bethany725 Posted April 9, 2009 Author Share Posted April 9, 2009 good review Bethany - another for my TBR pile! i agree about the Jodi Picoult "What would you do?" scenarios.. I thinks its nice for the story to speak for itself without being too signposted! Thanks, Jo-Bridge! Yeah.. I mean sometimes I'm really in the mood to take up the moral struggle and think a lot, and I love Picoult.. but it was sorta nice to just read for the sake of reading the story, w/out weighing all the gray areas. That being said, I'll probably pick up another Picoult any day now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Just saw you're reading Time Traveler's Wife, how are you enjoying it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted April 9, 2009 Author Share Posted April 9, 2009 Oh, boy.... *deep breath* I'm liking it.. I am.. but I feel like maybe I'm falling in love with it a bit less than everyone else on this board??? I think maybe for me it's 2 things: 1) I'm not big on just flat-out love stories. I didn't even like "The Notebook" as I found it much, much too sappy for my taste. I just don't get into the whole "Love Story" genre that much. 2) I'm not crazy about the 70's / early 80's period.. It reminds me of ochre-yellow appliances.. striped curtains.. floral couches.. etc. And so much of this book is set in that time period that it's just not super exciting for me. I feel like I'm doing something wrong. I mean I'm ENJOYING it.. but I was hoping that it would crash into me. When I bought it, for example, the cashier at the bookstore clutched it to his heart and took a huge sigh, and said "This is SUCH a great book.. It will change your life." And I'm just not getting THAT kind of reaction from it yet... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Aww I have to admit I'm in the group that loves it, in fact it's my favourite book, but I can see where you're coming from :friends0:I was like that with The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, everywhere I go I see people raving about it, but I just didn't find it anything extraordinary, and probably not something I'd re-read :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted April 9, 2009 Author Share Posted April 9, 2009 I still have half the book to go, so I'm hoping I change my mind dramatically over that last half. Still holding out hope! I can safely say I like the story.. but it's not changing my world yet. Maybe the next 250 changes will change all that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Yeah I hope so too! x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaraPepparkaka Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Oh Beth, I thought the ending wasn't as good as the beginning. Well, if love stories aren't your thing, then they aren't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ii Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 I feel like I'm doing something wrong. I mean I'm ENJOYING it.. but I was hoping that it would crash into me. When I bought it, for example, the cashier at the bookstore clutched it to his heart and took a huge sigh, and said "This is SUCH a great book.. It will change your life." And I'm just not getting THAT kind of reaction from it yet... I was the same. It's a good book, but I'm not replaying it in my head or building small shrines to it or anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted April 9, 2009 Author Share Posted April 9, 2009 Oh, no I was hoping the ending half could save me, Sara! I'm doomed! No I'm just kidding.. I really am enjoying it; it's just not stirring my soul or anything. In the part where I am now, they've just gotten married and they're house-hunting and this part's pretty good to me. Maybe I'll be an odd one and like the ending better than the beginning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted April 9, 2009 Author Share Posted April 9, 2009 I was the same. It's a good book, but I'm not replaying it in my head or building small shrines to it or anything. Am I allowed to double-post this once on my own board? I didn't see your comment until after I'd already posted to Sara's, ii! Okay so it's not just me if I move through the whole novel feeling slightly nonchalant, then.. This is good to know. I was wondering if my heart was tiny and black or something?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ii Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Am I allowed to double-post this once on my own board? I didn't see your comment until after I'd already posted to Sara's, ii! I believe you can double-post in your own thread to your hearts content. Okay so it's not just me if I move through the whole novel feeling slightly nonchalant, then.. This is good to know. I was wondering if my heart was tiny and black or something?? No, it's not just you. And your heart is not tiny and black and whatnot, or at least not if mine isn't. *laughs* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted April 9, 2009 Author Share Posted April 9, 2009 Yes.. I suppose you're right, ii. I can take comfort in the fact that if I'm on the bus to hell, you're probably driving it. Hahha.. just playing with you! xoxo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ii Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Ah, that would explain why we're speeding, then. *laughs* That reminds me of the time I told my friend what she'd done was going to get her "Junior Suite in Hell". She replied with a cheerful "oh, good! I'll be close to you then!" *cracks up* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted April 9, 2009 Author Share Posted April 9, 2009 We only tease because you take it well, and can hand it back. It's no fun otherwise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ii Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Oh, I'd be bored out of my mind if noone teased me. (and I didn't get to give them cr*p in return.) Just ranted out in my blog, forgot to share that BF's definitely staying in States for longer this spring (which is really really good! But it would be nice to see him again.). I'm in a weird funk, not the usual funk, so please! Tease away! It's at least making me laugh right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted April 9, 2009 Author Share Posted April 9, 2009 *goes off to check the rant* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted April 14, 2009 Author Share Posted April 14, 2009 Mini Review of The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger Synopsis: This extraordinary, magical novel is the story of Clare and Henry who have known each other since Clare was six and Henry was thirty-six, and were married when Clare was twenty-two and Henry thirty. Impossible but true, because Henry is one of the first people diagnosed with Chrono-Displacement Disorder: periodically his genetic clock resets and he finds himself pulled suddenly into his past or future. His disappearances are spontaneous and his experiences are alternately harrowing and amusing. The Time Traveler's Wife depicts the effects of time travel on Henry and Clare's passionate love for each other with grace and humour. Their