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A review by toutesleschosesmarguerite
The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I really, really wanted to like this book. It seemed to be one of those books that stay with you - raw strange, authentic and unique. I truly hoped it would be one of those special novels, the kind that stands out, that keeps coming back to you, that expresses the genuine, human experience as if you were the one living it, describing relationships and emotions that until then would refuse to be tamed and put into words in a masterful, almost ethereal way that one would doubt even existed.
But the story felt for me awfully underdeveloped. The story of the friendship with Fabienne - the focal point of the novel and a constantly returning theme - despite the significance for the entirety of the plot seemed rather weak. Instead of creating a complex, multilayered, enigmatic bond between two reclused girls, for the most part the narration did nothing but reinforce the premise already given on the first ten pages of the book, with few things to captivate the reader or to ponder over.
The main character, too, ended up being quite bland - and while that was the very point of it, I nonetheless believe that there are more authentic, bewitching ways of achieving that goal.
As a result, the story has failed to charm me or to at least keep me from regretting having spent my money on it.
In no way did I feel drawn to the book; and, as it went on, I have therefore found myself trying to read it quickly solely for the purpose of being able to cross it off the list and be able to move on to another, hopefully more promising title on my shelf. Had I put it down permanently, I doubt I would feel much remorse or any real temptation to pick it up again, given that the only thing that managed to provide me with any sort of satisfaction or enjoyment was the extraordinary shortness of the chapters and the rapid progress I made with the novel.
The premise of the book seemed genuinely enticing and engrossing; yet at the end of the day, it was bland and disappointing. In three months time, I doubt I will remember anything at all.
But the story felt for me awfully underdeveloped. The story of the friendship with Fabienne - the focal point of the novel and a constantly returning theme - despite the significance for the entirety of the plot seemed rather weak. Instead of creating a complex, multilayered, enigmatic bond between two reclused girls, for the most part the narration did nothing but reinforce the premise already given on the first ten pages of the book, with few things to captivate the reader or to ponder over.
The main character, too, ended up being quite bland - and while that was the very point of it, I nonetheless believe that there are more authentic, bewitching ways of achieving that goal.
As a result, the story has failed to charm me or to at least keep me from regretting having spent my money on it.
In no way did I feel drawn to the book; and, as it went on, I have therefore found myself trying to read it quickly solely for the purpose of being able to cross it off the list and be able to move on to another, hopefully more promising title on my shelf. Had I put it down permanently, I doubt I would feel much remorse or any real temptation to pick it up again, given that the only thing that managed to provide me with any sort of satisfaction or enjoyment was the extraordinary shortness of the chapters and the rapid progress I made with the novel.
The premise of the book seemed genuinely enticing and engrossing; yet at the end of the day, it was bland and disappointing. In three months time, I doubt I will remember anything at all.