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darthval 's review for:
Big Stone Gap
by Adriana Trigiani
This is a quick and easy read that is on the whole enjoyable, despite its over reliance on emotional reasoning over logic.
The story is a bit of a coming of age story, if one can say of a 35 year old woman. It is set in a mountain town in Virginia and features more than a few stereotypes. But, the setting also feeds the humor of the story. It is set in the late 70's, although it is difficult to feel the time stamp on the setting other than some comments regarding fashion. I'll be honest, it felt more like a small mountain town in the 2000's, when the book was written.
As with the last Trigiani book that I read, I found the heroine's lack of emotional intelligence frustrating. Most of the book felt like she was chasing her tail, acting childish, and floating by without a plan. I just can't relate to. And, quite frankly, if I let myself think upon it more deeply, it is exactly the type of "chick lit" nonsense that lead so many women to have unrealistic relationship expectations. Life isn't a story where
Ok, backing it down a notch, I'll just accept it as I do my fantasy literature and leave it at that. From a stylistic perspective, the narrator likes to meander throwing in different stories here and there, but not so much to be completely disruptive. Also, it feels like the book lingers well after the pinnacle of the story.
The story is a bit of a coming of age story, if one can say of a 35 year old woman. It is set in a mountain town in Virginia and features more than a few stereotypes. But, the setting also feeds the humor of the story. It is set in the late 70's, although it is difficult to feel the time stamp on the setting other than some comments regarding fashion. I'll be honest, it felt more like a small mountain town in the 2000's, when the book was written.
As with the last Trigiani book that I read, I found the heroine's lack of emotional intelligence frustrating. Most of the book felt like she was chasing her tail, acting childish, and floating by without a plan. I just can't relate to. And, quite frankly, if I let myself think upon it more deeply, it is exactly the type of "chick lit" nonsense that lead so many women to have unrealistic relationship expectations. Life isn't a story where
Spoiler
the super nice, dependable hot guys has been in love with the plain chubby girl since sixth grade despite that fact that she has ignored him through the years and then still wants her after she stomps his heart into the ground and waits for her to come around and they live happily ever after.Ok, backing it down a notch, I'll just accept it as I do my fantasy literature and leave it at that. From a stylistic perspective, the narrator likes to meander throwing in different stories here and there, but not so much to be completely disruptive. Also, it feels like the book lingers well after the pinnacle of the story.