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Most Helpful Reviews
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Liked It “Beautiful imagery. I cannot stop thinking about this. So much is left unanswered, but unlike with other novels that leave questions, this one works.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “I picked this almost-gothic novella up since it takes place at a French chateau. It's interesting, but I was left wanting more.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
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“Kind of disturbing novella. Very short novel only 125 pages. Quick read, but dealt with an unusual family situation.”
Connie F wrote this review Sunday, October 11 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“I picked this almost-gothic novella up since it takes place at a French chateau. It's interesting, but I was left wanting more. ”
Sylvie wrote this review Monday, September 7 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“A bewitching tale that implies more than it tells.”
Mary-Marg G wrote this review Sunday, August 16 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Very strange novel. ”
Suzanne F wrote this review Monday, August 10 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Heavy readers know that there's a specific format in literature out there that's not only difficult to know what to do with, but is indeed designed specifically for a small niche crowd to begin with -- character-oriented novellas, that is, written by academes for other academes, stories too long for most magazines but too short to make for a compelling full-length book, which then tend to get published as these strange little overpriced booklet things destined to appeal only to fellow professors and the like. For example, take last year's Disquiet by Barnard College teacher Julia Leigh; it's barely over a hundred pages even with the most spaced-out text you've ever seen, with a storyline that consists almost entirely of people sitting around a rural French home talking to each other, a project that from page one is fated to be enjoyed only by existing fans of, say, Don DeLillo or Ian McEwan. And for what it is, I guess it's not too bad, although admittedly I'm not much of a fan of these kinds of stories myself; plus I have to confess, the central conceit of this novella (the idea that liberal European doctors would send a traumatized couple home with their stillborn baby, to "bond" with the cadaver for a few days before burying it) is a concept I found so ridiculous as to completely remove me from the story being told, and especially when it came to such details as the need to keep the tiny little dead body in the freezer at night to avoid rotting, or the forcing of the alive children in the house to cuddle and coo the corpse to the sound of their horrified squeals. I mean, I get it, EU radical liberals are crazy, I'm not disputing that; but seriously, what reputable doctor in their right mind would possibly ever advocate something like this? It felt way too much like a smartass professor trying to impress me with a ludicrously unrealistic story premise; and that's how a lot of these academic character-oriented novellas feel to me, which is why I'm not much of a fan of academic character-oriented novellas. This certainly isn't badly written, and will for sure appeal to some of you out there, which is why it's getting the score it is; unfortunately, though, I'm just not one of those people.
jasonpettus wrote this review Tuesday, July 28 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Out of 10: 7.7 ”“Beautiful imagery. I cannot stop thinking about this. So much is left unanswered, but unlike with other novels that leave questions, this one works.”
Melissochka wrote this review Sunday, July 12 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This book left a lot for me to figure out on my own. I am still pondering it.”
Trish C wrote this review Thursday, July 9 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Really interesting snippet of some really screwed up lives. I liked the style. ”
Lizard wrote this review Tuesday, June 23 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
