By Kate Atkinson
Genre Adult Historical Fiction
Pages 544
Rating ⭐️
Synopsis
A woman is born again and again living the same life during WWI and WWII. Bringing up questions of fate and blah blah blah!
First sentence
A fug of tobacco smoke and damp clammy air hit her as she entered the cafe.
via GIPHY
- Honestly I could just leave that gif and you'd probably get my whole feelings towards this book.
- But I'll share a few thoughts anyway. And hey! I squeezed in another book for my Adult Literarture Month! Looking for a bright side here, people!
- This is my book club's pick for March. Honestly, working my way through this 500+ page book was torture enough. Really not looking forward to talking about it. Especially because I'm pretty sure everyone else will love it. Figures.
- My biggest problem with this book was how boring it was. It's so freaking long and repetitive. Did she really have to live THAT many lives? And every time you get into one life, she dies and it starts all over again! *rolls eyes*
- You can get on your soapbox and talk to me all you want about how deep this book was and how it makes you think about fate and choices but I just don't care. If an author wanted to make me think they should keep me interested and invested enough to give a damn!
- And go ahead and yell at me about how this is about WWI and WWII. Yeah, I know! I read that part like 50 times on repeat! I honestly just stopped caring...if I ever started.
- So, yeah, sorry but this books was slow, boring and repetitive. It was torture to pick it up and finish. If it hadn't been a book club book I would have quit 50 pages in. Not exactly a glowing recommendation, is it?
Should you read it?
Once again, I seem to be alone in my opinion but don't say I didn't warn you about the blow your brains out monotony.
Sorry it was so boring! I admire you're dedication though, I have no shame in quitting a book club book if I'm really not feeling it!
ReplyDeleteI'm getting better at giving up on books I'm not liking but I hate doing so with book club books. I can't really be in on the discussion if I didn't finish it, you know?
DeleteLOL -- That gif really does say it all! I read the first chapter of this one and that was enough for me. Booorrriinnnggg. I'm impressed you slogged through the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteYes! I'm glad you thought so too!
DeleteThat's too bad this didn't work for you. It happens, though! I probably would have went the DNF route if I felt so strong a dislike!
ReplyDeleteI'm working on giving up on a book if I don't like it but book club books are harder for me to give up on.
DeleteNow I'm nervous to read it! What if I can't get into it?
ReplyDeleteI think everyone is going to love it. I'll be all alone in my dislike. I'll probably look like Sam up there in my gif at book club.
DeleteSo bad that it didn't agree with you. I almost had that feeling when the dog kept dying, and coming back in 'A Dog's Purpose' by Bruce Cameron. I can understand how frustrating it would have been.
ReplyDeleteWhat's with authors writing about being born again and again?!
DeleteYour review was quite entertaining. I actually find it morbidly interesting. I'm not very far into it yet, though, so I may get tired of it. But, maybe I won't either, lol, since you were tired of it from the beginning.
ReplyDeleteEven though you hated the book, maybe discussing it with others at book club will be more entertaining for you. Hopefully, you won't be like Sam at book club.
I just might! I know everyone is going to love it. Sigh!
DeleteHahahaha I am feeling you. This was a book club choice last year and I was regretting it. I realized I would be away during the discussion and didn't read it, close one there. It is not a good feeling when you just know the others will love it. Sigh
ReplyDeleteI did love your post and picture of Sam. Hilarious. You definitely need to start DNF. My last meeting I refused to read 771 pages of Goldfinch. I printed out questions and that was my participation lol
It's hard for me to not finish a book club book. I want to be able to participate in the discussion.
DeleteI may have seen the cover of this book, but know nothing about it. Don't think I'll be worrying about reading this one ever. Life is too short to read boring, repetitive books. I admire you for finishing it because there is no way I would have been able to.
ReplyDeleteIt's totally too short.
DeleteThis looked somewhat interesting to me, but I can see how easily it could become boring and repetitive. I need more than a good premise. I need a reason to stay invested in the character’s lives, especially in a story like this. I hope your next reading experience is better.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I hope my next read is better too!
DeleteSorry to hear that it was boring and blah! I've had a couple of DNF titles for bookclub before, so impressed that you stuck with it and actually finished! You're a better woman than I am! ha!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say better. Maybe self punishing would describe it better. ;)
DeleteI couldn't finish this book. I got 260 pages in and I just couldn't read it any more...for a lot of the same reasons you wrote in your post. It just went on for TOO long. Glad I'm not the only one who didn't love this book. :)
ReplyDeleteOh yay! I'm glad you didn't like it either. It makes me feel better that I wasn't alone.
DeleteIt's too bad you didn't enjoy this one! I agree that it dragged on at some parts, but I guess I really looked forward to seeing how her life would change each chapter. It was almost like a choose your own adventure book, except the reader had no control over the story!
ReplyDelete