Rating: 
Summary: The Lake of Dead Languages Vs. The Seduction of Water
Review: Admittedly, this is a good, engrossing book. I am not going to recount the story because it's already recounted in many other reviews but I'm writing about what I think of the book since it may help other avid readers decide whether to give this book a try. First of all, if you'd read and like the Lake of Dead Languages by the same author then I urge you to try reading this. However, if you are still skeptical, then I will give you the following comparison pointers:
First of all, the Lake of Dead Languages is a thriller all the way. The story keeps you reading from the beginning to the end and there's no question at all that it's a page-turner. On the other hand, The Seduction of Water is a little more 'classic', the story somehow not moving as fast. This is because it is also a love story. Her descriptions are still chilling and morbid, but the reader is not as tempted to turn the page as much as the last book. When I read the book I feel that only half of the book is an element of 'mystery'.
If you are looking for a very fast page-turner , then this is not the book for you. In that case, read The Lake of Dead Languages.
Don't get me wrong. This is still a great book with a great storyline, it just goes slower, weaved with a love story that gives it a more 'classic' than a 'mystery' feel. However, the ending is suspenseful and I still highly recommend the book!
Rating: 
Summary: a lyrical interweaving of fantasy and reality
Review: Carol Goodman has the potential to be another Margaret Atwood for me: personally, an author whose characters lead inner lives that I recognize and relate to; and, technically, an author who creates lyrical prose I can respect and devour. Atwood comes to mind also because of a detail The Seduction of Water shares with The Blind Assassin: excerpts from a fantasy novel that run parallel with and intertwine with the primary narrative. This strain of fantasy that transforms into reality--and vice versa--is what makes Goodman's second novel so much richer than her first. The familiar and exotic fairy tales that she weaves into the story provide a touch of otherworldly beauty and give it a foundation of age-old wisdom. I was up all night reading, and I can't wait for Carol Goodman's next book.
Rating: 
Summary: All the twists & turns lead to loopholes and loose ends
Review: First the positives: Goodman does a wonderful job of weaving together the fantasy of Irish folktales with a modern murder mystery and a woman's search for her family identity. As in her first novel, "Lake of Dead Languages" she presents a female protagonist who makes a radical change in her life after years of being stuck in a rut. The protagonist here, Iris, goes back to the hotel where she grew up to research her mother's mysterious death and to locate the missing manuscript of her mother's last novel. Along the way, Iris uncovers a complex tale of deceit, betrayal and lost dreams. The negatives: Goodman's prose is rich as are most of her characters. Where she stumbles is by introducing too many different threads in her stories. Characters that are vividly painted at the beginning of the story (her father, Sophie, and Jack) are shoved aside with barely a word by the end. Iris goes about telling her thoughts and intentions to people she doesn't trust and even suspects may be involved in her mother's death. These unwise revelations always lead to trouble, but Iris continues to make them, leaving the feeling that they are nothing more than conveniences to the author. Goodman also has a tendancy to introduce pivotal characters very late in the story, thereby making the solution to the mystery beyond the reach of the reader. In doing this she undercuts her own story. It feels like Goodman makes up the story as she goes along which leads to loopholes and stray ends. The very important character of Rose is portrayed as a loving, protective sister all throughout the book, but in the end it is revealed that she inexplicably deserted her one living brother. This makes no sense, but it is very convenient to the story. In sum, Goodman comes up with excellent stories, but muddies them with too many characters and subplots. If she were to stick to her main characters and plot, she would have truly excellent books.
Rating:
Summary: A Solid Sophomore Effort
Review: I enjoyed Goodman's first book, The Lake of Dead Languages, though I felt it had some weaknesses. Her sophomore effort is a better book. In this novel we have the story of Iris Greenfeder, a teacher and writer who is living in the shadow of her mother who was a successful author of two novels. A third book in the trilogy never appeared as her mother labored over a manuscript but died without ever revealing it to anyone. As she turns 40, bursts of small successes reconnect Iris to her mother and start her on a quest to solve some of the mysteries surrounding her mother's writing and strange death. Unlike her first novel, however, this one depends much less on a "thrill ride" to keep things moving forward. This novel centers much more on character and is interesting apart from the mysteries that unfold and get solved as the story progresses. I also find the interpretations and reinterpretations of various fairy-tales to be quite intriguing. Of course, the story still does have its weaknesses. It climaxes in a burst of unnecessary surprise and destruction. I get the feeling that Goodman is still unsure of herself on some level so that she has to hide her discomfort in providing "thrills" and "plot twists." Instead, simply letting her character studies grow to completion would produce a novel of true brilliance. But she's making progress towards that. I'm looking forward to seeing what she does with her next novel.
