I did it! I managed to finish the book!

I'll be honest... at first, I was having a hard time grasping the author's way of writing. So I stopped reading and decided to just read it when I wasn't that busy anymore so it can have my full attention.

At first, the story was quite bit of a drag. At a snail's pace actually. The mystery behind the story had my curiosity but there were a lot of repetition in the writing especially the dead that comes alive. It was repeatedly written till the very end. It actually had me roll my eyes while thinking "not again! "

The writing was quite descriptive, involves a lot of unnecessary characters that I didn't knew were unnecessary back then so I juggled my mind trying to remember who is who, only to find out later that everyone were just an addition to make the story long.

The story picks up at around 75% where it had my interest but the ending was kind of lame for me. The mystery remains a mystery till the last few chapters of this book. Was I amazed? Not actually. The main character that had my full interest was actually Mr. Armstrong, especially his love and dedication for his family and how great of a man he really is.

As for the little girl? I don't know. I actually don't feel anything for her.

This was my honest opinion and is far fetched from everyone who seemed to enjoy the magical story behind this book. So maybe it's another "It's not you, it's me"

Thanks to netgalley for a copy of this book in return for a fair and honest review.

I wasn’t sure, for awhile, how I’d like this book – while the writing was lovely and I was intrigued by the way the plot was held together (events occurring and stories told at the Swan pub), it seemed, at first, disjointed. Several different stories told, a mysterious young girl who could belong to any of these stories. I enjoyed the writing and the different stories, though, so decided to be patient – and my patience was rewarded.

There are three different families who may be involved with the young girl -two of whom want very much for her to be their missing girl, but have their doubts. They are good people and we want each of them to be happy – but it appears that that cannot be. There are also bad people in the tale – there is definitely evil. But, that has to be the case in a good fairy tale.

There is also a definite supernatural element – again, a good fairy tale. And, by the end, all the plot threads have been woven together in a conclusion that makes sense.

Accept the supernatural elements, enjoy the lovely writing and the characters and plot, and be patient – it all comes together in a satisfying conclusion.

The premise of this book seemed interesting enough, but the execution of it just wasn’t quite enough. I really wanted to like this book, but I could never really fully connect with the story. The writing style combined with the story itself never really drew me in as I had hoped it would. The beginning never captured my attention and it remained that way for the rest of the book. The book itself was fine, but I just wasn’t engaged enough to truly enjoy it. I’m sure that there are plenty of other people out there who will wholly love this book and by engrossed by it. However, this one just wasn’t for me.

can confidently say I’ve not read anything like Once Upon a River. It’s a true modern fairytale wrapped up with magical realism. Reading this book invoked the feeling that I was sitting at the hearth of a Victorian-era public house sipping whiskey and listening to the other patrons retell a local legend with the reverence of true belief in the blurred lines between magic and reality.

Rivers are truly the heart of this story, not only symbolically but also in the construct as a whole. Like a meandering river, the direction this story is heading isn’t always clear. Like a river that can appear to idle on the surface, the plot here is a bit of a slow burn. It is incredibly nuanced in detail and the complexity of how the lives of this large cast of characters intertwine. But the strong undercurrent of emotion and magic will tug you urgently toward the climax almost without realizing you’re being pulled right under.

Seriously, this book. It is storytelling perfection that you really need to experience for yourself and I dare you not to get swept away.

It's January 3rd and I already know this will be one of my favorite books this year. Setterfield has masterfully written a novel that breaks the binds of genre, weaving mystery with magical realism, folklore and romance. Whenever I put it down I couldn't wait to pick it back up. The characters were beautiful and perfectly flawed, the plot seamless and intricately executed. Rita and her wisdom paired perfectly with her fear of motherhood. Robert's heart and compassion paired perfectly with his tears. I loved The passages in which he spoke with his animals. I loved The juxtaposition between the photographer and Bess with the seeing eye. The pace was not too fast and not too slow. And the ending was magical and satisfying . I loved it! I can't wait to read more by this author.

