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The Starless Sea

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The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern is a book that weaves together stories within stories, following the journey of Zachary Ezra Rawlins as he discovers a mysterious old book in his university library. The book is filled with a strange collection of disconnected stories, one of which is about Zachary himself. Seeking answers leads him to a secret underground library, the Harbor on the Starless Sea, where he uncovers hidden truths and connections among the stories. The writing style is described as poetic, entrancing, and transporting readers to a fairy tale-like world of mysterious books and secret libraries.

The book is a celebration of stories and storytelling in all its forms, exploring the importance of friendship, bravery, love, and the power of narratives to take readers on a journey through enchanting and magical realms. It delves into the concept of a parallel universe of stories existing underground, accessed through secret doorways, while also touching on themes of self-discovery, interconnectedness, and the beauty of words and ideas.

Characters:

The characters are diverse and imaginative, centered around Zachary, a relatable protagonist, though some secondary characters may feel less developed.

Writing/Prose:

The writing is vivid and lyrical, immersing readers in a whimsical atmosphere that feels dreamlike and complex.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot revolves around intersecting narratives that explore fate and storytelling through a protagonist's journey in a magical underground world.

Setting:

The setting is a richly imagined underground library, filled with magical elements and hidden doors, creating a labyrinth of interwoven stories.

Pacing:

The pacing is slow and often meanders, leading to an open-ended resolution that may leave some readers feeling unsatisfied.
(Close enough to see from behind the bars. Freedom kept in sight but out of reach, left as a reminder to the prisoner. No one remembers that now on the key side of the bars. The careful psychological ...

Notes:

The Starless Sea is a book about books and storytelling.
Zachary Ezra Rawlins is the protagonist, who discovers a book that recounts an event from his childhood.
The narrative includes multiple intertwining storylines and characters.
The novel features magical elements, including a hidden library and secret societies.
The story is described as a love letter to readers and book lovers.
Characters like Fate and Time play roles in the narrative, but their presence is less than expected.
The audiobook uses multiple narrators, which adds a dramatic dimension to the story.
The book was in development for eight years after The Night Circus, which created high expectations.
It explores themes of adventure, identity, and the nature of stories itself.
Readers experience mixed feelings about the plot's pacing and character development.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

The book includes themes of confusion and existential pondering that may not resonate well for all readers.

Has Romance?

There is a medium level of romance in the story, with strong emotional connections between characters.

From The Publisher:

New York Times bestseller

Named a best book of the year by The Guardian, Good Housekeeping, Real Simple, and The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Night Circus, a timeless love story set in a secret underground world-a place of pirates, painters, lovers, liars, and ships that sail upon a starless sea.

Zachary Ezra Rawlins is a graduate student in Vermont when he discovers a mysterious book hidden in the stacks. As he turns the pages, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, key collectors, and nameless acolytes, he reads something strange: a story from his own childhood. Bewildered by this inexplicable book and desperate to make sense of how his own life came to be recorded, Zachary uncovers a series of clues-a bee, a key, and a sword-that lead him to a masquerade party in New York, to a secret club, and through a doorway to an ancient library hidden far below the surface of the earth. What Zachary finds in this curious place is more than just a buried home for books and their guardians-it is a place of lost cities and seas, lovers who pass notes under doors and across time, and of stories whispered by the dead. Zachary learns of those who have sacrificed much to protect this realm, relinquishing their sight and their tongues to preserve this archive, and also of those who are intent on its destruction. Together with Mirabel, a fierce, pink-haired protector of the place, and Dorian, a handsome, barefoot man with shifting alliances, Zachary travels the twisting tunnels, darkened stairwells, crowded ballrooms, and sweetly soaked shores of this magical world, discovering his purpose-in both the mysterious book and in his own life.

Ratings (188)

Incredible (40)
Loved It (59)
Liked It (39)
It Was OK (27)
Did Not Like (16)
Hated It (7)

Reader Stats (587):

Read It (188)
Currently Reading (8)
Want To Read (298)
Did Not Finish (17)
Not Interested (76)

7 comment(s)

Loved It
1 month

The quibbles I had with this book are minor and while I almost detracted from the overall score, I decided against it. This book really was amazing. I loved it.

And no lie, I wanna live in a Harbor on the Starless Sea with all of those books and cats. Of course, you'd probably never see me again. (Shrugs)

 
Did Not Like
2 months

2.5*

 
Did Not Like
2 months

It was just too pointlessly nonsensical for my reading taste. I have no experience with LSD but can imagine this book as a written trip. Just not for me.

 
Hated It
3 months

****1.0****

DNF

A very weak plot.

Too many stories to follow.

Enchanting World but failed to deliver the effect.

Lacks pace.

Too long without any story.

A group of ideas from different places and string together.

A very annoying reading experience.

I have zero tolerance for the books which don't catch my attention in the beginning. So dumped it.

Happy Reading!!

 
Loved It
5 months

It felt like reading a child's fantasy or a dream. It didn't quite make sense, but it didn't need to, and honestly felt more magical because of that.

 
Loved It
6 months

I had a hard time rating this book, because it was

beautiful (in terms of the gorgeous prose, magical worldbuilding, breathtaking imagery, and literally colorful characters), but it was also

really slow (character goals were unclear, I didn't really feel attached to the main character, plot often got sidelined in favor of exposition or description, the short stories peppered throughout seemed a bit random, and I'm still a little confused about how everything tied together). The fact that it took me almost nine months of on-and-off reading speaks to the slowness; the fact that I did actually finish (instead of abandoning it on my DNF shelf, which I am not afraid to do) speaks to the beauty.

The romantic, dreamy, fantastic, fascinating, fairy-tale settings and imagery were the stars of the show. Even the very rare "ordinary" location, like a police station conference room, was painted in the most vivid, interesting, magical strokes. However, it seems a bit self-indulgent on Morgenstern's part to send the reader wandering around this world she created without providing much direction. In fact, "self-indulgent" seems like a great descriptor, too, of Morgenstern's prose, which I generally enjoyed but tried my patience at times (when it came to the length, the excessive parentheticals, and the repetition of "Zachary Ezra Rawlins"—at least I'll never forget his name, that's for sure).

The problem was with the plot and characters. For most of the book, there was very little forward momentum. Things happened, but rarely with any urgency or emotional resonance. What's worse, the plot was confusing, and I still don't really understand what happened in the end. The seemingly-random little vignettes throughout the book didn't help, either with pacing or clarity. The nail in the coffin is that, because I never grew to care about any of the characters, I don't really care to put in the effort to find out: I'm just glad I'm finished with it.

In short, this is a book of beautiful ideas in need of a stronger plot.

5 (thousand) stars for prose and setting, something like 2.5 stars for plot and readability. Overall, I'm going with 4 stars, because I find myself thinking of the world and prose of

The Starless Sea fairly often…even though the story itself didn't leave any real emotional impact.

 
Loved It
8 months

Characters storyline

 

About the Author:

ERIN MORGENSTERN is the author of The Night Circus, a number-one national best seller that has been sold around the world and translated into thirty-seven languages. She has a degree in theater from Smith College and lives in Massachusetts.ERIN MORGENSTERN is…

 
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