Priya Kulkarni

Parts of the book are interesting, well written and give a fascinating insight into the mindset of people living in 1666 amongst fear of the Plague. However, the book is slow moving and drags in the middle. There is no central plot but rather a series of mini stories experienced or witnessed by the main character. The ending is left field which is not a negative although seems rather implausible for the time period.

This was one of the most boring books I have ever read. There is no plot at all, just some one dimensional characters pontificating about nothing. It is clearly an attempt to be philosophical about life from the vantage point of space, but the author glosses over some interesting topics in a very superficial way (and offers no new thoughts that haven't already been heavily debated in the past). For example, the book touches on the science versus religion debate but only at surface level for about two pages. That is a fascinating topic that could have been a whole book in itself. It is a unique and interesting idea for a book that was executed terribly. None of the characters were fleshed out in a way that would allow the reader to form any sort of connection with them. Any time there was a hint of some interesting discussion, the chapter would end and the "story" would pivot to something else entirely. Give this book a miss, it offers nothing new and nothing interesting.