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A review by kandicez
Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz
2.0
2 and a 1/2 stars, but since that's not an option, I don't feel like bumping it to 3.
My opinion probably suffered because I went into this book expecting something completely different. I read it because my daughter loves the movie, which stars Tina Fey and Paul Rudd. Because of them I expected it to be lighter than it was, and if not actually funny, at least amusing. It was neither. It was very, very heavy and dense. The entire book is an internal journey for Portia, the main character. There was very little that actually happened.
I don't want to spoil anything, although the "big reveal" which doesn't occur until about page 350, is so nonchalantly slipped in that I didn't feel surprised, or even have that "ah ha!" moment, where NOW things make sense. It was all too internal and personal for me to care very much.
The ending was also a let down. When Portia's life changing event is revealed, and she realizes how it has colored and made her hold eveyone at arms length since, I expected her to DO something! To be fair, she does something, but it's just not that big of a deal, and she never even goes so far as to find actual proof of her suspicions.
A definite whimper as opposed to a bang.
I also had to rate the novel low for it's shear length. There was no reason it took over 500 pages to tell this story. There were pages and pages of droning where I would read and read and realize my eyes had glazed over because what I was reading meant nothing to me or the story and wasn't even interesting besides.
Maybe if I had approached the novel with no expectations I would have enjoyed it more, but, unfortunately we can't go back. I just didn't enjoy it.
My opinion probably suffered because I went into this book expecting something completely different. I read it because my daughter loves the movie, which stars Tina Fey and Paul Rudd. Because of them I expected it to be lighter than it was, and if not actually funny, at least amusing. It was neither. It was very, very heavy and dense. The entire book is an internal journey for Portia, the main character. There was very little that actually happened.
I don't want to spoil anything, although the "big reveal" which doesn't occur until about page 350, is so nonchalantly slipped in that I didn't feel surprised, or even have that "ah ha!" moment, where NOW things make sense. It was all too internal and personal for me to care very much.
The ending was also a let down. When Portia's life changing event is revealed, and she realizes how it has colored and made her hold eveyone at arms length since, I expected her to DO something! To be fair, she does something, but it's just not that big of a deal, and she never even goes so far as to find actual proof of her suspicions.
A definite whimper as opposed to a bang.
I also had to rate the novel low for it's shear length. There was no reason it took over 500 pages to tell this story. There were pages and pages of droning where I would read and read and realize my eyes had glazed over because what I was reading meant nothing to me or the story and wasn't even interesting besides.
Maybe if I had approached the novel with no expectations I would have enjoyed it more, but, unfortunately we can't go back. I just didn't enjoy it.