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3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
Красивая и умная девушка получает шпионскую работу, влюбляется в писателя, а потом все все узнают.
***
Мне очень нравилась у Макьюэна "Амстердам" и "Искупление". Он, конечно, очень любит исторические описания, и так все подробно объяснить, что понятнее и не придумаешь. Но в "Искуплении" такие объяснения читались поживее, хоть и касались в основном ужасов войны. Здесь объяснения, касающиеся, казалось бы, крайне благодатной почвы (секретных служб Британии), очень уж мешали, - куча ничего не значащих имен и подробностей. Джону Ле Карре такие повествования давались куда легче, и, как следствие, читать их интереснее.
Не могу не заметить, что особенность книг Макьюэна - вовсе не в кульминации. Чаще всего кульминация у него вторична, а первичен сам сюжет: напряжение, которое подвешивается как китайский фонарик, в вечерней комнате, почти с первых страниц, всему придает особый цвет и добавляет теней в и без того темные углы. Здесь напряжение исправно подвесили, но наступление утра разрушило очарование интриги. Другими словами: рассказывал-рассказывал, а потом все стало так понятно, что уже стало неинтересно. Я не впечатлилась историей, хотя мне всегда нравились книги про шпионов, но здесь и шпион - не шпион, и интрига хлипенькая какая-то вышла, хотя обещалось-то, обещалось...
***
Мне очень нравилась у Макьюэна "Амстердам" и "Искупление". Он, конечно, очень любит исторические описания, и так все подробно объяснить, что понятнее и не придумаешь. Но в "Искуплении" такие объяснения читались поживее, хоть и касались в основном ужасов войны. Здесь объяснения, касающиеся, казалось бы, крайне благодатной почвы (секретных служб Британии), очень уж мешали, - куча ничего не значащих имен и подробностей. Джону Ле Карре такие повествования давались куда легче, и, как следствие, читать их интереснее.
Не могу не заметить, что особенность книг Макьюэна - вовсе не в кульминации. Чаще всего кульминация у него вторична, а первичен сам сюжет: напряжение, которое подвешивается как китайский фонарик, в вечерней комнате, почти с первых страниц, всему придает особый цвет и добавляет теней в и без того темные углы. Здесь напряжение исправно подвесили, но наступление утра разрушило очарование интриги. Другими словами: рассказывал-рассказывал, а потом все стало так понятно, что уже стало неинтересно. Я не впечатлилась историей, хотя мне всегда нравились книги про шпионов, но здесь и шпион - не шпион, и интрига хлипенькая какая-то вышла, хотя обещалось-то, обещалось...
I loved this book. Sweet tooth is about a girl who loves to read and her love of reading is utilized in a job she gets working for mI6. Omg then the things that happen who she falls in love with and how it ends
Holy cow..
Holy cow..
To start, McEwan's writing is at the top of his game. I always seem to forget the relationship he appears to have with words. No sentence is ever wasted and there are very few other writers who can make me highlight as many one-liners as he can. It seemed as though every other page I had a new favorite line.
Plot-wise, though, there was something missing, preventing my ability to truly connect with the book. However, I understood the characters and of course became attached to the overly confident yet flawed heroine. I think it was that attachment that allowed myself to be completely sucked in my the last chapter. Was it a cheap literary trick? Yes. Did I love it? Yes. In fact, that chapter alone bumped my rating up to 5 stars. It created this overarching plan for the book and my lack of true connection was suddenly explained and perhaps even purposeful on McEwan's part.
I would highly recommend this book for the writing alone, but please follow it through. It's worth it.
Plot-wise, though, there was something missing, preventing my ability to truly connect with the book. However, I understood the characters and of course became attached to the overly confident yet flawed heroine. I think it was that attachment that allowed myself to be completely sucked in my the last chapter. Was it a cheap literary trick? Yes. Did I love it? Yes. In fact, that chapter alone bumped my rating up to 5 stars. It created this overarching plan for the book and my lack of true connection was suddenly explained and perhaps even purposeful on McEwan's part.
I would highly recommend this book for the writing alone, but please follow it through. It's worth it.
