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A review by franfernandezarce
Between the Acts by Virginia Woolf
3.0
I started reading this book loving the scenery and imagery underlying its simple plot. Sadly, this nice feeling of liking the book did not last for too long.
Now, I don't mind when books have large casts of characters. Although inevitably you always end up rooting or caring for one or two in particular, the more the merrier to keep your options open, right?
Except, lots of characters can become a problem when you have around ten different people all in several scenes together and talking both to one another and themselves. All. The. Time.
Because, in the end, you just don't really know what is happening or who is who. Worst of all, you just don't care about what will happen to them either.
The thing is--I'm not very good with names when reading. Unless it's something truly iconic or repeated throughout most of the story to create emphasis, chances are I'm not going to remember the characters' name after finishing a book. For instance, I got up until the last page of Ian McEwan's [b:Enduring Love|6870|Enduring Love|Ian McEwan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1313656531s/6870.jpg|31779], loving it by the way, without a single clue about the protagonist' name. And that book had like three characters in total.
So, of course, my enjoyment of this book became severely diminished when everything felt like one giant mixed-up plotless conversation between people I could not pin point. Quite a shame.
Now, I don't mind when books have large casts of characters. Although inevitably you always end up rooting or caring for one or two in particular, the more the merrier to keep your options open, right?
Except, lots of characters can become a problem when you have around ten different people all in several scenes together and talking both to one another and themselves. All. The. Time.
Because, in the end, you just don't really know what is happening or who is who. Worst of all, you just don't care about what will happen to them either.
The thing is--I'm not very good with names when reading. Unless it's something truly iconic or repeated throughout most of the story to create emphasis, chances are I'm not going to remember the characters' name after finishing a book. For instance, I got up until the last page of Ian McEwan's [b:Enduring Love|6870|Enduring Love|Ian McEwan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1313656531s/6870.jpg|31779], loving it by the way, without a single clue about the protagonist' name. And that book had like three characters in total.
So, of course, my enjoyment of this book became severely diminished when everything felt like one giant mixed-up plotless conversation between people I could not pin point. Quite a shame.