Loved this book, Victorias attention to detail and research really pays off. An enjoyable story to get lost in. And beautifully written. I listened to this as an audiobook and the narration was fantastic one I’d definitely recommend on audio. Cheers Netgalley for providing me with a copy.

🎧Audio Book Review🎧

The Figurine
Victoria Hislop

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Well, I've had this book on my tbr for about a year, if not more, as I was so intimidated by the sheer size of it.
At over 500 pages and 17 hours of audio book, it just really scared me!
Also, being my least favourite genre (or so I thought), I just wasn't sure I wanted to prioritise it yet.
I was so ashamed at it still being around, that I committed to getting it done - and oh how stupid I've been!

This is a chonky read, but honestly, I am so, so pleased that I've finally made time to read this as it's got to be one of my favourite books this year!!

We follow Helena's journey through life from around the age of 6 right up to and beyond leaving university.

I think starting where we did really allowed us to connect with Helena and all of her experiences through her childhood visits to her grandparents which paved the way for her feelings and memories - both good and bad - of a changing Greece.

There was just so, so much in this book from the history of Greece under a dictatorship, the importance of architecture and archeological finds, family dynamics, romantic relationships, coping with grief and loss and finding your way in life - plus so much more I've probably missed.

Helena was such a great character to explore. We grow with her throughout the book and feel every emotion with her through each encounter.
I loved her development through the years and her positive attitude, even when things weren't going well.
I was especially enamoured with her determination to do the right thing and be the better person in a bid to help others.

Our journeys to Greece uncover a wealth of knowledge both in its history and culture and the glorious descriptions transport us to the beauty of its landscape and heritage.

There were a lot of tough topics presented here but each was dealt with sensitively.
The mix of genres also worked perfectly within the whole story and the twists and turns kept me engrossed throughout.

I really don't think my review can do this book justice - I enjoyed every second of it and will definitely miss Helena and all her friends.

This is the first book that I've read by this author - but I'll definitely be making some more time to add to my reading list in the future.
A beautiful story which was beautifully written.



💕Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my ARC copy - this is my honest review 💕

🎧 Audiobook Review 📚

Title : The Figure
Author : Victoria Hislop
Rate : 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thanks to @netgalley for an ARC copy of this audiobook. This was published on the 28th September 2023. I enjoyed the narrator and helped me wrap my head around all the names and places.

This book shines a light on the questionable acquisition of cultural treasures and the price people and countries will pay to cling to them.

When Helena inherits her grandmother’s apartment in Athens, she reminisces about her summers spent there as a child, when Greece was under a brutal military dictatorship.

Her grandfather was a general in the regime and wasn’t a nice man. Helena discovers an array of valuable objects and antiquities in her grandmother’s apartment. She uncovers how much happened under the table and how people paid for things to go their way.

When I started listening to this, I wasn’t sure where it was going.
I enjoyed the history of Greece and also the family element that Helena had at home.

This is an emotional book at times and joyous at other moments.
Helena’s determination to correct the wrong doings that her grandfather did was admirable.
The way her friendships in Athens and the UK became her extended family and helped her bring someone who hurt not only her but mutual friends to justice.

It was a very enjoyable book but I’m glad I got the audiobook version.

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📚 Book Review 📚

The start of this audiobook was very promising, the descriptions of Greece are truly beautiful and gave me fantastic images as I listened.

The premise is good, the characters are ok but the main character, Helena, just seems very naive and a bit wishy washy if I’m honest. The story itself was soooo long, the figurine in the title didn’t actually appear until about 70% of the way through and by this time, I was a little bit bored. The audiobook is about 18 hours long and although it is very well narrated, it’s just too long.

I loved the trip down memory lane with the mention of Maxwell House, Coffee Mate and Nescafé (a trip back to seeing my mum drinking Nescafé when I was little❤️) but the depiction of students drinking expensive wine at dinner parties was a bit surreal. I went to uni, albeit twenty odd years or so later and I definitely didn’t partake in wine or dinner parties. It was beer and house parties back in my day!

