I so wanted to love this book.
Author: Eley Williams
Released: July 2020
Genre: Historical Fiction, LGBTQIA+
Pages: 288
Audiobook Length: 8 hours (approx.)
Awards/Acclaim
National Bestseller
Winner of the 2021 Betty Trask Awards
Desmond Elliott Prize (2021) - Shortlisted
Review
After reading the premise of this book I was hooked and anxiously awaited my copy from the library.
The story covers two main characters, a mischievous lexicographer from the past, and a young woman living in the present day. Each is connected by their work at Swansby's, an encyclopedic dictionary company.
After discovering mountweazels in the modern dictionary the young woman embarks on weeding out each of these entries and discovering how they came to be there in the first place. She goes about these tasks all while dealing with escalating threats against the company from an anonymous caller.
Mountweazel n. the phenomenon of false entries within dictionaries and works of reference. Often used as a safeguard against copyright infringement.
As intriguing as the plot was at face value the story simply did not meet my expectations. The book was wordy and I could not get invested in the storyline or characters for the first 70 percent of the book.
Additional Comments
I tend to listen to my books on audio. It allows me to do other things while "reading". I questioned whether the narrators were the flaw in my inability to find love for this literary work. Upon careful reflection, I honestly can't hold them entirely at fault, even if I found the narration lacking.
Most clearly put, I found the story boring and wordy. I was not invested in the characters or story for the majority of the read.
All that being said, it does have decent ratings on Amazon and Goodreads. There is clearly an audience that enjoyed it. I'm just not among them.
Content Warnings
Adult Themes
Verdict
Score: 6/10
Meh. Sadly, it's a nope from me.
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