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nostradamusbuddy's review against another edition
Yikes. Every page of this was absolutely brutal. Full review TK.
sapphosgf's review
dark
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
leucocrystal's review against another edition
2.0
"I want to say, There are things I know that would wipe that smile off your face."
I think this is where I have to admit that Jacobs is decidedly an author, in my book, who falls into the currently very in-vogue trap of writing well, but apparently being terrified of allowing actual compelling plot or great character detail to ever emerge. Her craft is good, and her words flow well, which means she writes quick and smooth reads, but that isn't enough. I have to give a shit about these characters, and I just... don't. This mostly reads like an excuse to revisit a vacation to Italy (and apparently even that is done from a tourist perspective, not actually accurate to the place or the language of its actual people, though it doesn't shock me to find that criticism here; the whole thing overall is so shallow, that kind of fits right in with the bigger issue).
It mostly comes across as rather cowardly in its avoidance of any real conflict, plot, or character depth. Plenty of intruiging avenues are introduced, both situationally and through the characters we meet, but then... very little worthwhile or interesting happens. A woman pathologically fearful of death yet seemingly fated to care for multiple deaths around her seduces a 17-year-old Italian boy is plenty scandalous on paper, but not on this particular paper, because it merely skims the surface of alllll of that potential. It's like dipping a ladle into a possible ocean and coming up with a tablespoon of water. That's it? Really?
What's particularly maddening is that finally some plot and character conflict actually arrives... in the final 50 pages or less. All this ultimately serves up is a rushed ending that again barely skims the surface of all the interesting and dark corners a story like this could've gone. Just when the people in it get interesting and things actually start happening... It just ends. All right then?
Contemporary novelists' seeming total allergy to plot of any kind, so often opting for stylistically commendable navel-gazing at the expense of all else has been tiresome as hell to me as a reader, as it's been on the rise for the past decade to the point where I'm naturally wary of trying any new fiction from untested writers, and this is just another one to toss onto that looming pile. It's unfortunate, because Jacobs clearly has skill, it's just used to achieve almost zero depth, and certainly nothing unique. Every element of this has been done far better elsewhere. I gave this one a shot because Catalina was good enough to pique my curiosity as to what she'd write next, but I don't think I'll be picking up her third, whatever that ends up being. Life's too short for fiction that goes nowhere.
I think this is where I have to admit that Jacobs is decidedly an author, in my book, who falls into the currently very in-vogue trap of writing well, but apparently being terrified of allowing actual compelling plot or great character detail to ever emerge. Her craft is good, and her words flow well, which means she writes quick and smooth reads, but that isn't enough. I have to give a shit about these characters, and I just... don't. This mostly reads like an excuse to revisit a vacation to Italy (and apparently even that is done from a tourist perspective, not actually accurate to the place or the language of its actual people, though it doesn't shock me to find that criticism here; the whole thing overall is so shallow, that kind of fits right in with the bigger issue).
It mostly comes across as rather cowardly in its avoidance of any real conflict, plot, or character depth. Plenty of intruiging avenues are introduced, both situationally and through the characters we meet, but then... very little worthwhile or interesting happens. A woman pathologically fearful of death yet seemingly fated to care for multiple deaths around her seduces a 17-year-old Italian boy is plenty scandalous on paper, but not on this particular paper, because it merely skims the surface of alllll of that potential. It's like dipping a ladle into a possible ocean and coming up with a tablespoon of water. That's it? Really?
What's particularly maddening is that finally some plot and character conflict actually arrives... in the final 50 pages or less. All this ultimately serves up is a rushed ending that again barely skims the surface of all the interesting and dark corners a story like this could've gone. Just when the people in it get interesting and things actually start happening... It just ends. All right then?
Contemporary novelists' seeming total allergy to plot of any kind, so often opting for stylistically commendable navel-gazing at the expense of all else has been tiresome as hell to me as a reader, as it's been on the rise for the past decade to the point where I'm naturally wary of trying any new fiction from untested writers, and this is just another one to toss onto that looming pile. It's unfortunate, because Jacobs clearly has skill, it's just used to achieve almost zero depth, and certainly nothing unique. Every element of this has been done far better elsewhere. I gave this one a shot because Catalina was good enough to pique my curiosity as to what she'd write next, but I don't think I'll be picking up her third, whatever that ends up being. Life's too short for fiction that goes nowhere.
bookish_molly's review
4.0
I absolutely loved Liska Jacob’s first novel, Catalina - so I was super excited to receive an advance copy of her upcoming book in exchange for an honest review.
The description: A trip to Italy reignites a woman’s desires to disastrous effect in this dark ode to womanhood, death and sex.
There’s something special about Jacob’s writing. It‘s sinister and a little tense... the characters are complex and though I didn’t necessarily relate to them, I was intrigued. Similar to how she portrayed Catalina in her first novel, Italy acted as more of a character throughout the story than s simple location, and it made me want to book a trip there ASAP.
I will say it irrationally irked me how much she referenced the noise of cicadas as a setting description... no less than 25 times.
But overall - really enjoyed. There were hints of Catalina in this one - good in the sense I could tell they were the same author, but not so much that it felt like reading the same book twice.
The description: A trip to Italy reignites a woman’s desires to disastrous effect in this dark ode to womanhood, death and sex.
There’s something special about Jacob’s writing. It‘s sinister and a little tense... the characters are complex and though I didn’t necessarily relate to them, I was intrigued. Similar to how she portrayed Catalina in her first novel, Italy acted as more of a character throughout the story than s simple location, and it made me want to book a trip there ASAP.
I will say it irrationally irked me how much she referenced the noise of cicadas as a setting description... no less than 25 times.
But overall - really enjoyed. There were hints of Catalina in this one - good in the sense I could tell they were the same author, but not so much that it felt like reading the same book twice.
britishfictionfan's review
3.0
A dark, treacherous exploration of sexuality, desire, aging, and grief. Cilla flees her aging, sick mother in LA. to help her widowed brother in law and niece in sweltering Rome. Twisted family dynamics & secrets aplenty will keep you turning the pages.
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