This novel ended up being that very rare thing for me, a book I just couldn’t finish. I hate not finishing a book, so I did try hard to get into it, but it was no good. I even tried to make myself believe yesterday afternoon that I had begun to enjoy it, I hadn’t it was already proving to be hard work.
Set in the 1930′s Boone county MS, it is the story of a family and a reunion for the grandmother’s 90th birthday. The enormous family gather at the family farm, and reminiscences start. Jack one of the grandsons, a great favourite arrives from the state pen, to his young wife and baby daughter.
Sounds good? Certainly I expected it to be,and can see other good reviews of it on librarything.com. Maybe things got lost in translation somewhere as I did find that southern voice a bit hard to deal with. Although for me the real problem was that I just found it utterly dull and dare I say pointless. I read to just under 200 pages. For instance Jack and various other characters spend something like 70 pages on a dirt road talking about a car that is stuck on a hill ( among other things) and I’m afraid I rather lost the will to live.
So I have given up on it, setting it aside maybe for another day, although I doubt it. I have started reading a Persephone book instead, oh the bliss. Which means of course, that already I am failing completely at All Virago/all August. I will come back to some of the Viragos I was planning to read in a week or so but for now I’m taking a break. I go away for a week on Saturday and I’m taking my kindle with me as I have all sorts tbr on it – including some Virago works. Sometimes life is just too short though isn’t it?
Sounds like it was a real struggle to read what you did manage! But there’s nothing worse than fighting through a book you find dull. Hopefully the Dorothy Whipple will be more enjoyable!
: ) The Dorothy Whipple has proved glorious I loved it.