Rating: Summary: Disappointing novel, since I was a big fan of Eight Review: This effort by the author was a big disappointment to me. I was expecting another intriguing novel like Eight that mixes history with present day into a plot with some mystery and some mysticism. There was much historical research and I found it interesting but unfortunately, it didn't lead anywhere. It almost seemed as if the author included the history for the sake of her research, not the sake of her plot. As a result, the book became tedious. I plugged away hoping that all the strands would be tied together at the end. Even worse, at the end she introduced a whole new aspect to the story that made no sense and didn't tie into the foundation she had established. Many questions were left unanswered. And the end was very unsatisfying. I agree with others who mention the overcomplication of relationships among the characters. I simply gave up trying to follow it. Overall, don't read this book. Instead grab her past novel, Eight, which I enjoyed immensely.
Rating: Summary: Love and Light for this book! Review: Am reading The Magic Circle. Just wanted to say this author is VERY gifted! Her insight is incredible! I'd like to express my thanks for hours of entertainment, as well as thought provoking possibilities. Love and Light for this remarkable book.
Rating: Summary: Exciting experience to enter Katherine Neville's world Review: I am a big fan of Katherine Neville's work. Her books are incredibly fascinating and vivid. I often feel transformed from where I am to where the characters in the book are. I am an avid reader and am always excited for new books to be recommended to me. I was given a copy of The Eight about 4-5 years ago. I read it within a week and was scouring the bookstores to find anything else. I came upon A Calculated Risk and quickly read it. I was sad afterwards to find she had no other books out and was hoping/praying another book would come soon. If I like an author, I quickly become addicted to their works and will read everything they have written. She is one of my favorite authors. I also like passing on books to friends. I passed along The Eight and A Calculated Risk as birthday and Christmas gifts the year I read them and when I meet someone new I often suggest her books. When talking with other book loving friends about what books we cherish, The Eight is included in my list of the top five. I was so excited to find The Magic Circle. It is turning out to be wonderful. I have to force myself to put the book down and go to sleep at night. I'm thankful for her contributions to the literary world. It is a joy, no rather an exciting experience to enter her world.
Rating: Summary: Best book(s) I've ever read Review: I have read all of Katherine Neville's books, have recommended them highly to friends and family, bought them for several people, and find her one of the most gifted and fascinating authors I have ever read. Her writing is not only captivating, but challenges us to research further. As executive of a large corporation (and mother of 4), I don't get a lot of time to read - but ever since I picked up "The Eight" on a certain special day in April (you know the one - what a coincidence) in 1993 in an airport, Neville's are the books I rush to read. As a woman in a man's world for over 20 years, I must say her depiction of women is brilliant, her research fascinating - but most of all how she weaves the past upto today is incredible and defies description. These are - all three of them - the best books I have ever read.
Rating: Summary: Compelled to research Review: I have been so drawn into " the Magic Circle ", although, admittedly, I am only at the half-way mark, I found myself compelled to research the research via the internet. The theory is mind boggling, at the risk of sounding cliche the book is changing my life. I have not read "the eight" although I intend to do so as quickly as I am done with the "magic circle". I am forever a fan. I only wish I had been "turned on" to Neville's book alot earlier. I'm grateful for helping to open my eyes to another idea.
Rating: Summary: Intriguing dates! Review: One of the most startling things about reading this book was on April 20th, when I was reading in Magic Circle that it was Hitler's birthday. While I'm intelligent, I'm very poor at remembering my World History and I must confess, I got my refresher in history thru books like this one. The book talks about the meaning assigned to events and places based on their geographical locations. Whether it was due to metaphysical motivations or simply misguided children aligning themselves with ideas that give their lives some purpose, I don't know. In either case, if there was some possible pattern, there might be a more calculated way to stop it from happening again...Sometimes I can't help sense that there is something greater going on here. Anyhow, I have enjoyed Magic Circle so much and I am now a fan. If the rest are anything like this one, they are entertaining on many levels and remind me of my need to re-explore my World History books again. I'm always looking for books like this that challenge my mind.
Rating: Summary: Extraordinary Meditation on Man, Woman, and Fate Review: I wasn't sure what I was in for when I started reading this, but the opening scene in the cave of the Sibyl pulled me in immediately. It seemed like an Indiana Jones type adventure. The author sets up a number of interesting conflicts and historical questions, and eventually brings them all together in an extraordinary meditation. I was so engrossed in the historical recreations and sheer intellectual adventure that I sometimes lost track of the time, and read most of the night. The author is writing on many levels. I have the feeling that I started it as escapist reading, but finished it closer to the truth of our times than ever.
Rating: Summary: ABSOLUTELY ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS YOU COULD READ Review: This book was bought by my sister, who immediately bought copies for all seven women in our family. It is a wonderful story, not escapist at all. When you put this down, you will want to pick up the next Katherine Neville book immediately, because no one else is writing stories like this today. I have always been interested in the role women play in history, and this book well tell you things you will love to hear. It is about time someone figured these things out and had the courage to share them with the world. The heroine is one of my favorite characters. I just wish I could meet her in person. I am going to buy seven copies of the book and give them away, that's how much I love the Magic Circle.
Rating: Summary: Good but Complex Review: I bought this book because I loved 'The Eight'. The Magic Circle continues the intellectual and somewhat mystical content, but in a much more complex plot. Also, I found that there was much less action and danger portrayed in this book in comparison. The book kept my interest throughout, but I found myself having to reach for the dictionary more than once to try to understand what was going on! And if Ariel had had any more relatives I would have screamed! I think this book rates a re-read.
Rating: Summary: A good and intriguing read, but crosses too many genres. Review: I very much enjoyed The Magic Circle by Katherine Neville. However, considering some of the intelligence displayed in some areas that have obviously been thoughtfully researched..i.e. literature, history, art and traditions of many cultures; it is also somewhat demeaning to find her slipping into the "bodice ripper" conventions. Not that sex doesn't make us all silly, if not downright stupid. It would just have been more interesting to see it dealt with as a more mature subject. Really, no woman alive gets to be 30 in the 90's without having run up against a major hormone tweaker like Wolfgang previously. While liquid knees are explicable some of the smart-assy internal monologue on this subject is really juvenile. Overall, however, an interesting and entertaining,even thought-provoking look at the various digressions this civilization has taken pre-millenia II in C.E. From someone with such sophisticated level of information, I guess I just expected more depth of character.
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