I did not particularly enjoy reading this novel because of its slow pace and unclear changing of perspectives. I actually admired Doerr's skill and maI did not particularly enjoy reading this novel because of its slow pace and unclear changing of perspectives. I actually admired Doerr's skill and mastery of language, however, it still could not completely change my mind about the book as a whole.
The book is about a blind French girl named Marie-Laure and a German boy named Werner as they navigate the complicated world of Nazi-occupied Europe at the height of the Third Reich. I found the premise to be quite interesting but I ultimately chose to read this novel because my friend had recommended it to me as a period romance. As this was my first assumption going into the book, it was a great disappointment to find, without spoiling anything, that there was no romance whatsoever.
The novel also jumped from one character to another, not only focusing on the main two characters but also minor/secondary characters. I usually quite enjoy multiple perspective novels, however, when the author needlessly throws in perspectives from characters that I do not care about, the novel is bound to seem dull. Furthermore, although I like to grow up with the characters and learn more about them, the novel took this concept too far. We observe all kinds of events from their childhoods, both important and not. This made me wait at the edge of my seat for the long-awaited climax of the story. But the so-called climax was unimpressive in comparison with the sheer amount of build up that the author included throughout the novel. I was waiting for an explosive conclusion to the historical fiction stand alone but all I found was some minor action scenes and a whole lot of confusion.
Although this novel has won the Pulitzer Prize among other awards, I did not particularly enjoy reading it for the reasons that I have explained above. ...more
As with all of Colleen's books, I absolutely loved the writing throughout this book. Although this isn't my favorite contemporary, I still am amazed aAs with all of Colleen's books, I absolutely loved the writing throughout this book. Although this isn't my favorite contemporary, I still am amazed at how Hoover can weave both lighthearted fun and dark issues like depression and suicide together to create a cohesive story. ...more
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