A review by kcvmoundshroud
Lost by Gregory Maguire

2.0

I very rarely pout, but I am pouting right now in a downright grumpy mood. I love Mr. Maguire’s writing; his use of language and emotion is outstanding. But then there is this book, devoid of everything. I have nothing to grab onto...no likeable characters, no fast-paced adventure, not even a solid conclusion. The theme of this novel is the haunting toll of grief. I get it, there is no mistaking it’s glaring face in each chapter. But then Mr. Maguire introduces a web of mismatched threads of story and characters who do not fit anywhere. It feels like he had twenty ideas for fantastic novels and brainstormed them all into this collage. And in the end, nothing really happens, has happened, or is likely to happen to the characters here. Maybe that is the real “ghost story” to be found here, with everyone wandering aimlessly through life in a pseudo-purgatory brought on by grief. Ugh. So, don’t go into this book expecting anything about Dickens or A Christmas Carol, or Jack the Ripper, or even ghosts. Go into this expecting to be depressed and you might enjoy it more than I did.