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A review by shadowsmoon
Lucia by Alex Pheby
3.0
Hmmm, I have changed change my rating of this book from 2 to 3 stars even though I really didn't enjoy it. I think part of the major problem with this book (even though I'm sure from a literary perspective it 'breaks boundaries' is that it is so very disjointed. I read another reviewer's post that said it was annoying that you had to have background knowledge of Lucia in order to read it. Well, yes I thoroughly agree.
It was also so far from what I was expecting. I had hoped and looked forward to a book in which I could hear Lucia's experience... a speculation of how she might have felt, what might have happened to her. But this was sadly lacking. I can understand how the effect of not having her voice very much would have emphasised some literary and historical point but it was all a bit too sparse, empty.
I also thought that the changing of narratives and POVs could have worked but... I couldn't hear different voices which made it really hard to follow - just the same judgmental voice...maybe that was the point? I am also sure that there was some clever thinking behind the abhorrent chapters in which views about how men can treat women were expounded, but I found them highly uncomfortable (disgusting even) and any sarcasm or irony was lost in the darkness of it all for me.
I really wanted to love this book and there were some absolutely gem chapters but they were far too few and far between I'm afraid. Nevertheless, I would be interested to hear Alex talk about the book to discover what he was trying to do with it. Might go and seek that out now!
It was also so far from what I was expecting. I had hoped and looked forward to a book in which I could hear Lucia's experience... a speculation of how she might have felt, what might have happened to her. But this was sadly lacking. I can understand how the effect of not having her voice very much would have emphasised some literary and historical point but it was all a bit too sparse, empty.
I also thought that the changing of narratives and POVs could have worked but... I couldn't hear different voices which made it really hard to follow - just the same judgmental voice...maybe that was the point? I am also sure that there was some clever thinking behind the abhorrent chapters in which views about how men can treat women were expounded, but I found them highly uncomfortable (disgusting even) and any sarcasm or irony was lost in the darkness of it all for me.
I really wanted to love this book and there were some absolutely gem chapters but they were far too few and far between I'm afraid. Nevertheless, I would be interested to hear Alex talk about the book to discover what he was trying to do with it. Might go and seek that out now!