struggle to lead normal lives in the face of a force they can neither prevent nor control is intensely moving and entirely unforgettable. Disclaimer: I did not like this book very much. I know lots of readers LOVED this book, and I'm truly very happy about that. If it hurts to read criticism of a book you hold close to your heart, please feel free to skip this review... I will completely understand. I finished this book over the weekend, and I have to say that, unfortunately, it never led me to the soul-stirring experience it held for others. I found much of the book to be rather dreary, dark, and depressing. I do think that the story was pretty well-written... The way Niffenegger told the story, the words she used, was and were often beautiful; there were many images vividly portrayed among the pages; I think she even did pretty well constructing a mostly-cohesive story from such an "out-of-sequence" story. During some parts of the novel, I wasn't even fully engaged and I still didn't lose track of time very much. I have to say that, despite the many reviews that list the story as surprisingly believable, I didn't find it "convincing," as one critic put it. I wasn't expecting Niffenegger to hand out any hard and fast rules for Henry's time-traveling, but it all started to seem a bit "neat" and convenient for me, despite what seemed to be some pretty strong attempts to make Henry's episodes seem unpredictable, yet believable. Sometimes he disappeared and returned to exactly where he started out, and sometimes he reappeared in a totally different place.. No pattern at all, but no matter, he still managed to find clothes 95% of the time. I was also consistently baffled throughout the story that he managed to hold down a steady job at one location, without having to reveal his situation to his boss and the majority of his co-workers for so long. He managed to hold a job despite frequent disappearing and reappearing as a naked man? I could go on with other examples of things that I found really difficult to believe, but they're all the same after a while. Suffice it to say that after so many time-traveling episodes, it all started seeming a bit unrealistic and convenient to me. But that is probably what happens when a non-fantasy-reader picks up a bit of fantasy. I loved Kimy.. thought she was great. I had trouble with Clare.. I cringe everytime I think of the whole "over the table" scene with Gomez. That was a bit much for me, and I wish I had something that would justify that in my head, but nope.. can't find it. I also had difficulty with the whole time-traveling Alba child.. Her wise-beyond-her-years reassurances and comforting pats for her mother seemed unrealistic and condescending to me. Now for the ending.. The ending was very anti-climactic for me. I found it almost comical that after allllll that, Henry was killed by a mistaken bullet intended for a deer. A DEER? Really? Someone thought he was a deer. Great. I was really hoping for a little more noble death for our time-traveler who'd been through so much. Overall, I can't say I'd recommend this book to other readers based on my experience with it; it sort of droned on and on for me, and I didn't feel like I took anything away from the story. I AM glad so many readers had a much, much better experience and probably treasure this story. It wasn't for me, but that's what makes us all different. My Rating: 7.5/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it very much Beth, but I agree about the Gomez table thing, it's so cringeworthy, I really dislike that part, and I always felt the frozen feet thing was just that tad too much, bordering on brutal really. I hope you enjoy your next read more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted April 14, 2009 Author Share Posted April 14, 2009 Thanks for not throwing things at me. I hope I enjoy my next read more, also.. I finished a book in 1 day after TTTW and liked it much better, and am onto my next one and enjoying it, too. Looks like I'm going to be okay... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanC_84 Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 Great review of TTW Bethany. I certainly see what you are saying with a number of the points you made, I just got so caught up in the characters and the story I chose to just go with it I think! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucybird Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 Yeah, I think I did the same as Dan, I can see your point though. It's a shame you didn't like it but not everyone can like everything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted April 15, 2009 Author Share Posted April 15, 2009 Thanks for your comments, Dan & Lucy! And for not throwing things at me, also. I really wish I'd been able to get attached to the characters and sucked in.. I do think that could have made all the difference. I'm glad you guys both were able to do so, and you're right Lucy: It's impossible to like EVERYTHING, so while I hate I missed out on something that so many people love dearly, I'll chalk it up to not being able to like everything, just like you said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookBee8 Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 Hey I had a similar-ish experience with The Time Traveller's Wife. Although I could clearly see what people find amazing about it, I wasn't entirely drawn into the novel nor did I become overly attached to any of the characters. I agree with you completely on the ending, I wasn't keen on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted April 15, 2009 Author Share Posted April 15, 2009 I think for me (and I think I mentioned this to LexiePiper before way back when I first started the novel), I didn't connect much with some of the time periods, and I didn't connect with the love story. I'm just not a fan of many scenarios created in the 70's/early 80's (I have no idea why.. all I can guess is that it was just before my time, and all of the pictures I see of that time period are so drab and boring and old-looking, but not like.. old enough to be old in a cool way. ) Add that to me not usually doing well with true love stories (I don't like Nicholas Sparks' love stories.. I don't like "The Love Story" movie.. I don't enjoy James Pattersons' love stories.. etc), and (to be fair) there were bound to be issues for me. Top all that with the fantasy-realm time-traveler being accidentally shot by a deer hunter (which makes me laugh a bit everytime I think of it), and it's just too much for me. I so wish I'd fallen in love with it like so many... *sigh* I feel like I missed out on finding meaning when so many others see it, but .. what can you do? BookBee - what made you feel like you missed the connection?? I'm sure I'm the only weird one that dislikes the 70's decade.. what did it for you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted April 17, 2009 Author Share Posted April 17, 2009 Mini Review of Stately Pursuits by Katie Fforde Synopsis: Hetty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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