I joined an online book club, thinking that I could do with a bit of a challenge, what with my life being so empty and everything. My friend Ruth has started this blog here, which I read every now and then, and the first virtual meet-up is this evening. Unfortunately, I'm out tonight, so I thought I'd write a blog post with a review of the book.
I wanted a challenge, and I got one. I've heard all sorts of opinions about this book, from "Oh my God, it made me cry", to "I flung it in the dustbin and then set fire to it", and so was interested to read it. The challenge was not in the writing, or the plot, or the characters, it was in finishing the damn thing without heaving it out of the window. The protagonists are deeply unlikeable for lots of different reasons, and, while I often read things about people I wouldn't have in the house, the writing and the plot are too weak to carry the characters. It's an easy and light read, I'll give it that, which is good for the brain-dead, but my God, I've never been so cross with myself over literature. My instinct was that I wouldn't like it, and reading it in the charity shop made me a bit cross, so I don't know why I bothered. At least I can say that I have read it now, and I am not going to the trouble of watching the film.
For what it's worth, I think he would have had a better book if he'd forgotten he'd written Cold Feet, and missed out the bit that was lifted straight from the telly. I know you should never waste good material, but bad material can be thrown out.
The other online book group is more promising - Middlemarch with dovegreyreader.
I wanted a challenge, and I got one. I've heard all sorts of opinions about this book, from "Oh my God, it made me cry", to "I flung it in the dustbin and then set fire to it", and so was interested to read it. The challenge was not in the writing, or the plot, or the characters, it was in finishing the damn thing without heaving it out of the window. The protagonists are deeply unlikeable for lots of different reasons, and, while I often read things about people I wouldn't have in the house, the writing and the plot are too weak to carry the characters. It's an easy and light read, I'll give it that, which is good for the brain-dead, but my God, I've never been so cross with myself over literature. My instinct was that I wouldn't like it, and reading it in the charity shop made me a bit cross, so I don't know why I bothered. At least I can say that I have read it now, and I am not going to the trouble of watching the film.
For what it's worth, I think he would have had a better book if he'd forgotten he'd written Cold Feet, and missed out the bit that was lifted straight from the telly. I know you should never waste good material, but bad material can be thrown out.
The other online book group is more promising - Middlemarch with dovegreyreader.
Do you know what really fucks me off about that book - it's fucking CHICKLIT. The only reason it has any kind of credibility at all is because it was written by a man, which is actually really sexist and annoys me even more than reading the bloody thing did. You are right, the characters are irritating and two dimensional, and he used the ending in Cold Feet, just with a different Vehicle Of Death.
ReplyDeleteWell, you don't mince your words do you?! I'd have to agree, it is a shocker - light read for starters! (Hope we haven't put you off entirely!) Amusingly my other online book group book at the moment is Middlemarch! I'll put forward your points tonight! :-) R
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