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3.33 AVERAGE
3.33 AVERAGE
Someone told me before I read this book that there was a twist in the second to last paragraph so I decided to read it. Then someone else told me what that twist was while I was 1/4 of the way through. I found Thomas and Linda to be miserable characters that I couldn't empathize with and was all the more annoyed to learn that their entire, wretched existence was imagined. Shreve's talent for vivid description of setting is the only good thing I can say about this book, and even that I didn't like all of the time.
sequel to the The Weight of Water. Pretty good and interesting twist at the end
challenging
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
sad
fast-paced
I'm not sure how I feel about this book. No spoilers here- so I'll say this- it's been 2 weeks since I've read the book and I'm still conflicted. All I know is I really enjoy Anita Shreve's writing. She has such a unique but accurate descriptive quality that I love. All of her books have a feel to them that I enjoy. It's like being trapped at home during a snow storm. The wind is howling and it's cold and miserable outside, but you're warm inside, wrapped up in a blanket with a hot cup of tea. They're always sad and with a hint of desperation, but yet cozy and comfortable at the same time. I love losing myself in her prose for hours on end, and so I'll keep coming back time & again.
The story begins at the end -- a chance meeting between two people at a writer's conference -- and then moves backwards in time to provide the story behind the story. I hated the first section and skimmed pages: they felt forced, contrived, uninteresting. Then got hooked in Africa and Africa took me to the end, which was the beginning of their love story. The end makes no sense since the book begins with Linda's perspective . . . who then was the woman? I was shocked by the ending, but then not so shocked because the book jacket told me the truth would be revealed in the last sentences. Kind of an irritating book. I don't know Shreve and am not sure if I'll pursue any of her other books.
I felt completely cheated by this book. I usually love Shreve, but this one I had to slog through. I kept waiting for the point of the story in the first third of the book. ("Where is this going?") Sort of sad characters, used...we go backward in time, which is an interesting approach, but it doesn't work, The second third of the book made me angry; two married people decide to have a torrid affair and cannot stop themselves. Weak characters with no redeeming qualities. The third and final section deals with them as high schoolers. Throughout the book there is a thread of The Accident, which happens when they are in high school. The last paragraph or two tells you the entire story was a lie and that she died in The Accident. Going back and making sense of the book from the beginning was too much trouble and I just wasn't interested.
This book was one that kept tempting me to look ahead just so I could figure out the backstory. It was frustrating at times because the story is somewhat told in reverse, but I am so glad I didn't peek. For when I read the very last page, my jaw hit the floor. The very last page made me want to start back over at the beginning and read it all again--knowing what I didn't know the first time I read it. Love, love, loved it!
My FAVORITE book! Loved that it went backwards in time. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to read it all over again!
