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Community comment are the opinions of contributing users. These comment do not represent the opinions of Contra Costa County Library.
Oct 19, 2017samcmar rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
That Inevitable Victorian Thing is an interesting read. It focuses on the idea that colonialism didn't have it's chance to manifest in North America and Europe, and the idea that groups of people regardless of race or religion can live in harmony. While that concept is somewhat very unrealistic, the idealism behind it is quite wonderful in my opinion. I would love to live in a world where racism doesn't exist, where people respect one another. Again, it's not perfect given racism isn't entirely abolished in the story and class issues still exist, but you get a sense of hopefulness from the cast of characters that they want a better world. I do want to stress that I think a lot of the Canadian content and Ontario pride in this story may go over the heads of non-Canadian readers, as Canada has some impressive rep in this story. As someone who lives in Ontario, I loved reading the maps and Johnston's discussions of the province within the story, and it was fun to see name droppings for people, places and things that are indicative of Ontario. I recognize this is something not everyone is able to appreciate, but I enjoyed it a lot. This Inevitable Victorian Thing is wonderfully diverse and I loved how well marginalized people are handled. I think Johnston put a lot of care into the world-building and characters, making the world feel like it could be believable. Margaret, Helena, and August are all characters who, despite their flaws, want to change the world for the better, and I appreciated their hopefulness throughout the narrative. Personally, I loved That Inevitable Victorian Thing. Yes, it is a slow burn, and perhaps a bit too ideal, but I found myself loving the world and the characters. I loved the larger theme of hope, connection and respect that existed throughout the narrative, and the romance in the story is pretty darn darling all things considered. I think there are aspects that will be difficult for some reads to appreciate, but if you've enjoyed Johnston's works in the past, I don't think you'll be disappointed by this book.