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3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
One of the most magnificent examples of metafiction I've ever read, and I have a BA in English Literature so I've read a lot of it. I can see why everyone's talking about this one.
I liked the start, but I quickly began struggling to read further. I finally gave up about page 96. I just didn't care about the characters, the plot, or anything.
I can only give 3 stars because the first 90% of the book was pretty dull and had no real 'point' as I read along. But. Then. oh- those last 40 pages slammed into me and I finished it up in record time loving every last word on the page. Not many books leave such high emotion in me when I close them... well played.
Beautifully written but ultimately unfulfilling. Deceit, lies and everything else in-between that's expected from a cold war thriller with a 'slight' difference. A little too smart-alecky for me - the background of the old boy network was formulaic and ultimately a little too predictable.
No tengo mucho que decir. La descripción sonaba menos aburrida.
The only previous McEwan novels I have read are [b: Atonement|6867|Atonement|Ian McEwan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320449708s/6867.jpg|2307233], [b: On Chesil Beach|815309|On Chesil Beach|Ian McEwan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1436962381s/815309.jpg|1698999], and [b: Saturday|5015|Saturday|Ian McEwan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1431501825s/5015.jpg|2307189], both of which were skilled in the use of different voices, narration styles, and content. As reading McEwan is like opening up a box of chocolates and wondering what you'll get, (excuse the Forrest Gump idiom, but it works here), and Sweet Tooth is no different.
The plot starts out slow and the minute detailed descriptions of Serena's coming and goings get to be too much, but the masterful work is at the end how McEwan pulls everything together. (I should add I really liked the ending.) Everything is paced and plotted wonderfully; the framing really works here and makes the story more interesting as you push through.
That's it downfall: The beginning seems muddled and messy but as you plow through, you get the sense of what McEwan is going for.
The plot starts out slow and the minute detailed descriptions of Serena's coming and goings get to be too much, but the masterful work is at the end how McEwan pulls everything together. (I should add I really liked the ending.) Everything is paced and plotted wonderfully; the framing really works here and makes the story more interesting as you push through.
That's it downfall: The beginning seems muddled and messy but as you plow through, you get the sense of what McEwan is going for.
To be reviewed closer to (or right after) this month's book club meeting
I'm torn about how I feel about this book. I felt the author did a good job of portraying England during the early 1970s, capturing the mood of the time, and offering an intriguing premise--a female who becomes a spy when not many women were working in this field. I enjoyed the writing overall even though the main character (Serena) wasn't terribly likable. The plot focuses more on her personal life than the spy work she is doing but does offer glimpses into what it might have been like for a woman in the spy game during the 1970s. The reason I am torn about this book was the final chapter. Trying not to give the ending away, I felt manipulated and it colored everything I had read up until that point. Not having read anything by this author previously, I've come to learn that the twist element is common in his work. While I do enjoy stories with twists, I had a hard time with how this particular story ended and felt duped rather than pleasantly surprised by where the author led me. It did give us a lot to discuss at this month's book club, so that was a plus! :)
I'm torn about how I feel about this book. I felt the author did a good job of portraying England during the early 1970s, capturing the mood of the time, and offering an intriguing premise--a female who becomes a spy when not many women were working in this field. I enjoyed the writing overall even though the main character (Serena) wasn't terribly likable. The plot focuses more on her personal life than the spy work she is doing but does offer glimpses into what it might have been like for a woman in the spy game during the 1970s. The reason I am torn about this book was the final chapter. Trying not to give the ending away, I felt manipulated and it colored everything I had read up until that point. Not having read anything by this author previously, I've come to learn that the twist element is common in his work. While I do enjoy stories with twists, I had a hard time with how this particular story ended and felt duped rather than pleasantly surprised by where the author led me. It did give us a lot to discuss at this month's book club, so that was a plus! :)
I liked it a lot in the end, but it was uneven getting there.
I like the style of writing but couldn't tolerate the slow pace. A third of the way through this I just couldn't continue.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Painful read for me. I got this book simply because I loved atonement. The plot itself (spy novel) didn’t peek my interests but I love the writing style of McEwan in atonement. Main character is insufferable and falls in love with everyone she meets. Snoozefest with dull characters.