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3.09 AVERAGE
3.09 AVERAGE
compelling examination of grief, guilt, tragedy, longing and whether or not wounds ever heal or simply scar in various different ways.
Everyone seems to love this book. I wasn't interested 5 pages in but suffered through it anyway. I wasn't offended by any of the character's lifestyles. But I was completely bored by all of them. Each character felt like a cardboard cut-out rather than an actual person. Too many cliches. Too many stereotypes. I'm disappointed. The reviews made it sound like I was in for a real treat.
Anshaw has a miraculous way of breaking down family relationships so that you see clearly where each and every sibling's feelings and reactions come from. This story, of regret, relief and carrying the past with you was a great meditation on where life's choices take you. At times very dark, the end was uplifting and powerful. A great read.
I picked up this book, read a few chapters, put it down, read several more books and then made my way back to this one. I am so, so glad I did. I loved this book. The writing was smart, the characters were interesting and although the impetus of the plot of the novel was a tragic event, this book was not depressing. It was indeed very entertaining and thought provoking. Some of Anshaw's turns of phrase just killed me with their brilliance: how exactly ducks are put in a row, likening the love of a husband for his wife as him putting her on a float in a parade every day, people living their lives in the pursuit of badges for their sash. I could go on but I am gushing. This book was excellent, the writing was fantastic and I highly recommend it.
Not nearly as good as the hype I had heard. None of the characters were that interesting or that complex. And the narrative structure was very hard to follow.
It wasn't till I was getting to the end of the book that I realized how much I hated all the main characters in this book. They all just seemed like miserable, selfish people. I did finish the book, but only because I held out hope that these awful people could somehow redeem themselves and be happy. Nope.
I enjoyed this book for the most part. It follows the lives of family members involved in a tragic accident following a wedding. The story reminded me of Forest Gump. As the author follows her characters throughout their lives, the good and the sad, we readers watch the events and attitudes of those times unfold.
With a stronger ending I may have given this one a 5 star rating but Anshaw appeared to run out of steam by the end of the book. A melancholy read but well done overall by the author. It was a pleasure to see gay and straight couples treated equally. The times they are a changing.
With a stronger ending I may have given this one a 5 star rating but Anshaw appeared to run out of steam by the end of the book. A melancholy read but well done overall by the author. It was a pleasure to see gay and straight couples treated equally. The times they are a changing.
After getting through the first 100 pages, not making any connection with any character and finding the storyline(s) to be dull and disconnected, I gave up. The premise is that after a tragic car accident, the people involved "carry the one" (that died) with them throughout their lives. Sounds interesting, but I didn't see how that played out in the first half of the book. Too many books in the queue to keep reading one I wasn't into.