I finished this. Humm. I don't have much else to say.
I appreciate that she's a very talented writer. But somehow I was totally and utterly uninterested in the story. I think I anticipated that, which is why I put off reading it for so long. But I could barely make myself keep reading it. Despite her obviously refined prose and (in theory) interesting story.
It's times like these I worry about my commercial taste, and whether I *should* be an editor...!
I'll admit that I had considered reading this book, but when I looked into reader comments I found them very...disheartening I guess is the word. I really applaud you in taking this one on, as I just didn't have the constitution. You are a better woman than I!
ReplyDeleteAww, bummer. I really liked it. I guess to each his own. :)
ReplyDeleteBut like I said on an earlier post, it has been years since I read it and I wasn't as skeptical then as I am now.
This one was okay. I remember it starting very slow and languid, like a southern summer day. I could not read past the first page of THE MERMAID'S CHAIR. I tried, really I did, but... Peace, Linda
ReplyDeleteMoonrat, I see a crisis looming. If you are that critical of bestsellers, perhaps you *should* write rather than edit.
ReplyDeleteWait. You're probably a great "editor" but might need some tweaking as an "acquisitor" (sounds more ominous than "acquirer," no?)
Maybe it's just not a gap-filling book.
yeah, me too. sigh.
ReplyDeletei'd like to embrace the title "acquisitor."
Moonrat, I completely agree. It's been years since I read it, but I remember thinking that it seemed "assembled." As if a computer scanned a bunch of books like it, selected a variety of common elements, and voila.
ReplyDeleteAw, I really liked this one too. Probably helps that I have a crazy penchant for Southern lit. And a theoretical love of bees, which I find fascinating, but I'm terrified of them in real life - you know, the stinging part and all. But they make the most delicious honey!
ReplyDeleteI did read The Mermaid Chair as well...gave it promptly away. Maybe just didn't appeal to me at this point in my life. But I loved the Bees!