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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
Felt like it was a diary. A real one. It was nice to read and see how completely 2 different people came together because of something they love.
So unbearably good. The birth scene gave me the shivers and the races were fabulous. I cannot countenance "alright" in published work, though.
It’s no Little Bee, but Gold was good to me. It showed me that flashbacks in literature aren’t always terrible. It loved me with its constant shifts in perspective. And it presented me with a terrible reality while challenging me to put myself in the same situation and choose for myself a different road. (I wouldn’t. I couldn’t. I’m too goddamned selfish.)
When I was finished, I noticed that Gold was good to me because it was actively hurting me. As it turns out, “good” doesn’t necessarily mean “right.” And it certainly doesn’t mean “love.”
When I was finished, I noticed that Gold was good to me because it was actively hurting me. As it turns out, “good” doesn’t necessarily mean “right.” And it certainly doesn’t mean “love.”
A well written story of two friends who are also Olympic competitors and how their private life intertwines with their sport. Family relationships, love and the competitive spirit are ell portrayed.
So, I didn't cry but I did end up loving this book. I especially loved the descriptions of the racing and the physical changes in the cyclists bodies.
I’d give this book a 2.5. There are few plot details in this review and no spoilers.
Gold is, to put it simply, the story of best friends who are competing for the spot at their last Olympics. Always dramatic, sometimes tender, rarely amusing, Gold is less about cycling and medals, and more about surviving. This was my first Chris Cleave book and probably my last.
Let me start with this: Gold had an amazing opening. I love the Olympics. I love the energy behind it that is unlike any other sporting event. This is probably why those opening pages drew me in. I really thought this was going to be a novel I really liked and was determined, right to the end, to enjoy it. I would say that Gold is worth reading, if only for that opening. It is succinct, breathtaking, and thrumming with an energy that just screams Olympia. You feel like you are slipped into Zoe’s skin, and then Kate’s…and then you are abruptly ripped out of both of them and thrown into a lackluster drama.
Zoe is a flat character and completely unbelievable. She irritated me the entire way through, and not in the skin-crawling way that a character like her should. She was just poorly written. Nothing about her made me want to hate her or like her or even root for her. She was poorly planned and seemed like a bad batch of drama stereotype cookies. She, probably more than anything else, dragged the story down for me. She made it heavy and unlikable.
Kate and Jack were not much better. As a couple, superficially, they were believably and heartwarming. But that strength came more from their daughter, Sophie, than anything else, which I will discuss in a bit. Jack is flat as well, but with little spikes of energy that kept him from falling into the same pile as Zoe. Kate felt more realistic, but not much more alive. I grew tired of her narrative quickly.
Helping none of this are the tangents Cleave will sometimes drop into. His language use seems naturally flowery, matching the tone of the story he wanted to tell. But it was irritating and distracting. I found myself having to go back a page and re-read everything because I had zoned out. What would knock me out of this period of BLAH would be the dialogue, however, which had everything I liked about the opening pages. I wish Cleave would have just…cut half the book’s confusing descriptions and tangents that don’t fit into the plot. The dialogue is strong enough on its own that I would have enjoyed Gold so much more. The characters’ internal monologues (save Sophie’s) detract from their development, drag down the pace of the book, and make me wonder how his editor thought this was okay at three hundred pages, with plenty of those filled with useless mumbling.
And now Sophie… Sophie, Sophie, Sophie. Sophie saved this book. Sophie is Kate and Jack’s daughter, suffering through Leukemia and wanting nothing more than to be a Jedi Knight. I will add one quote from the book to this review:
“She knew none of this was actually real, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t happening. On the rare days she was well enough to go into school now, school never felt real either. The other girls had moved on. They were into YouTube, and they thought she was weird for still being into kids’ stuff. She tried to get into the things they were into, but the truth was that she didn’t want to learn the dance moves from pop videos. She wanted to be a Jedi knight.”
Sophie’s scenes were the only ones to make me cry. She felt like a child, but a child who desperately didn’t want to be a child. She was believable. She was sweet. She was sometimes obnoxious. Sophie. Saved. This. Book. She brought Jack and Kate and their relationship to life. She brought the story to life. I wish the entire book has just been about Sophie and Jack and Kate and their fight to overcome leukemia.
But it wasn’t. So I’ll finish with a disappointed sigh. Maybe this was a poor book to start Chris Cleave with, but I don’t know if I can stomach his other two with this one in mind. Was it a worthwhile read? For the positive things I’ve mentioned, yes. If you want fluffy, tearjerky, London 2012 fiction, pick Gold up. If you’re expecting high literature and impressive storytelling, grab something else. This was a ‘pass the time’ (or the salt) read.
Gold is, to put it simply, the story of best friends who are competing for the spot at their last Olympics. Always dramatic, sometimes tender, rarely amusing, Gold is less about cycling and medals, and more about surviving. This was my first Chris Cleave book and probably my last.
Let me start with this: Gold had an amazing opening. I love the Olympics. I love the energy behind it that is unlike any other sporting event. This is probably why those opening pages drew me in. I really thought this was going to be a novel I really liked and was determined, right to the end, to enjoy it. I would say that Gold is worth reading, if only for that opening. It is succinct, breathtaking, and thrumming with an energy that just screams Olympia. You feel like you are slipped into Zoe’s skin, and then Kate’s…and then you are abruptly ripped out of both of them and thrown into a lackluster drama.
Zoe is a flat character and completely unbelievable. She irritated me the entire way through, and not in the skin-crawling way that a character like her should. She was just poorly written. Nothing about her made me want to hate her or like her or even root for her. She was poorly planned and seemed like a bad batch of drama stereotype cookies. She, probably more than anything else, dragged the story down for me. She made it heavy and unlikable.
