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ginny17's review against another edition
1.0
Hated this book. The most annoying main character ever. Tons of French with no translation. Way too much singing. Frogicide. Boo.
mischievous_monkey's review against another edition
3.0
I found the nonlinear storytelling of this book distracting. Especially since I read it in fits and starts, on lunch breaks and in snatches of free time. The characters are definitely interesting and I enjoyed the story otherwise.
emmadkreads's review against another edition
1.0
I requested an advanced reader's copy of 'Frog Music,' because of Emma Donoghue's recent popularity with her latest book 'Room.' After I finished the book, I was surprised to see that it seems to have such positive reviews. The main character, Blanche, is exceptionally tedious, and I found it difficult to empathize with her. To sum up her character, this was one of the last sentences of the book, "She'll probably always require a good deal of fucking, but from now on she's going to hold to her independence." That's pretty much as deep as Blanche goes; a woman who prefers if men don't ask, they just take. In a time where you see more movements for positive reactions to people consenting to sex, and trying to change a culture of "slut shaming," I found Blanche's attitude troubling. Yes, it is just fiction, but Donoghue is best-selling author, and for me, this book was disheartening.
pyurk's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
iceberg0's review against another edition
5.0
Donoghue is able to shift styles so completely its difficult to tell you are reading the same author and yet she writes such compelling and interesting fiction. It really is a step above the "good" fiction of her peers.
thepamz's review against another edition
2.0
...estoy en una mala racha de libros. Solo así me explico que un libro de Emma Donoghue no me haya gustado. Lo peor es que lo quería aventar como por los primeros tres capítulos, pero dije, es Emma Donoghue. Tampoco te estaba gustando el de Akin y por el final ya lo adorabas. Tenle paciencia. Pero no, no valió la pena, la personaje principal es una odiosa a la que nunca le quise echar porras en NADA y el misterio de la amiga na mas nunca se me hizo interesante. Perdí mi tiempo :( y eso que la época en la que sucede me resultaba interesante por el contexto histórico pero la verdad la historia es un drama/misterio de gente odiosa.
erboe501's review against another edition
3.0
It took me about ⅔ of the way through this book to get hooked. Before that, I was just meandering along, annoyed by the pace of the narrative. The book is composed of scenes from the few days after a murder sliced with flashbacks of the month or so leading up to the murder. This was pretty tedious at the beginning. But it all mostly pays off when you hit about page 250. When the present and the flashbacks come closer and closer to meeting, it's a bit thrilling. The back cover copy describes the protagonist Blanche as trying to solve her friend's murder. But up until the last few chapters, she's not attempting any sleuthing so much. The number of theories she rapidly picks up and discards, sometimes in the space of one page, felt authentic, like someone who truly doesn't know what to believe. But the interior monologue in the final pages felt very contrived and sentimental.
I found Blanche's character hard to puzzle out. Is she empowered because she embraces her sexuality, or is she used by the men around her? I appreciate that Donoghue explores the idea of a reluctant mother who doesn't like her son most of the time. That felt honest.
It was also fun to read at the end that nearly all of the characters come from historical records. The murder case is a real one, which makes it all the more intriguing.
I found Blanche's character hard to puzzle out. Is she empowered because she embraces her sexuality, or is she used by the men around her? I appreciate that Donoghue explores the idea of a reluctant mother who doesn't like her son most of the time. That felt honest.
It was also fun to read at the end that nearly all of the characters come from historical records. The murder case is a real one, which makes it all the more intriguing.
arfog's review against another edition
Subject was just too heavy for me right now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
alisonjfields's review against another edition
4.0
I seriously "Room," but this was good sordid underbelly fun. French whores! Cross-dressers! Violence! Plague! Seedy San Francisco before the earthquake! Wonderful!