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2.56 AVERAGE
2.56 AVERAGE
Maybe if this book was only a third of the length that it is, it could have been good. A lot should have been cut for it to be an engaging read. It's sad, because the premise was promising and the characters could have been interesting. But it just went on for far too long, with absolutely no direction. There is a reason why I first picked it up in 2013 and only finished it 8 years later...
I love a book set in a kitchen but I just couldn't warm to the main character at all..
This book did not grip me, in the way that Brick Lane failed to grip me the first time I tried to read it, and, if I'm honest, the time I forced myself to read it, too. I feel like things might have got slightly interesting at some point, but I've got better things to do than wait for that moment.
Ali's writing is fabulous: so smooth, clean, and seemingly effortless. But I'm not sure that she's fully worked out the point of the story she wants to tell in this novel. It's not exactly a shaggy-dog story, but I wasn't left with much of a payoff, or much of a suspicion that the novel has complex layers of meaning that are there even though I might not see them yet. It's an okay read, but not as great as her brilliant first novel BRICK LANE.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Urk. What to say about this novel ...
The writing is good. The story should be interesting - a chef who is spiraling down into a nervous breakdown, his work in his restaurant kitchen, his interactions with his staff, his family, his girlfriend, a body, human trafficking, cancer ...
Somehow this just all falls flat. It's all sort of bleak, but nondescript - like a bus ride you take to & from work every day. The people on the bus look like they might be interesting & the scenery is okay, but by day 30 or so it's all just one big muddle & you ending up sleeping through it like everybody else. Very disappointing.
The writing is good. The story should be interesting - a chef who is spiraling down into a nervous breakdown, his work in his restaurant kitchen, his interactions with his staff, his family, his girlfriend, a body, human trafficking, cancer ...
Somehow this just all falls flat. It's all sort of bleak, but nondescript - like a bus ride you take to & from work every day. The people on the bus look like they might be interesting & the scenery is okay, but by day 30 or so it's all just one big muddle & you ending up sleeping through it like everybody else. Very disappointing.
A boring story about a boring man with a boring life...it couldn't hold my interest at all. What a waste of time!
I adored Brick Lane. I don't really get on too well with this one. Hard to keep focus on. Will give it another go in the the future.
I heard about this book somewhere, but I almost wish I didn't. Pretty much a waste of my time. I didn't like the characters which made it very hard to get into. The author did have a beautiful writing style, even if I didn't like the characters or plot, some of her descriptions were amazing...Too bad the rest of the novel didn't keep up!