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ditalion 's review for:
Der Vorleser
by Bernhard Schlink
Actual star rating closer to 2.5 stars.
I think I went into this book with the wrong attitude or expectations. I thought it would be a good book based on the fact that I recognized the title as being from some top-books-list and from the fact that I knew it had a major movie production. Because of that I thought it would be great, even though it wasn't something I would normally really pick up. That is not the right way to go into a book, and I was wrong. I didn't like it.
I read this in German, and I do end up not liking German books a lot of the times. Mostly because I have to read the books for class [and when something is mandatory, it is less fun]. Yet I had high hopes for this one. It seemed to be like this would be a different story. For me, it wasn't.
I didn't feel connected to the characters. Not really, I didn't really care for them in anyway. It wasn't like the book was even trying though, it was like it was keeping its distance. That wasn't very pleasant to read. (I thought it was boring.)
The story itself wasn't really gripping. It was a bit interesting at times, and I managed to keep reading, but it wasn't fast-paced or packed with interesting events. Also, it didn't really feel that realistic a lot of the times and I felt the distance between me and the book growing bigger and bigger.
Furthermore, I think some of the stuff escalated really quickly and without any warning or build-up, which was annoying and I had a couple of "wtf-moments" (not the good kind). It made the feeling that it wasn't realistic only stronger.
The whole "love story" thing I thought would be part of it, was something I couldn't really see. I think it had elements of child-abuse and showed some of the psychical consequences the character had to deal with. Reading about this wasn't really my taste.
I can sort of see why other people might like it. There was even a tiny part that I liked (therefore the 2.5 stars instead of 2.0), but it didn't help the story in the end for me.
Sadly, I have to say that I disliked this book.
I think I went into this book with the wrong attitude or expectations. I thought it would be a good book based on the fact that I recognized the title as being from some top-books-list and from the fact that I knew it had a major movie production. Because of that I thought it would be great, even though it wasn't something I would normally really pick up. That is not the right way to go into a book, and I was wrong. I didn't like it.
I read this in German, and I do end up not liking German books a lot of the times. Mostly because I have to read the books for class [and when something is mandatory, it is less fun]. Yet I had high hopes for this one. It seemed to be like this would be a different story. For me, it wasn't.
I didn't feel connected to the characters. Not really, I didn't really care for them in anyway. It wasn't like the book was even trying though, it was like it was keeping its distance. That wasn't very pleasant to read. (I thought it was boring.)
The story itself wasn't really gripping. It was a bit interesting at times, and I managed to keep reading, but it wasn't fast-paced or packed with interesting events. Also, it didn't really feel that realistic a lot of the times and I felt the distance between me and the book growing bigger and bigger.
Furthermore, I think some of the stuff escalated really quickly and without any warning or build-up, which was annoying and I had a couple of "wtf-moments" (not the good kind). It made the feeling that it wasn't realistic only stronger.
The whole "love story" thing I thought would be part of it, was something I couldn't really see. I think it had elements of child-abuse and showed some of the psychical consequences the character had to deal with. Reading about this wasn't really my taste.
I can sort of see why other people might like it. There was even a tiny part that I liked (therefore the 2.5 stars instead of 2.0), but it didn't help the story in the end for me.
Sadly, I have to say that I disliked this book.