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3.15 AVERAGE
3.15 AVERAGE
This read as if Rendell got tired of writing and decided to phone it in. The descriptions of the guy with the sweets craving became tedious and boring. The entire plot l8ne strained credulity. Disappointing entry from a master of the form.
My annual after Christmas summer reading ritual almost always involves a new Ruth Rendell novel. This year was no different; I bought Portobello with the bookshop gift card my sister gave me for Christmas and read it over a couple of days. It's good--not Rendell's best, and not nearly as creepy as so many of her books are, but nicely structured and with her usual nuanced characterisation.
I had been disappointed in the most recent Rendell/Vine novels (I'm not counting her Wexford books which I don't read) but I'm pleased to say she's back at the top of her game with this one. There's no gimmicky ending, which is what I found in [b:The Water's Lovely|918924|The Water's Lovely|Ruth Rendell|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179449153s/918924.jpg|527643], and the voices of her characters are true, something I found lacking in [b:The Birthday Present|4762404|The Birthday Present A Novel|Barbara Vine|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266930349s/4762404.jpg|4827203].
In many ways, this is a novel of addiction; and while being inside the head of one character got a bit repetitive at times, that is the nature of dependency, after all -- and this character has quite an unusual craving. Creating such a varied range of personalities (along with each one's flaws and yearnings) is one of the reasons I find Rendell so readable.
This isn't her best book, but it certainly is a good one.
In many ways, this is a novel of addiction; and while being inside the head of one character got a bit repetitive at times, that is the nature of dependency, after all -- and this character has quite an unusual craving. Creating such a varied range of personalities (along with each one's flaws and yearnings) is one of the reasons I find Rendell so readable.
This isn't her best book, but it certainly is a good one.
Dnf after 2 chapters. With thrillers I need to be grabbed by something in the very beginning and I wasn’t. In fact, I was already starting to skim read. The writing style is not for me, full of very detailed descriptions of uninteresting things. It’s a nope.
This was hard to rate. It was objectively well written, but I don't know if I enjoyed it as much as I could have
Rendell, as usual, draws up a story rich with anxious characters all tip-toeing around their own secrets, lies, and deep insecurities. Rendell gives each character a small piece of the puzzle, and it is in this way--and her terrific third person narration--that she is able to build such great tension. The reader sees all of the individual pieces and knows where they need to go, but it takes just about to the end of the story until they're fit together.
I usually don't like it when Rendell summarizes the endings of her books to give a sort of "where are they now" finale. But in this one it works because of the Portobello Road framework. It was, all in all, a very satisfying read.
I usually don't like it when Rendell summarizes the endings of her books to give a sort of "where are they now" finale. But in this one it works because of the Portobello Road framework. It was, all in all, a very satisfying read.
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
No one can draw a "crazy" character than Ruth Rendell- she is great
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes