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A review by harmchan
Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak
3.0
I loved The Book Thief (a favourite read of mine) but found Bridge of Clay hard to get into this book.
I liked Penny Dunbar and I liked her story, and I liked Matthew telling that story. It felt it was his to tell: his mother’s story and, therefore, how he and his brothers came to be. But, when it came to Matthew telling Clay’s story (the whole point of the book), it just didn’t read right for me. It was all about Clay but not Clay’s voice. It was Matthew reporting what did and did not happened to Clay and Carey.
I thought mostly throughout the book that I didn’t really like Clay or Matthew. But the problem was that I didn’t feel like I got to know either of them very well. Clay was written about by Matthew; Matthew largely only wrote about Clay. It was only until the very last chapter, the epilogue, that we hear from Matthew about his (Clayless) life that I realised I do like him when he’s telling his own story for what it is. I was interested in hearing how things turned out for him and his other (not Clay) brothers.
I would have enjoyed this book more had it been Matthew telling the story from his point of view rather than writing Clay’s down for him, or even, hearing from Clay himself. Though, of course, that’s just me as one reader and I’m nowhere to be telling the author how to write his books!
I liked Penny Dunbar and I liked her story, and I liked Matthew telling that story. It felt it was his to tell: his mother’s story and, therefore, how he and his brothers came to be. But, when it came to Matthew telling Clay’s story (the whole point of the book), it just didn’t read right for me. It was all about Clay but not Clay’s voice. It was Matthew reporting what did and did not happened to Clay and Carey.
I thought mostly throughout the book that I didn’t really like Clay or Matthew. But the problem was that I didn’t feel like I got to know either of them very well. Clay was written about by Matthew; Matthew largely only wrote about Clay. It was only until the very last chapter, the epilogue, that we hear from Matthew about his (Clayless) life that I realised I do like him when he’s telling his own story for what it is. I was interested in hearing how things turned out for him and his other (not Clay) brothers.
I would have enjoyed this book more had it been Matthew telling the story from his point of view rather than writing Clay’s down for him, or even, hearing from Clay himself. Though, of course, that’s just me as one reader and I’m nowhere to be telling the author how to write his books!