Scan barcode
A review by thoughtsonbooks
Rotten Row by Petina Gappah
2.0
I do not really know what to say about this book- it is not a bad book by a long stretch - but it definitely was not the book for me. I have been reading this book on and off for about two months now and never even felt compelled to add it to my currently reading shelf.
I have said before that I sometimes struggle with short story collections and with this one I definitely struggled. The whole experience was a bit overwhelming and I found myself always stopping after one story and not feeling like continuing. The stories all felt vey incomplete - and often like they were just working towards that final sentence, that punchline. But stories that rely on a punchline to have any impact do not work for me. I want my short stories to feel complete and for the characterisation to be on point - even in the limited time afforded by the medium. This means that I am maybe a lot more critical when it comes to short stories than I would be for full-length novels, so take my rating with a grain of salt.
I enjoyed reading about a place so unlike my own and I am really glad to have had the opportunity to read a book I would otherwise never have heard about. I am always eager to read outside my comfort zone and in this regard the book delivered. I could picture the Zimbabwe Petina Gappah describes perfectly and I think I would enjoy a novel written by her a lot more - her descriptions were interesting and wryly funny in places; in a setting where she could spend more time with her characters I might be able to empathise a lot more.
___
I received an arc of this book curtesy of NetGalley and Faber and Faber Ltd. in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for that!
I have said before that I sometimes struggle with short story collections and with this one I definitely struggled. The whole experience was a bit overwhelming and I found myself always stopping after one story and not feeling like continuing. The stories all felt vey incomplete - and often like they were just working towards that final sentence, that punchline. But stories that rely on a punchline to have any impact do not work for me. I want my short stories to feel complete and for the characterisation to be on point - even in the limited time afforded by the medium. This means that I am maybe a lot more critical when it comes to short stories than I would be for full-length novels, so take my rating with a grain of salt.
I enjoyed reading about a place so unlike my own and I am really glad to have had the opportunity to read a book I would otherwise never have heard about. I am always eager to read outside my comfort zone and in this regard the book delivered. I could picture the Zimbabwe Petina Gappah describes perfectly and I think I would enjoy a novel written by her a lot more - her descriptions were interesting and wryly funny in places; in a setting where she could spend more time with her characters I might be able to empathise a lot more.
___
I received an arc of this book curtesy of NetGalley and Faber and Faber Ltd. in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for that!