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3.27.2013

A Review: The House of Special Purpose by John Boyne


I've always been very interested in Russian history, but I think I've stated this fact again and again. I mentioned it when I reviewed Richard Massie's Catherine the Great, Kathryn Harrison's Enchantments, and Rebecca Makkai's The Borrower. I'm sure there's more posts than these. If I can't go anytime soon, I'll read about it and dream about it. When I read the plot summary of this one I was immediately drawn to the promise of adventure and the descriptions of Russia's beauty. Boyne, author of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, is a new writer to me, so I didn't really know what to expect. I can say I was impressed and will definitely be looking out for future work.

Daniil Jachmenev is taken from the small Russian town of Kashin before he has time to realize what has happened. Saying goodbye to his family, whom he'll never see again, he is hurriedly transported to the Winter Palace to begin work as a bodyguard and companion to the young Tsarevitch, Alexei, who suffers from hemophilia. All seems to be well until revolution forces Nicolas II to abdicate and move his family to a spot known as the house of special purpose. Removed from his duties, Daniil does whatever he can to locate the Romanov family and see his beloved Anastasia (the Tsar's youngest daughter). Sixty years later, Daniil is living in England, spending his days as an employee of the British Library, and married to the woman he fled Russia with all those years ago. Desiring to visit to his homeland one last time, Daniil must face the tragic event that changed his life forever and decide if it's safe to return.

The novel is told from Daniil's perspective, moving between his life in the palace, and that of a reflective 80-year-old man who's survived difficult circumstances. The most appealing quality of the title was that Boyne really does a superb job of offering authentic voices during the two stages of Daniil's life. The reader sees his character move from young man, with a fiery temperament and juvenile desires, to a responsible older man, engaged in serious reflection. I find that many titles using this method generally can't believably pull off the same character at two very different times of their life.

The novel isn't short, and I found that Boyne's descriptions were beautiful, yet long-winded. The story went on and on, offering every detail of Daniil's current life, with short glimpses of his life at the Winter Palace, to the point that I thought he might not ever actually address the event that forced him to leave Russia in the first place. While I guessed the ending of the story far before it was actually revealed, I was anticipating a conclusion with a little more bang. It seemed to build and build, but the climax just didn't deliver. Furthermore, the ending really requires a serious ability to suspend disbelief, which made it a little less enjoyable for me. There were many moments that seemed highly unlikely that occurred so perfectly as to keep the story afloat.

While I certainly had my issues with this title, I won't swear Boyne off forever. I thought his characters were well-developed, and his subject interesting. I suggest reading an excerpt to decide if it's a title for you.

I received a copy of this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
You can expect to see this novel in stores on April 2, 2013. Listen to the author read an excerpt, or pre-order a copy

Interview with the author available at Shelf Awareness.

12 comments:

  1. I might have to check this out at some point. I LOOOVED Catherine the Great. I'm like you, I have a hankering for Russian history :)

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    1. I think you'll enjoy if you look at it and all the historical tidbits it brings to life. Catherine the Great is probably one of my favorite nonfiction reads. I actually just ordered Massie's biography of Nicolas and Alexandra so I'll let you know how it goes!

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  2. This is the first time I've heard about this one! It is the rare author who can convincingly write a character at two very different times in his life. I'm sorry you didn't adore it, though.

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    1. Lindsey, That immediately stood out. I'm still looking forward to reading more of his work because he is talented. He has one coming out in the UK in April called This House is Haunted that looks pretty awesome.
      I honestly can't say I've found many Russian historical fiction titles that I've really loved. I find it's just not as convincing as other areas of focus. I wonder why that is...

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  3. I'm a bit in love with Russia too - the history and the literature. I've always wanted to go there, see Lenin's body and visit the Winter Palace. But, I have a friend who studied Russian at uni and went there for a year and he has completely scared me off with mafia horror stories!

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    1. Sam,
      Oh no! I've actually heard stories but I try not to let it prevent me from going. I know that people often hear horror stories about the United States and I don't think it's too bad. Or different locations, anyway. Perhaps you shouldn't tell me those stories because I'm really wanting to visit St. Petersburg.

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  4. I've been wanting to read this one, too, but the length did seem a bit daunting. I heard great things about The Absolutist, but still haven't read any of Boyne's books.

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    1. I flew through it on my Kindle, but I didn't notice moments when it seemed to last forever. I really enjoyed some parts and wanted to skip others. It's evident that Boyne is talented so I'm interested to read his other novels, but this one wasn't the best.

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  5. I don't know if you have read them, but the Angelology books, Angelology and Angelopolis, have a good deal of Russian history mixed into the Dan-Brown-like plot!

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    1. It's funny because I had never seen this series before and saw a tweet offering a giveaway prior to reading this! Thanks for the rec.

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  6. I LOVED The Absolutist by Boyne. Such a great book. I had no idea he had a new one coming out next week. I'm looking forward to reading it!

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    1. Heather,
      This one will be out in the US this coming week. It's been out in Europe for about a year, I believe. He actually does have a new title called This House is Haunted coming out in the UK next week. Bummer it's not here because I'm looking forward to that one!

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