jaclynday's review
3.0
This book tells the story of how a woman’s love affair and adultery changed her marriage and her lover. It jumps in time, from the “present” to the “past,” telling the story from every possible perspective. There’s a lot of unanswered questions in this book, questions that the characters try to get answered and questions that the reader walks away with.
Like, for instance, why I didn’t like this book more. It seemed promising and had even received a few good reviews from reputable sources, so I thought I would enjoy it (and I thought I would especially enjoy it when I saw how short it was). I like succinct books about complicated romances.
But, the thing is…the book really isn’t about love. It’s definitely not about romance. It’s not even really about betrayal and marriage, although it seems like that’s the obvious subject at first. It’s really about the power of attraction, especially when said attraction seems so ridiculous, so far-fetched except that there is power and money also at play. It’s interesting to see our adulteress scramble to find reasons why she cannot stay away from her very unlikable lover.
In the end, the reason to read this book is for the cultural footnotes that Lee inserts about the locations the book takes place: the people, the food, the scenery. Then again, that was my reason to read Eat, Pray, Love and I hated that book too.
Like, for instance, why I didn’t like this book more. It seemed promising and had even received a few good reviews from reputable sources, so I thought I would enjoy it (and I thought I would especially enjoy it when I saw how short it was). I like succinct books about complicated romances.
But, the thing is…the book really isn’t about love. It’s definitely not about romance. It’s not even really about betrayal and marriage, although it seems like that’s the obvious subject at first. It’s really about the power of attraction, especially when said attraction seems so ridiculous, so far-fetched except that there is power and money also at play. It’s interesting to see our adulteress scramble to find reasons why she cannot stay away from her very unlikable lover.
In the end, the reason to read this book is for the cultural footnotes that Lee inserts about the locations the book takes place: the people, the food, the scenery. Then again, that was my reason to read Eat, Pray, Love and I hated that book too.
biblioquin's review
2.0
Andrea Lee is an extremely talented writer and that is what compelled me to pick up another of her novels after first reading Red Island House. This novel however - is not as compelling as that one.
In a lot of ways this book was very unique. Lots of interesting viewpoints and shifts in timeline and narrators. Still, for as much backstory as we received on the multiple characters in this story, they lacked depth. The story itself lacked depth. I tried to stick it out, since from experience I know that sometimes a book that's difficult to get into will pull you in right at the midpoint and I was thoroughly disappointed.
In a lot of ways this book was very unique. Lots of interesting viewpoints and shifts in timeline and narrators. Still, for as much backstory as we received on the multiple characters in this story, they lacked depth. The story itself lacked depth. I tried to stick it out, since from experience I know that sometimes a book that's difficult to get into will pull you in right at the midpoint and I was thoroughly disappointed.
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