multiple times i contemplated dropping this story; it's unnecessarily pretentious, dramatic, and lyrical. some dialogue felt awkward and cringe bc they talk as if they're in some dramatic play. some plot points, like Augusta being the villain, and women cain loved: meridiana and emmiline, are undeveloped and poorly written. several characters, like ida and celeste, end up unimportant despite their interesting designs and their character info are shortened to brief info dumps in dialogue. and are we not going to talk about how oscar keeps flirting with a 10-yr with whom he shares at least a 7 yr difference? and they even got married??? the pacing is weird and the build-up is horrible; in general, it feels messy and crammed and needs to be longer. however, i do like how developed cain and riff's relationship is; they definitely feel like soulmates. and the biblical and other classics's references is interesting.
I have always loved this series but could never seem to find the books past chapter 20. I am glad I finally was able to finish it see the end. Everyone will love this wonderful tale.