I was really looking forward to this book, as I enjoyed her previous work. I think the writing was incredibly atmospheric and evocative. However, I struggled with the different storylines and the relationships between them all. The beginning was slow and ambling but the pace did continue to pick up. By the end, I was engaged, just took me a while to get there.

wow this book is so interesting and i am really excited to see what else comes from this author because this was truly fascinating and unique and really enjoyable thank you

As a fan of Diane Setterfield's other works, I didn't love this as much as I wanted to. Once Upon a River crosses over multiple genres - historical fiction, mystery, magical realism. The writing is beautiful and the story is unique and intriguing, but I found that it moved a little slowly for me.

Once Upon a River is a cozy winter story set at an ancient inn in England where people love to come in and tell stories. One night, a man walks in with a little girl in his arms, claiming she drowned in the river. But a few hours later, she starts to stir. So what happened? Read the story and be mesmerized by Diane Setterfield's beautiful writing.

One thing to know going in is that there is a whole cast of characters, each with their own story. I'll mention a few details about each so it's easier to reference while reading because I knew there were a few times I forgot who was who!

➽ Margot Ockwell is the landlady of the Swan, the inn where this story takes place. Her married name is Margot Bliss and she is in her late 50s.
➽ Joe Bliss is Margot's husband and a great storyteller, which keeps customers coming back to the inn. He and Margot had 12 daughters and one son.
➽ Jonathan is the 13th child of Margot and Joe, and is currently 15 years old.
➽ Owen Albright , who had followed the river to the sea half a century ago and returned two decades later a wealthy man. He was arhtritic now. Married to Bertha.
➽ Rita is a nurse/midwife who was raised at a convent?
➽ Henry Daunt is the man that brought her in.

This was the first book I've read by Diane Setterfield, but it won't be my last because I quickly learned that she can weave words like magic. And although I typically don't like slow books, her writing pulled me in from the beginning and now I can't wait to read more by her.

[Review to be published on January 2nd, 2019 at http://pagesbelowvaultedsky.wordpress.com/]

So, I'd staunchly avoided Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale when it first came out. The NYT bestseller stamp and the heaps of praise it was getting made me think it was one of those bland mainstream hits.

In other news, I'm a shallow idiot. Because if Once Upon A River is any indication of Setterfield's talents, I have been missing out on some incredible storytelling.

Once Upon a River is an absolutely delightful, charming, whimsical tale. Take every word in every language that describes the experience of sitting around an open fire swaddled in blankets and listening to a veteran storyteller work their magic, dump them into a pot, stir for a minute or two, and you'll have Once Upon a River.

And it's a book I recommend to everyone whether you're a fan of historical mystery or not, and for several reasons.

1) It's one of those stories that straddle multiple genres and flirts with the possibility of speculative. So there's kind of something for everyone.

2) For all you fantasy readers, this is a fantasy that's not actually a fantasy.

No no no, hear me out. While there are no actual fantastical happenings, the fantasy is in the atmosphere it creates, in its exploration of the unknown and the unexplained. The way that the river seems to be its own character with its own whims. The utter embrace of the magic and the power of stories. It's got the heart and the soul of what makes a good fantasy a good fantasy.

3) This book is an absolutely unabashed love letter to stories and I don't know how anyone can say "no" to that.

As we flit through the lives of the colourful characters that inhabit this book, we explore the beauty of the human mind to be able create different stories out of the same event. And how those stories can be controlled but only to a certain extent, after which they take a life of their own and speed off in wild directions.

The book also does a wonderful job exploring the kinds of stories that we tell ourselves for darker purposes. Stories that we create to mask our guilt and pain and sorrow. Lies, if you will. But not really. More like...picking worlds that we can bear living in.

Basically, if you like books, you should read this. And if you don't like books, then let this be my attempt to convert you to the dark side, because Once Upon a River is a perfect winter read that will make you fall in love with stories--either for the first time or for the billionth.