I enjoyed this. A modern update on the typical British spy story. Original too
medium-paced
Sweet Tooth was … well, middling. I wanted to invest more in the characters and the story, but, by the end, I was glad for having not done so. The prose itself is really lovely; McEwan is, as always, a wonderful wordsmith. He's a writer's writer, and his style gives you the chance to luxuriate in the the deliberateness of the language (sometimes it's distracting, though--was anyone else annoyed by the number of times "solipsism" appeared in this book?).
That being said, the plot itself just sort of meandered its way towards a "surprising" conclusion that I didn't feel it really earned. There's so much foreshadowing, so many little throwbacks to Le Carré-esque paranoia and intrigue, that you come to expect some flashy, espionage-related finale. Maybe there was more to Tony's story after all? Maybe Serena's not as incompetent as she appears and takes the initiative with some assignment?
But no, you're never gratified with any of these things. Instead, you're given a conclusion that's neither here nor there. I was personally left wishing that there had either been more authenticity, more depth to the characterization, or that the twist ending had raised smarter questions about the veracity of individual narratives and the connection between fiction/reality rather than making me go back through minute, mundane details and question if they were accurately portrayed. ("Was Serena actually infatuated with Max? Does she really own an orange pleated skirt?")
The period detail was fun, when it didn't veer towards the didactic, and I liked that McEwan played with the reader's expectations at several points, handing you a mystery/romance when you're expecting a super-spy thriller. I do really enjoy his writing, because it's a rewarding experience once you get into it.
Maybe Sweet Tooth will grow on me with time and rereading, but, for now, it's firmly in the "ehh" category for me.
That being said, the plot itself just sort of meandered its way towards a "surprising" conclusion that I didn't feel it really earned. There's so much foreshadowing, so many little throwbacks to Le Carré-esque paranoia and intrigue, that you come to expect some flashy, espionage-related finale. Maybe there was more to Tony's story after all? Maybe Serena's not as incompetent as she appears and takes the initiative with some assignment?
But no, you're never gratified with any of these things. Instead, you're given a conclusion that's neither here nor there. I was personally left wishing that there had either been more authenticity, more depth to the characterization, or that the twist ending had raised smarter questions about the veracity of individual narratives and the connection between fiction/reality rather than making me go back through minute, mundane details and question if they were accurately portrayed. ("Was Serena actually infatuated with Max? Does she really own an orange pleated skirt?")
The period detail was fun, when it didn't veer towards the didactic, and I liked that McEwan played with the reader's expectations at several points, handing you a mystery/romance when you're expecting a super-spy thriller. I do really enjoy his writing, because it's a rewarding experience once you get into it.
Maybe Sweet Tooth will grow on me with time and rereading, but, for now, it's firmly in the "ehh" category for me.
Not what I expected, but I liked the little twist at the end. I think I'd want to re-read it to get more out of it...
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Edit 9/19: It wavered at three stars for a while; the more I get to know McEwan's style the more flaws I am able to perceive. This is not a slight, but self-congratulation; I still crave his writing above most others. I also enjoyed this very much the second time, experiencing palpable catharsis at the end. Thank you!
Original review:
I love unreliable narrators, so I was a sucker for this book. I talked about how there was a description that didn't make sense midway through the book with my friends, acknowledging how a woman writing a memoir would not remember which way her hair was parted a particular day forty years later -- but then, of course, it became clear why that descriptor was in there. It showed Haley to be a mediocre writer, in some respects, which was better to me than McEwan being a mediocre author. My opinion of this book improved when I got to the end rather than detracted, as some other readers found. But that's only if you go in for the gimmick McEwan is so fond of. I, personally, do. ymmv.
Original review:
I love unreliable narrators, so I was a sucker for this book. I talked about how there was a description that didn't make sense midway through the book with my friends, acknowledging how a woman writing a memoir would not remember which way her hair was parted a particular day forty years later -- but then, of course, it became clear why that descriptor was in there. It showed Haley to be a mediocre writer, in some respects, which was better to me than McEwan being a mediocre author. My opinion of this book improved when I got to the end rather than detracted, as some other readers found. But that's only if you go in for the gimmick McEwan is so fond of. I, personally, do. ymmv.