This is the first book I have read by Victoria Hislop and I was very excited about it but this one definitely wasn’t for me and I’m really disappointed about that. I have read lots of reviews and I intend to read more by this author. Sadly, this was not a winner for me but I’m sure that other people would love it.

I’d like to thank Headline Audio, NetGalley and the author for the arc and the fantastic opportunity, in exchange for my honest feedback 😊

⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and Headline Audio for the ARC

I've read and enjoyed novels by Victoria Hislop earlier, but I found this a bit slow. I thought it took to long before the story actually started and the plot started moving. Most of the novel was learning about our mc's origin and childhood and even though it was interesting and we got to know her a lot, it wasn't the most captivating. Things started to speed up towards the end, but then I had already lost some interest unfortunately

Beautifully written story based in Greece.

While a bit of a slow burn novel, The Figurine follows Helena as she learns about (and confronts) the secrets of her Grecian family and their past.

Introducing us to Helena when a small child, whose mother is estranged from her parents, we follow as she navigates the different worlds of her grandparents, parents and others that she meets as she begins to find her way in the world.

Blending fact with fiction we see how betrayal and jealousy destroy relationships as well as how love and friendship can enrich lives.

My thanks for netgalley for my arc of the audiobook version of the book. Though the book takes a little while to get going, it's definitely worth seeing through to its dramatic climax.

The story follows main character Helena who inherits her grandparents Athen’s apartment. Being there as an adult she reflects on her time spent there as a child and begins to understand things she saw and witnessed as a child that she didn’t understand the meaning of then.

Helena spends time in both London and in Greece and as always the settings play such a huge part in Victoria’s novels. The are depicted so clearly and with vivid imagery in this book it’s so easy to imagine yourself there in the Greek sun. The Figurine also has very touching ties to the relationship between Helena and her mother. Some of the history which Helena uncovers is dark and steeped in brutal military history.

I listened to this on audiobook which is so worth it with Victoria’s books because the accents come through and the words in Greek language are spoken in Greek which to someone who doesn’t speak the language is a much more immersive experience.

If you’ve not read anything by this author, other books I’d recommend would be The Island and The Sunrise both of which are very moving reads.

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this title.

I am increasingly choosing audio books when a novel is longer than average The Figurine by Victoria Hislop is a meaty and detailed book that was an easy listen. As is the norm for a Hislop book, the story includes a lot of Greek history. In this book however I think the balance was about right and it didn’t lose me or put me off.
I liked the main character, Helena, who was half Greek and half Spanish, living in England. When she was a child It was decided that she could spend some summers with her Greek family. The family dynamics were presented through the eyes of the growing child, which worked well. The descriptions of Greece and Britain in the 1970/80s were good. The small but meaningful references to what was going on at the time (hello Margaret Thatcher) grounded the story and made it relatable.
I was always happy to read a Victoria Hislop book, but usually waited for a holiday as they are a big commitment. Now I have discovered audio books, I think this is the way forward., as I can listen to longer books while driving or gardening. In this case the narrator was good, with subtle accents for the characters that were well done.

Helena regularly visited her grandparents in Athens and grew to love Greece. After her degree she volunteered at a dig on an Aegean island and fell in love. Nick seems wonderful but is he all he seems?

Excellent novel, well written and well narrated (I listened to the audiobook). Strong characters and great settings. Lots of personal historical baggage to be revealed and Helena will try to make amends for her Grandfather’s actions. A stolen figurine will change Helena’s life and future. Enjoy this enjoyable read.

This is a chunkster of a book and lasts just over 17 hours on audio, so it definitely requires some commitment. That said the story and the narrator both kept my interest and I found myself eager to return to it.

For me it was a book of two halves. The first half reflected on Helena’s visits to Athens as a child, detailing the political situation in Athens at the time; the role Helena’s grandfather played in the military dictatorship and the reasons why Helena’s mother, years before, had turned her back on her country and her family. The second half of the book sees Helena volunteering on an archeological dig in Naxos and inadvertently finding herself involved in the underworld of artefact smuggling.