Kate and Jack were not much better. As a couple, superficially, they were believably and heartwarming. But that strength came more from their daughter, Sophie, than anything else, which I will discuss in a bit. Jack is flat as well, but with little spikes of energy that kept him from falling into the same pile as Zoe. Kate felt more realistic, but not much more alive. I grew tired of her narrative quickly.
Helping none of this are the tangents Cleave will sometimes drop into. His language use seems naturally flowery, matching the tone of the story he wanted to tell. But it was irritating and distracting. I found myself having to go back a page and re-read everything because I had zoned out. What would knock me out of this period of BLAH would be the dialogue, however, which had everything I liked about the opening pages. I wish Cleave would have just…cut half the book’s confusing descriptions and tangents that don’t fit into the plot. The dialogue is strong enough on its own that I would have enjoyed Gold so much more. The characters’ internal monologues (save Sophie’s) detract from their development, drag down the pace of the book, and make me wonder how his editor thought this was okay at three hundred pages, with plenty of those filled with useless mumbling.
And now Sophie… Sophie, Sophie, Sophie. Sophie saved this book. Sophie is Kate and Jack’s daughter, suffering through Leukemia and wanting nothing more than to be a Jedi Knight. I will add one quote from the book to this review:
“She knew none of this was actually real, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t happening. On the rare days she was well enough to go into school now, school never felt real either. The other girls had moved on. They were into YouTube, and they thought she was weird for still being into kids’ stuff. She tried to get into the things they were into, but the truth was that she didn’t want to learn the dance moves from pop videos. She wanted to be a Jedi knight.”
Sophie’s scenes were the only ones to make me cry. She felt like a child, but a child who desperately didn’t want to be a child. She was believable. She was sweet. She was sometimes obnoxious. Sophie. Saved. This. Book. She brought Jack and Kate and their relationship to life. She brought the story to life. I wish the entire book has just been about Sophie and Jack and Kate and their fight to overcome leukemia.
But it wasn’t. So I’ll finish with a disappointed sigh. Maybe this was a poor book to start Chris Cleave with, but I don’t know if I can stomach his other two with this one in mind. Was it a worthwhile read? For the positive things I’ve mentioned, yes. If you want fluffy, tearjerky, London 2012 fiction, pick Gold up. If you’re expecting high literature and impressive storytelling, grab something else. This was a ‘pass the time’ (or the salt) read.
I feel bad about this. I know people are really excited for this book. And I expect most people will give this book 4 or 5 stars. But it had problems I could not get past.
Gold is about 2 world-class cyclists who are training partners and friends in addition to being rivals. Zoe is cold and focused, Kate is warm and willing to sacrifice her sport for her family. Kate's sacrifices happen an awful lot as her daughter, Sophie, has leukemia.
Cleave has in the past shown some pretty impressive plotting, and he uses a lot of flashbacks to tell his story here. The way he unfolds his story is quite good. It's the story itself that made me crazy. The characters are all focused on Olympic gold, and it just so happens that every single plot point along the way happens exactly at the time of the Olympics. The 4 years in between are just filler. As more of the story was revealed, I found myself more frustrated and feeling like I was being manipulated instead of watching a story unfold.
(There's also a decent amount of suspension of disbelief required. I've never heard the names of any Olympic-caliber cyclists. I've never heard of them being on billboards. And the idea that the two best in the world would be so far above their competition that their only competition is each other and they happen to live in the same country and they happen to have the same coach and they happen to train together every day... well, it gets difficult.)
Character was a problem as well. The Saintly Sick Child is an easy way to turn me against you. Young Sophie is completely selfless, cares only for her parents' wellbeing, and has an obsession with Star Wars that goes beyond obsession into just plain silly.
And Sophie is just one example of the characters here who act more as cliches than people. Kate and her husband Jack are kind, caring, perfect parents. Zoe is troubled by her past and seems to have no redeeming qualities.
And it's all a real shame because there are moments in the book that are quite good and the potential in a plot about two friends who are rivals is significant.
Still, I don't suspect any of this will prevent it from becoming just as popular as Little Bee, if not more. I expect to be one of the few naysayers.
Gold is about 2 world-class cyclists who are training partners and friends in addition to being rivals. Zoe is cold and focused, Kate is warm and willing to sacrifice her sport for her family. Kate's sacrifices happen an awful lot as her daughter, Sophie, has leukemia.
Cleave has in the past shown some pretty impressive plotting, and he uses a lot of flashbacks to tell his story here. The way he unfolds his story is quite good. It's the story itself that made me crazy. The characters are all focused on Olympic gold, and it just so happens that every single plot point along the way happens exactly at the time of the Olympics. The 4 years in between are just filler. As more of the story was revealed, I found myself more frustrated and feeling like I was being manipulated instead of watching a story unfold.
(There's also a decent amount of suspension of disbelief required. I've never heard the names of any Olympic-caliber cyclists. I've never heard of them being on billboards. And the idea that the two best in the world would be so far above their competition that their only competition is each other and they happen to live in the same country and they happen to have the same coach and they happen to train together every day... well, it gets difficult.)
Character was a problem as well. The Saintly Sick Child is an easy way to turn me against you. Young Sophie is completely selfless, cares only for her parents' wellbeing, and has an obsession with Star Wars that goes beyond obsession into just plain silly.
And Sophie is just one example of the characters here who act more as cliches than people. Kate and her husband Jack are kind, caring, perfect parents. Zoe is troubled by her past and seems to have no redeeming qualities.
And it's all a real shame because there are moments in the book that are quite good and the potential in a plot about two friends who are rivals is significant.
Still, I don't suspect any of this will prevent it from becoming just as popular as Little Bee, if not more. I expect to be one of the few naysayers.