Ronny

This is one of my favorite books, I gave a copy to my cousin as we have very similar reading tastes and she hated it, so I know it can come of in very different ways. I may have to think over some of the questions further but I will start with what jumps to mind right away. 1. The book is a pretty massive volume. Did you find it difficult or easy to read? Indeed, was the length inherently important to the impact of the book? It was a large book and yet it went by quite easily for me as it took me up completely into the story and I don't know if a shorter version would of been able to do that as well. 2. The book is a classic example of a story told by an omniscient narrator, one who makes it perfectly clear that they are directing what the reader 'sees' and 'hears'. What, if any, impact did this deliberately intrusive style have on your reading? The narration style went well with the story, I think it set the right tone, almost like a tour guide to another time & place. 3. The depth of historical research is worn very clearly on the author's sleeve, with extensive detail in places. Did you enjoy this, did it enhance your reading, or did you find it intrusive? To what extent did it affect the story? Didn't it take Faber 20 years to research and write this book, I think it all shows really well and was completely worth the effort he put in. 4. The theme for this month was 'The Great Wen' - books that included London as a character in its own right. Did Faber achieve this. If so, in what way(s), and if not, what prevented London fulfilling this role? How has your impression of Victorian London been influenced, if at all? London was a huge character in the book, it could not be removed and be the same story or as good. Ooops, I have to go but I will come back tomorrow to finish this, sorry 5. What did you think of the characters? 6. What are your feelings/views on the (at least to me!) very surprising ending?

I just finished this book and agree with all the positive views above. I was not sure at first if I should try it as I did not care for Slammerkin very much but my library had it so I thought I'd take a peek and I'm so glad I did. I also was wondering what other characters were thinking but I am glad they stuck with just Jack's take on everything, otherwise the book may have lost something.

Jacob's Ladder, A Story of Virginia During the War by Donald McCaig 5/10 I really wanted to like this book, the cover compared it to Gone With the Wind and Cold Mountain, both of which I liked very much. But the characters were very bland, stereotypical and unlikable, the dialog was flat, and the interactions of the characters left a lot for you to guess at, sometimes they were just down right confusing, characters that were supposedly driven by great passion one moment, didn't care at all the next. They did things that made no sense, or were not in their established character and the author felt no need to explain why. He also tried to show the complex relationship between the slaves and the planters, how dependent and intertwined they each were with the other, but he failed to make it clear or put the needed emotion into it. Most of the descriptive writing was focused on the graphic, gory details of the war, the battles, the field hospitals, the living conditions of the southerners. I think the author wanted to paint a vivid picture of just how gruesome the Civil War really was but he needed to make you care about the characters first to do that well and he just didn't.

Bookcrossing allows you to mark your books with a tracking number, make a journal entry and release information, so that when you give them away they can possibly be tracked. Of course the person receiving them has to be willing to participate, of the hundreds of books I've registered and released only about 6 have made journal entries. It also allows you to see "wild' book releases in your area so that you may go pick them up. I think it's a fun site, I wish more people in my area would make entries though

Oh, and my hubby keeps reminding me Ender's Game is supposed to be coming out this year as well.

Thanks, I'll go over and see your profile

I've been slowly adding books to goodreads, I like it, I especially like the quotes area. I haven't had as much time lately to add books. I wish I could import my listal books in My name is Ronny there as well.

These are all books I've read and would love to see as a movies, except for Blindness, It was such a gruesome book I hated it and I don't think I'd want to see the movie, of course sometimes I can't help myself and have to watch anyways. Thanks for sharing them Kell

chuckmuck

I've loved the 2 (Five Quarters of the Orange and Sleep Pale Sister) I have read by her too and I just ordered Chocolat & Holy Fools.

Hello Jo

I think that is part of my problem, if I hear people talking favorably about an author, I don't want to miss out so I read some books by them. If I don't like the books I feel I'm missing something and want to find it, so I keep reading but sometimes I never do find out what all the fuss was about. I have found Zadie Smith's characters a bit un-engaging and or flat, for me the potential is there but never realized. While they are somewhat interesting and/or realistic, they just don't act the way I want them too or make me feel much for them.

Ah, yes I know I have started a book, not really liked it, put it down for a few months, given it another go and really liked it.

I'm a bit curious about how other readers handle this. How many books will you read by an author that has failed to thrill you? Do you just give them one chance, two or three? Or maybe just judge on a book by book basis? What if they seem to pull a lot of good reviews & praise? For example, I have heard many great things about Zadie Smith so I bought 3 of her books at a used book shop and over the winter have read in this order On Beauty(I liked it best of the 3, still didn't love it), White Teeth (was ok) and the Autograph Man (really didn't like it). I also have read 3 books by Ursula Hegi during this time Stones From the River (I loved it, one of my all time favorites), Sacred Time (was ok) and The Worst Thing I've done (I really had to push myself through it) so I think had I read these books in a different order would I of given up and read no more? missing out on the 2 books I liked? There are so many authors with multiple books I want to read but have been disappointed by the books I have read, like Joyce Carol Oates, I didn't really like We Were the Mulvaneys but I still have a few more by her I wanted to read. So what do you do in these cases? Keep trying them, casts them aside as not your cuppa? Question someone that liked the books endlessly in an attempt to understand them better (as I did with Faulkner though it did me little good).