I was so looking forward to reading this after being completely gripped by Burial Rites earlier this year that I suppose there was no way it could live up to such high expectations. And it didn't ... far too up the airy mountain and fey for me, even though it is based on a true Irish story of an old woman who stood trial in 1826 for attempting to exorcise a fairy changeling. I think this reviewer sums it up but I'll still be interested to see what Hannah Kent comes up with next.
This would be the perfect summer read ... should you happen to be a writing a PhD thesis on what's wrong with the modern novel.
Or a study of misleading jacket quotes:
Kitamura's prose gallops, combining Elena Ferrante-style intricacies with the tension of a top-notch whodunnit.
Did we read the same book? Ponderous, plodding and utterly pointless is more like it. I think entries are now closed for my Worst Novel of the Year award.
Hmmm neither sound particularly riveting! I've still to read Burial Rites...
ReplyDeleteI loved Burial Rites, Veronica - completely engrossing, you feel as if you're actually living in that world. She just didn't quite pull it off in the second book.
ReplyDeleteI am still entrenched in Early 20th Century, women writers which I am, on the whole, enjoying; except when a writer crops up whom lots of people enjoy - but I find entirely frivolous.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm intrigued, Toffeeapple. Who was too frivolous?
ReplyDeleteI'm speed-reading Agnes Grey (Anne Brontë) for bookgroup at the moment - thought I'd read it years ago, but maybe I haven't. I'm 100 pages in but she's such a drip , I'm half sympathising with the loathsome little brats she's governessing. Give me Wuthering Heights any day!