I picked this one up for the city's yearly read along, which I think is an awesome idea. Truth be told, though, I wished I could put it right back down. The only reason I didn't was I had some presentation stuff to do for it, but this novel was a long slog to get through. Don't get me wrong: the language was superb and the characterization was very well done. The people described fairly leaped off the page. The only thing was, well, I just didn't particularly care for any of them. I wanted to like them, I really did, but for the most part I couldn't find enough redeeming qualities to care. To add to this, the book was a long series of shorts that didn't connect together well enough, and jumped around in time so much, that I couldn't get invested in the characters to hope to find something that I cared about. While the novel purports to be about love, it came across as the type of love that I really don't care to read about: the painful, lying, cheating, hurting love that doesn't seem to comfort any of the characters and rather drags them apart at every turn. Anyhow, this was just not for me. Clearly, from the awards and recognition the novel has received, I am in the minority in this regard, but *shrug* that's okay with me.
Have you read this novel? Or come across one that just didn't do it for you?
Sounds interesting :)
ReplyDeletei have heard of this one, but haven't read it. I like that your city does a city read! How fun! Sorry this was hard to get through. Loved your honest review.
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of it, no. From what you say, I'd probably not go for it.
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