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brittbat 's review for:
The Shipping News
by Annie Proulx
I am forging ever forth in my goal of reading a Pulitzer Prize-winning work of fiction each month in 2023, even though the waves are getting pretty high and I think my boat is starting to take on water. (See what I did there?)
There are some moments that shine in The Shipping News. I liked the aunt. I liked the idea of having the protagonist be the least intriguing person in the entire book. But I admit that when I saw a review that said that reading this book is like reading a bowl of cold pea soup, I had to agree. I struggled a lot with Proulx's style, particularly the longwinded stories every character was eager to launch into, and the long lists that served as descriptions. And by "struggled with" I mean I heaved a great inward sigh and settled myself in with resignation and no small measure of resentment.
I don't know! Maybe I'm learning from this project that I don't care that much about prestigious awards! But then I think about how much I've loved Less and The Goldfinch and The Grapes of Wrath. And I can't bring myself to say, okay, this isn't very fun, I'm finished.
There are some moments that shine in The Shipping News. I liked the aunt. I liked the idea of having the protagonist be the least intriguing person in the entire book. But I admit that when I saw a review that said that reading this book is like reading a bowl of cold pea soup, I had to agree. I struggled a lot with Proulx's style, particularly the longwinded stories every character was eager to launch into, and the long lists that served as descriptions. And by "struggled with" I mean I heaved a great inward sigh and settled myself in with resignation and no small measure of resentment.
I don't know! Maybe I'm learning from this project that I don't care that much about prestigious awards! But then I think about how much I've loved Less and The Goldfinch and The Grapes of Wrath. And I can't bring myself to say, okay, this isn't very fun, I'm finished.