Ooh, I get tingles just reminiscing about this book to put together my review! Rosamund Hodge's debut is quite possibly one of a small list of extremely highly anticipated 2014 releases. As such, I was hopeful that it would live up to expectations but understandably prepared in the event that it didn't. Thankfully my fears were not realized as Cruel Beauty not only lives up to but far, far exceeds every expectation I had for it.
I was enchanted by the idea of a play on Beauty and the Beast but unprepared for the brilliance of Hodge's interpretation. She's blended not only the classic tale but added in Roman/Greek mythology as well. The legend of Pandora plays a big role in the story - a fabulous role actually. There's even a bit of the Bluebeard legend here as well and likely a slew of others I missed references to.
The imagery in Cruel Beauty, which Hodge points out has a basis in T. S. Eliot's Four Quarters (which I need to read now), is amazing! It's both beautiful and horrible, which is an apt way to describe Ignifex's house as well as the world in which Arcadia is trapped.
Readers, I can find no complaint with this book except that it had to end.
Imagery and mythology aside, Nyx has got to be one of my favorite new characters to be introduced to. She's a complex one to be sure, a girl who has fostered such a deep hatred for her life and her family that she in some ways feels she's deserving of her fate. And yet she finds the strength to meet her challenges head on.
Cruel Beauty is such an accomplished debut that I can't wait to see what Hodge might have up her sleeve next. Highly, highly recommended and another favorite of 2014!
Rating: 5/5
2 comments:
Oooh, you *definitely* liked this more than I did. Do you know where you read about Hodge referencing The Four Quartets? I think I'd like to read that, as it was the element of this book that I have the least knowledge of.
Nyx was an interesting heroine, I'll give her that. I think she was probably even more complicated than the author actually presented her.
I don't know that she references it directly but she did say that she was influenced by it. I read that in her acknowledgements I think. My review copy expired and I haven't bought the physical yet so I can't double check that location but she did mention the poem in particular - it's not one I'm familiar with and I wanted to look into it myself after reading.
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