The Almost Moon– Alice Sebold
Helen Knightly has spent a lifetime trying to win the love of a mother who had none to spare. And as this electrifying novel opens, she steps over a boundary she never dreamt she would even approach. But while her act is almost unconscious, it also seems like the fulfilment of a lifetime's buried desire.
Over the next twenty four hours, her life rushes in at her as she confronts the choices that have brought her to this crossroads.
One sentence about a third of the way through the novel summed up what, for me, it was all about. How I wished that this sentence had come earlier then I wouldn’t have had to read the book through to its disappointing and predictable ending. And read it I did, not because I thought it was an enjoyable or even good read I just desperately wanted to feel something/anything for any of the character. Sadly though I never did.
The author, in my opinion once again, as in Lovely Bones, set out to simply shock the reader. All very well some might argue but not when the plot and characters come a poor second. All in all a very unsatisfactory read written by an author who seems to write books are formulaic, which makes for dull and uninspiring books.
3 comments:
Petty Witter, is it all right to comment even if I haven't read the books? Mine is a general comment about finishing books. I once believed that if I started a book, I had to finish it, but several years ago, I decided that life was short and that I would not waste my time finishing book that I didn't like.
Now there's no turning back on that decision, and I feel no guilt whatsoever. Yes. I actually felt guilty about not completing books! But no more. I am free!
Grandmère, Yes I know what you mean. As a general rule I have a hundred page rule - if a book is no good by then I generally admit defeat but so many people raved about this book I felt I had to finish it. Also because of the subject matter I felt compellled to find some empathy with any of the characters, sadly I never did. Oh well can't win them all.
It doesn't work so well when another member of book-club has set the book for this month's reading. You can develop why it didn't appeal to you, but you can't really say that you thought it was so awful that you didn't even bother to read it.
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