As with all of Victoria Hislop’s books, Greece itself is like a character. Athens is presented ‘warts and all’ , it’s troubled past is laid bare but there is also a celebration of the culture and the people and it’s clear that the author has a great love and respect for Greece.

Overall it was a captivating book, which covered many aspects of Greece’s history, politics and culture. I would definitely recommend the audio version.

I listened to the audiobook of this book and was glad I had because it’s certainly a very long book and listen. For me I found the narrator’s voices of the characters somewhat irritating and preferred her basic narration. Perhaps the audio experience could have been enhanced with a wider cast reading the characters.
It takes quite a while to get going and I did wonder quite where the storyline was heading during the beginning and Helena’s childhood visits to Greece. All did become clear though. As you expect from Victoria Hislop, this is an extremely well researched book, packed full of history, both ancient and modern. I certainly felt that I learnt something about modern Greek history that I didn’t know before. The second half of the story definitely steps up in pace and ultimately the book does make you feel that ancient relics ought to be preserved in the country of their provenance.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for a review.

Although much of the characterisation is rather flat and the "heroes" a little superficial at times this remains a well written and thought provoking examination of human greed and the importance of culture.

I was kind enough to have received a copy of the audiobook of The Figurine from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I have followed Victoria Hislop's trajectory since her debut, The Island. There's something both reassuring and placid about her writing. Her dialogue is sweet, delicate but without much bite or naturalism; her characterisation is equally sweet and delicate but not particularly innovative. In this way, her writing is similar to Kate Morton who writes similar historical fiction with 20-something bookworm women who yearn for the past and exist as an offset to modern day London.

This novel had some charming, very readable moments. However, I couldn't quite believe how long it was. The audiobook was 18 hours, which seemed long. As the story progressed, I couldn't get my head around why this book wasn't edited down so as to create a more memorable read, excised of superfluous details. I'll explain.

Hislop has carefully introduced different elements of Greece into her novels. The Island, of course, focused on leprosy, The Thread on the period during WW1, the Sunrise about Cyprus during the 1974 uprising, followed by a novel about Greece in the 20th Century ('Loved') and a depressing sequel to The Island which worked as a continuation of the story, to a certain extent.

This novel looks to the relationship between Greek antiquities and the plundering of Greek treasures. I expected a sort of pro-Greek Elgin Marbles moment and, reader, it was told, not shown. In every way but let's focus on the overarching plot.

Helena, half-Greek, half-Scottish, living in Ipswich spends various summers meeting her Greek grandparents, both of whom are shrouded in a degree of mystery. Her grandfather is connected with the brutalist authoritarian regime and is callous and cruel. Like a duck to water, Helena quickly takes to Greek and has an affinity to Greece which her mother doesn't share. As Helena moves to university (by this point, we've had several visits to Greece, which I felt could have been cut down) we get a deluge of uninteresting Brideshead-Revisited-lite details of life at Oxford, where she meets a charming-butter-wouldn't-melt-kind-of-guy who seems shady. The story weaves on until Helena has two separate opportunities to return to both Greece and Cyprus. It was at this point we had very long, word-count-reaching descriptions of Helena cleaning a house. It was like no detail was too small to describe in this book and it really lost my concentration. A male character also utters a totally unbelievable line about priviledge that didn't win me over either. The dialogue for much of this novel was so sweet and insipid, as was the entirely good or entirely bad depictions of these characters that helped this book swerve to an all-ends-well type of conclusion.

I do think there is a good book here but I feel that it could have been cut down significantly. To the extent that a lot of the secondary characters have cameos as opposed to recurring chapters which didn't add to the story. The narration was excellent, bar the odd choice of reducing the volume of the phone calls, so as to seem as they if are talking unwater.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Headline audio for the opportunity to listen to this in exchange for an open and honest review.

Wow that was a long one. I’m at 3.5 stars 🌟 I think. It’s my first Victoria Hislop book, but I’ve seen a few of her titles come up with my mini book business and when I spotted this as an audiobook I thought I would dive in as I needed a new one.

