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jamesdanielhorn 's review for:
The Transit of Venus
by Shirley Hazzard
Sorry, but this was not for me.
It’s not a BAD book, Shirley Hazzard is clearly extremely talented. Her fragmentary approach to dialogue is realistic even if occasionally hard to follow, and her prose is well honed. The book, I’m sure, is empowering to some, and deals with the very relevant message not giving in to the power of entitlement. I just didn’t like it very much.
For me it was stiff and stuffy and I honestly couldn’t remember what was going on because I just didn’t ever connect with any of the characters. Also, because the book takes place over 30+ years the slices of life we do get were confusing for me because I was never sure when and where things were taking place.
It reminded me of reading a humorless and haughtier Downton Abbey; which if that sounds up your alley, go for it. I would never dissuade someone from reading this, because it is clearly well executed and given its acclaim and the positive reviews here, is absolutely FOR other readers… just not me.
It’s not a BAD book, Shirley Hazzard is clearly extremely talented. Her fragmentary approach to dialogue is realistic even if occasionally hard to follow, and her prose is well honed. The book, I’m sure, is empowering to some, and deals with the very relevant message not giving in to the power of entitlement. I just didn’t like it very much.
For me it was stiff and stuffy and I honestly couldn’t remember what was going on because I just didn’t ever connect with any of the characters. Also, because the book takes place over 30+ years the slices of life we do get were confusing for me because I was never sure when and where things were taking place.
It reminded me of reading a humorless and haughtier Downton Abbey; which if that sounds up your alley, go for it. I would never dissuade someone from reading this, because it is clearly well executed and given its acclaim and the positive reviews here, is absolutely FOR other readers… just not me.