I very rarely start reading a book and give up on it (although that has changed recently, life is too short to read crap!). However I tried and failed 3 or 4 times to read this book in the few years after it was published. I like to read the Booker winners, but this one was just beyond me. The best cure for insommnia I'd ever found, short of my organic chemistry textbook. (my literrary nemsis, perhpas?) I couldnt engage with the characters, didnt find any of them likeable, and found the plot just too contorted and dry.
Last year, my "cube-mate" at work (with whom I shard a cubicle) insisted that I give it another go. It was his favourtest book ever, he said. Even loaned me his copy.
I was enormously skeptical, but because I like G, I gave it another bash. With a huge pile of murder-mysteries on standby to help me along.
But after the first dozen or so chapters, I actually found myself engaged in the stories. Not exactly liking the protagonists, but interested in what happened to them.
By half-way, I found it was becoming compelling, and I was looking forward to picking it up again.
And in the end, found it clever and satisfying.
Suprisingly.
Thanks to threebuttons for hosting This is.... and to Earl and Cookie for this week's theme!
5 comments:
oh yeah. Great book. I didn't read the poetry though, did you? I studied the romantics and by the time I read this I was BORED of them.
I have used Chemistry Text books to cure insomnia more than once, which is pretty scary since that is what both my under and post graduate degrees were in, LOL. Haven't graduated to "adult" type fiction yet, Hairy Maclary is much more likely at the moment!!!
yes its not really until the end that the clever part becomes obvious. i did really like it but have been disappointed by the rest of hers, trying to hard to be clever now i think. good on you for persisting but i agree, some things arent worth the effort. the bookers from this year look terrific too.
I'm glad you gave this another go - I loved this book. I'd love to read it again. If I could stop knitting long enough to actually read, that is.
I loved this book, but I read it at a time when I was trying so hard to be smart and literary (and was living in London and dreadfully lonely), so I don't know how much me wanting to like it influenced me. Like Jane, I'd like to read it again after reading this post too.
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