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A review by namnam84
The Post-birthday World by Lionel Shriver
2.0
PHEW! The 470-odd pages of this novel have left me exhausted. Shriver has an interesting premise, but it gets badly lost in the execution. And that is unfortunate because this book has a lot going for it - a parallel-storyline structure, interesting characters whose lives are filled with high drama and some wise insights on the way about relationships, choice and destiny.
The low-point of this book is most definitely Shriver's heroine - Irina McGovern. She seems so preoccupied by her relationships that it sometimes borders on masochism. She has two men in her life, is happy with neither, and you really start to wonder why she doesn't just leave them both and lead her own life. The novel is full of details about the professions of both men to the point where these discussions stall the narrative. But we know nothing about how Irina works, her meetings with her editors, her book launches and what she think about art and illustration. Since she is the supposed protagonist of this novel, this becomes a real tragedy.
I will not say don't go for this at all - go for it. But expect not to be enthralled by the premise as it quickly loses steam.
The low-point of this book is most definitely Shriver's heroine - Irina McGovern. She seems so preoccupied by her relationships that it sometimes borders on masochism. She has two men in her life, is happy with neither, and you really start to wonder why she doesn't just leave them both and lead her own life. The novel is full of details about the professions of both men to the point where these discussions stall the narrative. But we know nothing about how Irina works, her meetings with her editors, her book launches and what she think about art and illustration. Since she is the supposed protagonist of this novel, this becomes a real tragedy.
I will not say don't go for this at all - go for it. But expect not to be enthralled by the premise as it quickly loses steam.