Rating:
Summary: A very interesting read
Review: I enjoyed this book a great deal, with a few reservations.
Overall, it was fast-paced enough to hold my interest. I found the characters were realistic, although Iris was sometimes a bit of a whiner.
Loved the convict, Aidan. He was charming, but also burdened with his past as an inmate. I liked the fact they met while she was teaching a class.
The mystery was involving, but at times (especially towards the end), I felt that I missed a turn and had to re-read portions.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect Weekend Retreat
Review: I fell right into this book and lived the story through each character. When I had finished reading, I felt the same let down I experience when I return from a great vacation. I would recommend The Seduction of Water to anyone who needs to get away for a little while!
Rating:
Summary: A satisfying read!
Review: I found this to be a nice, well rounded novel. Some "thrillers" are so plot driven that the characters seem little more than puppets, but here, characters were well developed, even the minor ones. And there were interesting subplots, which enhanced the story, rather than distracting from it. Okay, the foreshadowing was a mite heavy handed, but so what?
The reviews to date suggest that Lake of Dead Languages is better - if so, I'm looking forward to it!
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Literary Mystery
Review: I loved this book. I found myself thinking about the characters during the day and wondering what was going to happen with the story. I couldn't wait to open the book and read more each night. I can't wait to read the author's other two books.
Rating:
Summary: A 3.5 on a scale of 1 to 5- Interesting to a Point
Review: I very much enjoyed Goodman's first book "The Lake of Dead Languages." When "The Seduction of Water" was published, I ran out to get it.
And I was disappointed. In many ways, it is a far more ambitious novel than her first. "The Lake of Dead Languages" seemed to me to be a semi-gothic page turner: it aimed to entertain and entrance the reader and not much more. For me, at least, it achieved those goals. "The Seduction of Water" appeared to me at times to be trying too hard. For example, the author inserted throughout the book references to an Irish fable-an allusion that reminded me of the story in Margaret Atwood's "Blind Assasin." Only in Goodman's book, the technique didn't work for me. There's plenty to enjoy in the storyline of "The Seduction of Water.' An ABD (all but dissertation) New York writer/teacher moves back to her childhood home,a grand hotel in upstate New York, to serve as its manager in the aftermath of her father's death. Years before, her mother, a beautiful maid turned bestselling authoress who had appeared one day mysteriously at the hotel, died in a hotel fire in Coney Island with her supposed lover. The plot follows the efforts of our heroine to unravel the mystery of her mother's death and her last lost manuscript and to find herself in the process. "The Seduction of Water" offeres plenty of entertaining characters: a NY literary agent, a hotel mogul, a former prisoner turned aspiring writer....
There's plenty to enjoy in this book. However, I don't feel it lives up to a Margaret Atwood. Nor do I feel Goodman needs to strive so hard. She comes up with interesting plots and stories and she doesn't need to embellish.
I would recommend this book for individuals (probably women) who like mysteries in big old houses (in this case a hotel) with colorful characters.
Rating:
Summary: A dream world
Review: I was excited to read this book, because I'd read the "Lake of Dead Languages," which while not exactly great, was a compelling read. I didn't think this book was quite as good. Iris Greenfeder is a professor, whose mother is a fantasy writer, who died when Iris was quite young. She remains a mystery to Iris, even when Iris is in her thirties and is studying her mother's fantasy books for her dissertation. The mystery of who Iris's mother really was drives the book. In the first part of the book, Iris moves through New York City alone in sort of a foggy, atmospheric dreamworld. She comes into contact with a lot of characters, none of whom she seems to know well, even her own boyfriend. In the second part of the book, Iris goes to a huge, beautiful, old hotel north of the city in the Hudson River Valley where she grew up to try to find out more about her mother. All sorts of interesting characters from the city show up there: an alluring Irish ex-con, a famed book editor, a young feminist Sylvia Plath-like poet. Each clearly has an agenda, and it is hard to know who Iris can trust. Throughout the book, Goodman weaves in fairy tales and lengthy sections from Iris's mother's fantasy novels. I found these parts dreadfully boring; they almost ruined the book for me, which was sad because most of the book was quite compelling. But, I kept reading for the atmosphere. It was a bit like reading Donna Tartt's "The Secret History": I wanted to stay in that beautiful, foggy dream world as long as I could.
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