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I gave up. Maybe I shouldn't have, but I did. It is the story of Chinese women as they lived before WWII and the lives of their daughters in a more modern day setting. The chapters flit from person to person in a way that just wasn't making sense to me. Their personal life stories were interesting, yes, and as one friend suggested, it gives you a good picture of Chinese culture. Or, rather, neither of us being Chinese, we guess it does. However, it's muddled and undefined story telling which kept me wondering exactly whose story was being related (and sometimes to whom!). It felt disjointed and awkward and as such, I just couldn't enjoy it. So . . . as seems to be my only-in-recent-times-habit I have shelved it without any intent of returning to the story - popular or not. My available time to read is too rare for me to spend it on books that I either don't understand or don't enjoy. A cheap way out? Perhaps. But in this case I don't care.
6 comments:
I exactly agree. Sometimes reading time is just too precious and rare to waste it on books that don't grab you!
Sometimes the book isn't worth it at all.....
For example;
Mists of Avalon; complete bullsnot written for simpering adults with no knowledge of history and pale imaginations.
Forrest Gump; not like the movie AT ALL the movie is better and OH so much cleaner!It is also one of two books that I trashed with great pleasure... the other;
Montana Sky by Nora Roberts; I didn't know who she was! It sounded like a fun modern-western novel!EEEEEEEWWWWW! Disgusting and gross.
So yes, sometimes a book is not worth the effort.
I recently bought a book by Pearl S Buck, eveidently she wrote alot of fictions based in China and had a vast knowledge of those people and culture.
I'll let you know....
I loooove your FB quote for J2 by the way!
I just watched the movie a week ago. There are 8 different stories. I can only imagine what reading it would be like. Give the movie a try. It may be easier to understand and it only takes 2 hours to get through.
Petunia, I DID think of doing that...which is almost a cop out. But at least I'd get the gist, eh? We'll see. =)
Sky, yes, DO keep me posted on what you think of Buck!
No, no! I don't think watching the film at this point is a cop-out! It's a well done film, and tells the story with decent accuracy. Rent it, pass the book along to someone else who will enjoy it, and feel no guilt for not finishing it. We don't all have to like every book.
Oh, can I add one to the crap book list?
My Antonia by Willa Cather. I still don't get it.
Oh, and the one I most want someone to explain to me: Swann's Way by Marcel Proust. I mean, WTF?
This is one of the few that I reshelved also. Just couldn't get into it--glad I'm not the only one!
Best wishes.
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