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A review by rosekk
Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
1.0
Nope, not for me.
I almost never put books down without finishing them. On the odd occasion I find myself having to skim-read a book, but I usually at least commit to seeing the story to it's end. I tried to do the same with this one, but couldn't do it.
My problem was with the writing style. Usually I like books that mimic an oral story-telling style, and I like first-person narrators giving accounts of their lives (especially if the can be described as amoral or immoral, as I like seeing how they judge their own actions). I'm also quite happy with non-linear story structures, and vague or mystical elements. This, then, should have been right up my street. Instead, I hated the style and it made me hate the main character. I tried skim-reading the book for a bit, in an effort to at least see the tale to it's conclusion, but I found I just didn't care enough to push through to the end.
I almost never put books down without finishing them. On the odd occasion I find myself having to skim-read a book, but I usually at least commit to seeing the story to it's end. I tried to do the same with this one, but couldn't do it.
My problem was with the writing style. Usually I like books that mimic an oral story-telling style, and I like first-person narrators giving accounts of their lives (especially if the can be described as amoral or immoral, as I like seeing how they judge their own actions). I'm also quite happy with non-linear story structures, and vague or mystical elements. This, then, should have been right up my street. Instead, I hated the style and it made me hate the main character. I tried skim-reading the book for a bit, in an effort to at least see the tale to it's conclusion, but I found I just didn't care enough to push through to the end.