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macbean221b 's review for:
Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights
by Salman Rushdie
I received TWO YEARS EIGHT MONTHS AND TWENTY-EIGHT NIGHTS as an ARC from NetGalley.com.
3.5 STARS
I'd never read Salman Rushdie before this. I almost didn't read this, either. I don't usually jump into such a well-established author's work on a whim; I like to talk to other readers whose tastes I'm familiar with and get their opinion on where to begin. If I don't know anyone who's read the particular author I'm interested in, I do a little research and choose that way. It's actually a lot like my process for choosing a horse to bet on in a race, except I don't end up dusty and sunburnt by the end of the day.
Anyway, my point was, I didn't know what to expect from TWO YEARS EIGHT MONTHS AND TWENTY-EIGHT NIGHTS, and I don't have other Salman Rushdie works to compare it to in my review. Just so you know.
I found this book while browsing NetGalley and I requested it for a few different reasons. First, I'd never read Rushdie before, but I'd always meant to, and here was one I might get for free, so why not give it a try? (I mean, I guess technically "first" should be that the cover design grabbed my attention. But whatever.) Next, I did some quick calculations and realised how long two years, eight months, and twenty-eight days is, and felt like I was being let in on a joke. And then I read the summary and knew this was going to be my first Salman Rushdie book.
Honestly, it took me a little bit to get into it, once I started reading. The structure calls for it to be written largely in the style of a myth or folk tale. That style works for me in short bursts, but I found it a little difficult to settle into for a novel-length story. I did eventually, though, and while most of the characters felt flat (as they tend to be in myths and fairy/folk tales) there were a couple that I wound up somewhat invested in, which is almost always the most important aspect to my enjoyment of stories.
This isn't a book I'd recommend universally, or at least not to people who force themselves to finish a book even when they're not enjoying it. TWO YEARS EIGHT MONTHS AND TWENTY-EIGHT DAYS is an odd tale--actually, I think it might make an even better movie--and as long as you can get into the style, it's worth your time.
3.5 STARS
I'd never read Salman Rushdie before this. I almost didn't read this, either. I don't usually jump into such a well-established author's work on a whim; I like to talk to other readers whose tastes I'm familiar with and get their opinion on where to begin. If I don't know anyone who's read the particular author I'm interested in, I do a little research and choose that way. It's actually a lot like my process for choosing a horse to bet on in a race, except I don't end up dusty and sunburnt by the end of the day.
Anyway, my point was, I didn't know what to expect from TWO YEARS EIGHT MONTHS AND TWENTY-EIGHT NIGHTS, and I don't have other Salman Rushdie works to compare it to in my review. Just so you know.
I found this book while browsing NetGalley and I requested it for a few different reasons. First, I'd never read Rushdie before, but I'd always meant to, and here was one I might get for free, so why not give it a try? (I mean, I guess technically "first" should be that the cover design grabbed my attention. But whatever.) Next, I did some quick calculations and realised how long two years, eight months, and twenty-eight days is, and felt like I was being let in on a joke. And then I read the summary and knew this was going to be my first Salman Rushdie book.
Honestly, it took me a little bit to get into it, once I started reading. The structure calls for it to be written largely in the style of a myth or folk tale. That style works for me in short bursts, but I found it a little difficult to settle into for a novel-length story. I did eventually, though, and while most of the characters felt flat (as they tend to be in myths and fairy/folk tales) there were a couple that I wound up somewhat invested in, which is almost always the most important aspect to my enjoyment of stories.
This isn't a book I'd recommend universally, or at least not to people who force themselves to finish a book even when they're not enjoying it. TWO YEARS EIGHT MONTHS AND TWENTY-EIGHT DAYS is an odd tale--actually, I think it might make an even better movie--and as long as you can get into the style, it's worth your time.