--
Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Ok, super unpopular opinion is coming....I didn’t love this one. I kept wondering if Thisbe was some sort of ghost story or fantasy. Was it historical fiction? Folklore? I do love books that combine all of those, but I never felt clear on it. What am I reading? There were several characters that I really loved and felt they were full realized and then others, that should have been rounded out were not at all and when I don’t know vital characters at the end of the book, it drives me bonkers. It was about story telling and missing children, or are they, and maybe ghosts, maybe science fiction. Too many maybes for me. This is one of those books that I say, “I didn’t love it, but maybe you will.” Or “I’m not recommending this one, but many others are.” Its a 3 out of 5 stars for me.

I tried throughout the month of December to finish this book and I unfortunately could not due to slow pacing. There are so many characters to keep up with and the imagery as beautiful as it sounds, just causes the pacing to be so slow. I found my mind wandering every time I would try and be engaged within the story. If one enjoys slow, lyrical prose and magicalism then this would be a fine selection.

I adored Once Upon a River. The plot was brilliant and kept me guessing right up until the very last page. I feel as though the characters will stay with me for a very long time. This was definitely my favorite December read.

I wanted to love it...! But I didn't. It was way too slow. And way too repetitive. I didn't like the structure of the book. The same thing 6 times from different points of view. Ugh. Please don't. It started out magical and interesting and sweet and then I was bored. So bored. I didn't want to read it anymore. I give it a 3 for "it was okay." I'm sad that I didn't love it because it's right up my alley!

I did not finish this book. I could not connect with the story or the characters. This is a shame because I love this author and her book, The Thirteenth Tale. This book was not for me.

A crowd has gathered at The Swan, an ancient inn on the Thames River, known for its storytelling of Joe Bliss, the husband of the Inn's landlady. On the longest night of the year the most unbelievable story yet comes to life when a wounded man comes staggering in and collapses, caught by some of the men at the inn. He appears to be carrying a doll or puppet but the crowd shocked again when they discover it's the lifeless body of a small child.

Who is the child? We follow stories down 3 branches of the river until they merge at the atmospheric setting of the Inn and its storytellers. I was hooked from page one. There were a couple of times I thought the story might ramble a bit too much, but in each instance Setterfield tossed a bone for me to chew. She drew her characters beautifully and used them to draw you into every subplot. This book is a mystery/folklore/fantasy/fairy tale. It is the perfect dark winter's night read. In short, this is a thumping good read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books/Emily Bestler for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for my fair and honest review.

This is a fascinating magical realism story which feels like a classical adult fairytale. Joe and Margot are owners of The Swan Inn in Radcot by the River Thames. Joe is the greatest storyteller around and people come to the Inn to drink and hear his stories. One night an older man collapses into the Inn with the corpse of a dead girl that he has found in the river. The girl is put into a shed and when Rita Sunday, the nurse, checks on her Rita finds the girl alive. Helena and Anthony Vaughan hope it's their daughter who was kidnapped two years ago. Robert Armstrong, a black farmer, thinks the girl must be his son's daughter. Lily White who is 40 years old thinks the girl is her sister. The river plays a part as one of the main characters in the story. As the river winds and turns so does this tale. Diane Setterfield will capture your attention as you read this unique story. The pages will fly as you get closer to the satisfying worthwhile ending. I look forward to reading more from Diane Setterfield in the future. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for a free copy of this book for an honest review.

Setterfield weaves an intricate tapestry of narratives, localized myths and legends, and speculations. The writing was beautiful and quite clever and dry in some places. There was certainly a unique authorial voice emerging without detracting from the story. Overall, Once Upon a River made for an enjoyable read!

I greatly enjoyed this one. Masterfully written, full of magic. I loved The Thirteenth Tale and this one does not disappoint.

Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for providing me with this free E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion|

So many characters to Once Upon A River. This one will take you through the ringer. While it had a magical element to it, there are deep rooted messages of just how far you will go for family, for love, of the ultimate betrayal and of putting all the pieces back together again.

My favorite characters hands down were Mr. Armstrong and Rita! Their determination to put together the missing pieces just grabbed my heart. Such strong personalities despite all that they’ve been through and endured. They just never stopped trying to make things right.

Pick this book up, savor it and really get to know each intricate character. You’ll appreciate each and every one of them as the story develops and weaves together storylines past and present. I was pleasantly surprised and I think you will be too!