

[Tiste Simeon]

Crikey you've got more time to read than I do, I'm on page 317 so over halfway but still a distance to go!

Still very much enjoying it though

[Macros]

Will be starting this today on my tea break

[Gwynn ap Nudd]

Thought I would get my thoughts down before I start forgetting things. In the end, I enjoyed most of the book and part of the ending. My thoughts on post page 280 below:

Spoiler

I enjoyed the ending of the Evelyn Hardcastle storyline. It had some nice twists and things I didn't foresee, similar to many decent murder mystery type stories. I was correct about Evelyn's brother's old murder being a key part though. The Aiden and Annabelle storyline fell flat to me. It was intriguing at first, but the more reveals about both their pasts and prior relations the less believable I found it. Almost to the point of losing the suspension of disbelief. It seemed to me that the author tried to do more than they could handle with that storyline - which I guess shouldn't be too surprising as I believe this was their first published novel.

I might look into subsequent books by Stuart Turton, but would want to see reviews or hear recommendations from someone I know before spending money on them, due to how the ending of this one unfolded.

[Tiste Simeon]

Finished! Thoroughly enjoyed it!

Spoiler

I get what you mean about the Aiden/Anna story and I enjoyed the unravelling of the murder mystery aspect more than their story... That being said I so want to know more about the world this is in, outside of Blackheath. The plague doctor made mention of other scenarios for prisoners and I'd love to learn more about this. It's obviously some kind of sci-fi future where they can create elaborate prisons to torture people in creative ways - was the murder at Blackheath a real event or just something made up for the purpose of the prison?

Anyway I doubt I'll get my wish but that concept intrigues me no end! I loved it so the way through.

[QuickTidal]

There is....inexplicably, no eBook version of this one on amazon.

[Macros]

There are other ebook sellers than Amazon though.

Also, world of books and various other second hand retailers online (yes Amazon also) should have it

Aside, I used to Amazon second hand for everything, but fuck Bezos, so have found a few others.


About 1/3 of the way in, was unsure of this at the start, not really my scene or style, but that's what bookclub is also for, and I'm glad I'm doing it. This is an intriguing book, with the good weather I have little reading time at the minute but when I do pick it up I keep turning the pages

[Gwynn ap Nudd]

Tiste Simeon, on 27 April 2022 - 03:57 PM, said:

Finished! Thoroughly enjoyed it!

Spoiler

I get what you mean about the Aiden/Anna story and I enjoyed the unravelling of the murder mystery aspect more than their story... That being said I so want to know more about the world this is in, outside of Blackheath. The plague doctor made mention of other scenarios for prisoners and I'd love to learn more about this. It's obviously some kind of sci-fi future where they can create elaborate prisons to torture people in creative ways - was the murder at Blackheath a real event or just something made up for the purpose of the prison?Anyway I doubt I'll get my wish but that concept intrigues me no end! I loved it so the way through.

Spoiler

I agree with you about wanting to know more about the outside world, but have the same feeling we may not get anything. Who knows, maybe he comes back to the setting of it gets fleshed out if Netflix follows through with producing a show based on the book.

QuickTidal, on 27 April 2022 - 04:35 PM, said:

There is....inexplicably, no eBook version of this one on amazon.

Odd, there was when I checked amazon.ca.

[Macros]

Delayed flight last night, so finished the book.

My thoughts pretty much in line with Gwynn and Tiste, nearly note for note.

Overal enjoyable, a bit convoluted at the end on one front (see above) but would like to know more about the world, don't expect to get it though.

Very well written, the changing of perspective is very well handled and the characters do have their own voices that weigh on the protagonist

Good picking, onto Girl and the Moon then Princess bride

[Abyss]

Got this of the latest Audible sale for $5, just started.
I may be in the wrong headspace for this.

[Abyss]

Honestly but for forumites enjoying this upthread I would have DNF'd. At ch12.


Things that do not work for me: slow start, the fantasy element taking way too long to come into play; overall gothic style I have never really enjoyed; 'no memories' trope overdone; mysterious stranger who dolls out mysterious hints while remaining mysterious and also did I mention mysterious even more overdone

The one thing that I liked was the revelation that

Spoiler

there are two other people bouncing between host bodies

and naturally that revelation came by way of mysterious stranger.

Anyhoo, am still in it for now.

[Abyss]

Abyss, on 30 May 2022 - 04:34 AM, said:

Honestly but for forumites enjoying this upthread I would have DNF'd. At ch12.


Things that do not work for me: slow start, the fantasy element taking way too long to come into play; overall gothic style I have never really enjoyed; 'no memories' trope overdone; mysterious stranger who dolls out mysterious hints while remaining mysterious and also did I mention mysterious even more overdone

The one thing that I liked was the revelation that

Spoiler

there are two other people bouncing between host bodies

and naturally that revelation came by way of mysterious stranger.

Anyhoo, am still in it for now.

Ch25... it's picked up a bit. The 'gothic' elements (isolated big dark old manor, storm, murder mystery, dark family history, family fallen on hard times, masque party, etc etc etc), slow pace, and protag's internal angst are still throwing me off but the mechanics of the body switching and time travel have been developed further and i'm enjoying that element of it enough to stick around even if i've upped the earbook playback speed just to move things along faster.

Kudos to the narrator who does a different voice for each body but keeps the tone and speech pattern consistently Aidan's.

[Abyss]

Oh FFS...

Spoiler

Plague mask just said "My superiors..." and let me guess....the whole thing is a fucking simulation. Either therapy or a prison.
I really really dislike that trope.

[Abyss]

Sigh... yep, there it is.

[Tiste Simeon]

I'm beginning to think that this book isn't necessarily for you, Abyss...

[Abyss]

Just Finished.

It's not a bad book. For me, in my opinion, it took a fascinating core concept and buried it under tired trope after trope.

FFS....

Spoiler

The killer had the leads at their mercy and actually started monologuing. She EXPLAINED the plot.
And then the mysterious Plague dude explained that he just that moment caused the murder that was at the core of the whole mess.

....which makes even less sense given the whole simulation thing and if he didnt have his moment of humanity... with a simulation.... they never could have gotten Anna out.

I can see why you enjoyed it. There are certain tropes I've gotten tired of and this book had most of them.