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A review by frasersimons
Lone Women by Victor LaValle
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
If this wasn’t a book club pick I probably wouldn’t have picked it up at all. I don’t typically enjoy horror or general western type stories, unless they’re post westerns, which, this sort of was, but not in a way I found interesting.
Initially, it seemed interesting. There’s commentary on culture and times, and more overt things, such as racism. But also just finding out why Adelaide would burn down her house and what is in the trunk is compelling enough. By the time it actually gets there, though, we go through just the most boring build up, so that when it actually is time to learn these things, I did not care anymore.
I also had a notion of what was in the trunk and I think my idea of it was more interesting to me than what it actually was, so the reveal actually worked against the story, for me. Rather than ramp tension, all the narrative tension, for me, wasn’t present, making the end kind of a bombastic finish without any punch. I was already tuned out.
But. This is to be expected, given what I know about myself as a reader already, so I am not surprised that it worked for most people, who are probably picking this up because they like certain aspects of it, and not in spite of them.
Initially, it seemed interesting. There’s commentary on culture and times, and more overt things, such as racism. But also just finding out why Adelaide would burn down her house and what is in the trunk is compelling enough. By the time it actually gets there, though, we go through just the most boring build up, so that when it actually is time to learn these things, I did not care anymore.
I also had a notion of what was in the trunk and I think my idea of it was more interesting to me than what it actually was, so the reveal actually worked against the story, for me. Rather than ramp tension, all the narrative tension, for me, wasn’t present, making the end kind of a bombastic finish without any punch. I was already tuned out.
But. This is to be expected, given what I know about myself as a reader already, so I am not surprised that it worked for most people, who are probably picking this up because they like certain aspects of it, and not in spite of them.