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stewardii 's review for:
Bournville
by Jonathan Coe
lighthearted
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
I always want to love Coe’s books, but I felt too removed from this to do so. His chief asset, in my opinion, is his readability; I usually inhale his books. But this sprawling family narrative has far too many characters to cram into its 350 pages. There is nowhere for your attention to rest; no one you truly feel like you know by the end of it, and as a result, it isn’t so easy to keep picking up.
It has its moments, but compared to the deep well of affection I have for characters whose stories were well served in Middle England and Mr Wilder and Me, this just can’t compete. Throw in some strange stylistic U-turns (perspective and tense changes, wavering tone of voice), and it all becomes a bit of a mess.
It has its moments, but compared to the deep well of affection I have for characters whose stories were well served in Middle England and Mr Wilder and Me, this just can’t compete. Throw in some strange stylistic U-turns (perspective and tense changes, wavering tone of voice), and it all becomes a bit of a mess.