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A review by hah2024
Siracusa by Delia Ephron
2.0
Okay, so this probably isn’t actually a fair review of the book. Because there was one glaring problem I had with it, and it was kind of my fault.
However, there was quite a bit of sex—though not overly detailed so that was at least convenient—and language, so I wasn’t a fan of that. Those my second and third biggest problems with the book, aside from the fact that the plot just wasn’t what I was hoping for. Not my thing.
Now, the biggest, glaring problem: I read the back of the book where it said it had the pacing of a psychological thriller. And somehow, my brain interpreted that as it actually being a psychological thriller. So know, this is a DRAMA, not a psychological thriller. Whoops, my bad.
Besides all that, the writing just wasn’t really my thing. Especially Michael’s point of view—my word, what is that man’s issue with himself as the subject? When he would outline things he did, jt was always, “Walked alone that night. Took the long way home. Opened the door to the hotel. Didn’t want to sleep.” I was BEGGING him for first person pronouns, my goodness.
I finished the book because I was hoping for a more exciting ending, but it didn’t really deliver. And it’s hard to summon sympathy for these characters—they’re not just unlikeable, they’re stupid, hypocritical, and extremely selfish. And I feel like their ‘unlikeableness’ didn’t even come to much. When it serves a purpose, when it propels characters, unlikeableness can work. Like the Great Gatsby—they’re all selfish, lying, cheaters, but it goes deeper than that. And you really see the consequences and the changes the characters go through in the story. This though—the characters’ unlikeableness was more just a fact about them, like the color of their hair, rather than a personality trait to make the story more interesting. I don’t know, it all kind of fell flat.
However, there was quite a bit of sex—though not overly detailed so that was at least convenient—and language, so I wasn’t a fan of that. Those my second and third biggest problems with the book, aside from the fact that the plot just wasn’t what I was hoping for. Not my thing.
Now, the biggest, glaring problem: I read the back of the book where it said it had the pacing of a psychological thriller. And somehow, my brain interpreted that as it actually being a psychological thriller. So know, this is a DRAMA, not a psychological thriller. Whoops, my bad.
Besides all that, the writing just wasn’t really my thing. Especially Michael’s point of view—my word, what is that man’s issue with himself as the subject? When he would outline things he did, jt was always, “Walked alone that night. Took the long way home. Opened the door to the hotel. Didn’t want to sleep.” I was BEGGING him for first person pronouns, my goodness.
I finished the book because I was hoping for a more exciting ending, but it didn’t really deliver. And it’s hard to summon sympathy for these characters—they’re not just unlikeable, they’re stupid, hypocritical, and extremely selfish. And I feel like their ‘unlikeableness’ didn’t even come to much. When it serves a purpose, when it propels characters, unlikeableness can work. Like the Great Gatsby—they’re all selfish, lying, cheaters, but it goes deeper than that. And you really see the consequences and the changes the characters go through in the story. This though—the characters’ unlikeableness was more just a fact about them, like the color of their hair, rather than a personality trait to make the story more interesting. I don’t know, it all kind of fell flat.