Published: September 10, 2013 by Harper Perennial
First Published: September 11, 2012
This is such an issue book. It's about race, about woman's rights, about the small family owned stores that can't fight large corporations, about natural birth instead of automatically choosing a cesarean section, and about so much more that I probably missed.
Except it took me so long to get into this book and figure out who characters were. Then even once I was able to follow the basic plot line and who all the characters were, I still wound up getting lost and not quite understanding all the details. Of course there was also the 12 page long sentence, obviously there was a reason, but one where I lacked the technical knowledge to make sense of.
There were sections and subplots I really enjoyed, mainly those involving the midwives and the natural births. And I loved that a character had my name (even if it was in passing) and my home town of Long Beach was even mentioned once or twice. Obviously these are touches that most readers wouldn't care about, but I couldn't help but enjoy them
I do think someone with a stronger literature background would enjoy this more than me. And I can only imagine the interesting discussion a professor would foster talking about this in a college class. But for me, I don't think I was quite equiped to really enjoy this.
3/5
Disclosure: I was provided this book through TLC Book Tours. All opinions expressed are my own.
I started to read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay but didn't finish it before it had to go back to the library. I've meant to read it again and read more of his books but haven't. A 12 page sentence boggles my mind.
ReplyDeleteI tried reading a different Chabon book that I was supposed to read for a book club when I lived in Minneapolis but I just couldn't get into it so I gave up! I think he is a talented writer but I guess sometimes I am lazy and don't want to have to work to get into something!
ReplyDeleteThis is the first I've read by him, and while I can see how others would enjoy him, don't plan on jumping into anything else by him anytime soon.
DeleteThanks for sharing your thoughts on this book for the tour.
ReplyDelete