I read the entire book ready to suspend my disbelief and my need for a location or a plot or even a clear character, but there was no resolution. WhicI read the entire book ready to suspend my disbelief and my need for a location or a plot or even a clear character, but there was no resolution. Which is a choice, but not one that worked for me this time.
The writing is amazing. I've underlined passages on nearly every page, but in the end I would have a very hard time telling anyone what this book is about or what it is trying to achieve. I'm trying to read the Booker Short List before prize day but only got the books mid October. This is 1/6 and my vote would be to read the next book....more
I love David Sedaris, so I was bound to enjoy this second part of his Diaries, and I did.
But why?
The main reason is that Sedaris sees the humor in eveI love David Sedaris, so I was bound to enjoy this second part of his Diaries, and I did.
But why?
The main reason is that Sedaris sees the humor in every day life. He watches the world around him and records it from his perspective. As a storyteller with a particular interest in telling and helping others tell personal stories, I can't help but be charmed by this and impressed by the way Sedaris goes through life.
What surprised me was the degree to which he's provoking people around him in order to create humorous or shocking (and he leans towards the latter) situations at the expense of others. It's as if as he got older, his internal dialogue lost its filter. It was no longer enough to wonder how one might respond to a provoking comment, but time to try it out and see the look on their faces. While the writing is good, this way of being in the world can be mean to people and I wonder if that's worth it.
As I read through 500 pages of extracts, I was struck over and over again by the fact that this is exactly the extracts. The daily discipline and work that it takes to create this much material is impressive. It speaks to someone who sits themselves down to do the work no matter what. There's a valuable lesson there for anyone who wants to write and write better, no matter your genre or topic....more
Picked this up off the library's hot reads shelf and was pleasantly surprised.
In short, two timelines, one contemporary and one in the 1700s. Set piecPicked this up off the library's hot reads shelf and was pleasantly surprised.
In short, two timelines, one contemporary and one in the 1700s. Set pieces include a hidden room, mudlarking in the Thames, poison, the British Library, and London. It's the story of three women in vastly different circumstances and times trying to save themselves from both their circumstances and their choices. Mystery and surprises abound.
To my surprise, the past characters felt more real to me than the contemporary characters. The characters set in the past had back stories that felt not more detailed, but more emotionally authentic. The contemporary character's story had more details, but felt thin. She was a trope of women who make certain choices and experience a certain kind of regret.
The plot was great. The writing felt overworked in some places, I suspect more to do with this being Penner's first novel than any lack of skill. It was more a case of a couple rough patches than bad writing. Her research was fantastic and the way she evoked historic London, both in its time and its traces in modern London, were lovely.
A good quick read and I'd keep an eye out for Penner's next book for sure....more
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