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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
DNF
Found myself noticing how gruesome it was to pick up the book to continue reading. I had no interest in the story and the characters meant nothing to me.
Didn't like it at all.
Found myself noticing how gruesome it was to pick up the book to continue reading. I had no interest in the story and the characters meant nothing to me.
Didn't like it at all.
funny
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
not necessarily a page turner. however! the way the blended family was written was like a warm hug
I had only read one other book by Ann Patchett, Bel Canto, many years ago. I'd liked it very much, a beautifully written novel, but I didn't love it--the alternate reality plot felt a little like a headline rip-off, the hostage situation was stultifying (deliberately) but the love plot just didn't feel as though it could have happened. So I haven't been in a hurry to read more from AP. I'm so glad that this one happened to be a book club pick. It does not feel like a juggling act; it feels like reality. It is not a perfect novel; it is more like a series of short stories, though deeply intertwined. The characters seem to continue on past the end of the book. I found the end of the book somehow most lovable; I underlined several lines in the last 50 pages and had no desire to do so earlier. What did I underline? Near-adages, not final enough to be true adages, and floated into the text instead of dropped on it.
Did not get very far. I found the pace to be way too slow, and the characters were not interesting enough to motivate me to power through.
ann patchett the woman you are... quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, the way she is able to make even the most mundane be so engaging like we really are all just humans
Decidedly appreciate AP’s nonfiction much better than her fiction works (after this and the Dutch House).
Fine, I very much missed the magic of the Dutch House, this book just felt like a book about ordinary messy people which was fine. There are also so many characters that I struggled to have a bond with any of them
A few weeks later but I realise this slightly reminds me of Jonathan Franzen
A few weeks later but I realise this slightly reminds me of Jonathan Franzen
So i am in the minority with my opinion on this book.
I totally get what the vision was and what the author was trying to do but it just didn't work for me. I have to add that I am not one that reads or remembers the synopsis of a book so i was a bit confused when the time jump began that I had to look it up.
The biggest emotional reaction I got was when i connected the dots of the book written in the movie but other than that, I didn't really like any of the characters. Didn't really care and all around just seemed amateurish.
It has all the makings to be a great book but it just wasn't. For me.
I totally get what the vision was and what the author was trying to do but it just didn't work for me. I have to add that I am not one that reads or remembers the synopsis of a book so i was a bit confused when the time jump began that I had to look it up.
The biggest emotional reaction I got was when i connected the dots of the book written in the movie but other than that, I didn't really like any of the characters. Didn't really care and all around just seemed amateurish.
It has all the makings to be a great book but it just wasn't. For me.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced