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rladptjs's Reviews (17)
rewriting this review because it didn't stand the test of time. albeit, the journey of reading this book was a rollercoaster.
this book read like a tv show where every chapter was an episode that allowed readers to glimpse into the lives of these characters. i felt this distinctively when i first began reading this book and as i finished this book. i feel compelled to point this out due to its main backlash for how shallow, cliche, and overdone it felt. it feels like mellors intended the book to read that way as every character (aside from eleanor) was written in the third perspective. the focus of the book is cleo and frank's marriage; how it impacts those around them and themselves. while mellors introduced nuanced topics, it feels like it was never intended for the book to dive deeper on these issues and explore them in a profound or insightful manner. especially when each chapter only allows you to glimpse briefly into the inner workings of these characters, while its main focus is how the marriage is impacting them.
i do understand the message of the book and what mellors is conveying to her readers. however, i feel like i've read works that have done a better/more beautiful job in conveying the same message—it resonated more personally with me than mellor's cleo & frank.
additionally, i stand by the fact that it is no easy feat for a debut novel to be ruthlessly compared to an established author. i haven't read salley rooney, so this won't be a topic i interject myself into. i think there's plenty of reviews that discusses and dissects this matter. however, it doesn't detract from the fact that coco mellors *can* write. if she couldn't, i think i wouldn't have resumed it after dnf'ing this book. i personally believe that she writes well and definitely better when comparing earlier works of some established/popular authors. truthfully, i wouldn't be surprised if mellors produces a beautifully written book down the line, i think she has that potential.
ultimately, i think this book will remain at a 3-star for me. it didn't stand out; i wouldn't necessarily remember it as it didn't leave a profounding impression on me. i don't necessarily dislike it, i feel relatively neutral towards it.
this book read like a tv show where every chapter was an episode that allowed readers to glimpse into the lives of these characters. i felt this distinctively when i first began reading this book and as i finished this book. i feel compelled to point this out due to its main backlash for how shallow, cliche, and overdone it felt. it feels like mellors intended the book to read that way as every character (aside from eleanor) was written in the third perspective. the focus of the book is cleo and frank's marriage; how it impacts those around them and themselves. while mellors introduced nuanced topics, it feels like it was never intended for the book to dive deeper on these issues and explore them in a profound or insightful manner. especially when each chapter only allows you to glimpse briefly into the inner workings of these characters, while its main focus is how the marriage is impacting them.
i do understand the message of the book and what mellors is conveying to her readers. however, i feel like i've read works that have done a better/more beautiful job in conveying the same message—it resonated more personally with me than mellor's cleo & frank.
additionally, i stand by the fact that it is no easy feat for a debut novel to be ruthlessly compared to an established author. i haven't read salley rooney, so this won't be a topic i interject myself into. i think there's plenty of reviews that discusses and dissects this matter. however, it doesn't detract from the fact that coco mellors *can* write. if she couldn't, i think i wouldn't have resumed it after dnf'ing this book. i personally believe that she writes well and definitely better when comparing earlier works of some established/popular authors. truthfully, i wouldn't be surprised if mellors produces a beautifully written book down the line, i think she has that potential.
ultimately, i think this book will remain at a 3-star for me. it didn't stand out; i wouldn't necessarily remember it as it didn't leave a profounding impression on me. i don't necessarily dislike it, i feel relatively neutral towards it.
