To follow on from the other thread...
Netherland by Joesph O'Neill- I just didn't get it at all
Brooklyn by Colm Toibin- Well written but ultimately unsatisfying
Trauma by Patrick McGrath - hated main character
Ok - so by my own reckoning, award winning fiction by Irish writers set in New York is to be avoided.
I won't be trying 'Let the world spin' anytime soon!!!
Claire-Let the great world spin is full of great varied characters and is very cleverly knitted together.Not too heavy and a page turner.Easier to read than his previous works.I agree that Brooklyn was a let down and Netherland was heavy work but I did enjoy it {I felt pity for the main character ...thought he was a loner and a bit naive but hard done by really}.Give Let the great world spin a go in the future!
Agreed, I found both Netherland & Brooklyn very disappointing. I would have to say though that The Lost Dog by Michelle deKretser was by far and away the biggest load of rubbish I read in 2009.
A friend gave me Mr Toppit by Charles Elton and I completely failed to connect with it at all. I can't say disappointed as I had no expectations beginning it, but really quite glad to finish it.
Similarly I read The American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld and I found it a very long drawn out laborious read, not due to technicality of writing, just a long saga which I felt never culminated to very much.
Feel bad dissing books! Have admiration for anyone who can put pen to paper and produce a book - but I suppose they can't all be to everyone's liking!!
Yea Ck I found The American Wife an annoying read, she was such a silly, lame character.
Totally agree on Netherland - I admit I only bought it because of the Barack Obama connection, but what a load of rubbish. Ditched it half way through.
Despite the fact that I have not seen one negative review of it on this website.........The Secret Scripture.....parts of it were ok but some of it was just plain ridiculous.
And finally, The Secret Life of Bees...a book I had always heard/read good things about....overall, again unfortunately, ridiculous.
Let's hope I choose my books better in 2010....
Marianne I can't agree with you on The Secret Life of Bees .. I thought it was a fabulous read & it got a 9/10 from me. I fully agree with your views on the other two though.
The Secret Scripture - I really liked the style of writing but the story took a ridiculous turn.
Brooklyn - There just wasn't that much to it really.
The Reluctant Fundamentalist - There was so much scope here and it was wasted. Though again, I loved the style of writing.
Couldn't agree with you more about The Secret Scripture, really didn't see the fuss with it at all. I'm currently reading the American Wife and enjoying it so far so we'll see when the last page turns if i still feel the same!
Loved the Secret Scripture - and i didn't think the ending took from the rest of the book at all. I've just finished reading Sebastian Barry's 'A Long Long Way' which is excellent -and with no silly endings!
Have to agree about the American Wife as well - a bit pointless?
My most looked forward to and unfortunately my most disappointing read of 2009 was A Week in December from Sebastian Falks....how could he get it so wrong...so hard to follow and felt like hard work! the greatest read of 2009 was far and away... The Book Thief...read it by the sea on a sunny, sandy beach in Spain in tears for most of it.
Hi Sally - I see you are reading Engleby - will you let me know what you think of it? - I loved it. I put a post on here a couple of months ago after reading it but didn't get any response, so would be interested to hear your thoughts. As for A Week in December, haven't read it but I'll take your word on it. Have to say I am a big fan of Sebastian Faulks in general though - loved Birdsong and Charlotte Gray.
hi Marianne, absolutely loved Engleby definately his best book in my opinion. Human traces a close second. Don't let me put you off A week in December, I was just finishing Engleby when I started it and they are such different books that I may have had too many expectations...
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