This is the second book I’ve read this month not only about Greece but about Naxos. I feel I now should book a holiday there as there’s definitely some hints happening. I’m loving the summer related books with the warmer weather and this fitted into that with the setting.

It’s strange it’s such a long book but it felt it was almost in three parts, Helena as a child, then as a student going to the digs and then as a young woman fighting for what she believes in. The characters are definitely the authors strong point - you either fell in love or really hated the characters who manifested in the pages. The setting however, less constructed and concrete. I didn’t fall in love with the land as much as I have in other books. Partly why I haven’t rated this higher. I also kept wanting the story to “get to the point” at times with aspects dragging a little.

That said it was a nice light summer listen with a great concept and some even better endings.

Victoria Hislop has the gift of drawing a reader (listener) into a story so effectively that you feel as if you were there. She has clearly thoroughly researched Greek history and it shows.

Helena has a Greek mother who left Greece many years ago and a Scottish father. She was brought up in England but while still young she spent summers in Athens with her Grandparents. While her grandmother was loving her grandfather was anything but.

The story follows Helena through these summers and then later to Oxford, her first love affair and trips back to Greece on archaeological digs.

Although I very much enjoyed the book it was really long, too long IMHO. I think many of the mentions of Helena's hair were superfluous and repetitive and could have reduced the word count significantly. She seemed to be the only person with red hair ever to visit Greece and so was remembered by anyone who ever saw her. Also the bad characters were thoroughly bad with no redeeming features on the whole and the good characters were perfect humans.

There was a lot of history including mentions of the various regimes, cruelty, favouritism and downright scandalous behaviour which I was not aware of.

I enjoyed learning about the Greek history and picturing the places I have visited. The narrator was a perfect choice and made the book even more enjoyable.

Thank you to Netgalley and Headline Audio for the DRC

A favourite author of mine…….such a captivating tale of one woman's quest to come to terms with her family's brutal past. A quick but explosive listen. Gripping from page 1 right up until the ending. One to recommend. 5* from me. My thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

I absolutely loved this audiobook, despite it being quite long, I rattled through it, because I just wanted to know more.
I loved the history, mixed with a modern day story.
The descriptions of the places, history & scenery were just amazing - I felt like I was there and it made me want to hop on a plane to Greece.
I often find books about history quite boring but this was not.
The narrator was just the right tone for the book.
5 star, I will read more from this author.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had many levels to it- the love story, the historical facts, the family feuds
And the many different friendships.
The style of the book was very chilled, each section was a little book all on its own. You really got to know the characters.
I really enjoyed listening to this book as an audio book as the narrator was excellent and brought the story to life.

Ok, this is massive, epic story and even though I did enjoy it I’m glad I listened to it…I think I would’ve given up on it if I had been reading it, it’s just soooooo long! Much too long, unnecessarily so.
I do love Hislop’s writing, her scene setting immerses you in Greek life and explains Greece’s complex history in a way that is easy to take in while being a believable part of the story, but this one could’ve been and should’ve been much shorter!

I’ve enjoyed a couple of Victoria Hislop’s books; one about a leper colony and the other about partition in Cyprus. The historic background around the acquisition of artefacts featured in The Figurine really appealed. I have strong views about the perceived rights of colonialists and foreigners to help themselves when overseas. I was pleased to see the Elgin marbles issue is considered here and I’m confident that the research is meticulous and accurate.

Hislop is excellent at painting a vivid picture with words. Her locations really spring to life with a sense of heat, smell, dust, people etc and this book is no exception. I’ve never visited Athens, but had a strong sense of place from the way it’s described. Helena returns following the death of grandparents and starts to question and understand the background to their possessions and lifestyle. It’s not a comfortable picture. She becomes interested in a figurine, buoyed by a love interest. Fortunately the love story element didn’t overpower the basic narrative around rightful possession.

It’s a fascinating insight into this dark and devious world of greed. That’s the part I most enjoyed. The narration throughout is excellent. Well paced and delivered.