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A review by verumsolum
The Fires by Sigríður Hagalín Björnsdóttir
3.0
This is one of those books where I suspect that there's a divergence between quality and enjoyment. I think the author did very well what she set out to do, but it wasn't to my taste. She tells the story well, but I had two major problems with the story: the first was the main character. She… was one of those characters who is too smart in some ways and too dumb in others. Her professional life is a success, and her personal life is a mess. And… her obsession with her perception of herself as rational ends up being completely ludicrous when she hits situations where she behaves emotionally and selfishly.
The other problem I have is the book's ending. I don't want to get into spoilers, but it takes us somewhere horrible, and then just stops. And I don't want an author to lead me to that and then abandon me immediately. If you have to take me there, do something with it. Even if it's not "happily ever after," help me find meaning in it, rather than a chapter of airy bullshit from the character we've watched bullshit herself through most of the book. I mean, given what she's said about herself through the book, why should I trust that what she says now is going to be meaningful?
If my criticisms haven't scared you off, you probably should read the book: technically, I think she handled it well. But it just ended up being a book I wished I hadn't finished (even though I rarely DNF books).
The other problem I have is the book's ending. I don't want to get into spoilers, but it takes us somewhere horrible, and then just stops. And I don't want an author to lead me to that and then abandon me immediately. If you have to take me there, do something with it. Even if it's not "happily ever after," help me find meaning in it, rather than a chapter of airy bullshit from the character we've watched bullshit herself through most of the book. I mean, given what she's said about herself through the book, why should I trust that what she says now is going to be meaningful?
If my criticisms haven't scared you off, you probably should read the book: technically, I think she handled it well. But it just ended up being a book I wished I hadn't finished (even though I rarely DNF books).