Re: UMRA Book Club


"Stephen" <stephenbowden@xxxxxxxxx> wrote
On Tue, 10 Jul 2007 08:36:45 +0200, BrritSki
Charlie wrote:
"BrritSki" <BrritSki@xxxxxxxxx> wrote
BrritSki wrote:

Well I've just started Mr Norrell & Jonathan Strange and find it a bit
hard going, but I'll persevere seeing that Sid and STephen enjoyed it.

Finally gave up on it last night, something I almost never do.
I just don't see where it's going and what others have seen in it ?
Not badly written as such, although I don't think the 18th century-speak
rings very true after reading the complete PO'B series again recently.
But
none of the characters are engaging me at all. I couldn't care less
about
any of them, and I don't want to know what happens next (if anything)
:(


I give up on about one book a year, and "Mr Norrell & Jonathan Strange"
was
2006's winner of the mystery star prize. What a load of pretentious,
arch,
tiresome, up-itself, diamond-studded , ocean-going twaddle. Right down
to
the faux-naif line drawings it was drivel from beginning to ... whenever
I
metaphorically hurled it at the wall. I'm *so* glad I went with my
unfamiliar instincts and took it out of the library, rather than waste
my
own money on it as is my custom.


Hey, don't hold back, tell us what you really think :)

And yet several intelligent unrats, whose opinions I respect even if not
always agreeing with them, as in this case, thought it was good !

No doubt they'll be along in a minute to tell us why...

I sometimes find that I go off a book if it isn't the book that I
wanted or expected it to be, and conversely I sometimes enjoy books
more than I might simply because the author has written the book that
I had wanted tem to have written.

JS&MN turned out to be just what I wanted it to be - big, sprawling,
set in a time period I enjoy, and with plenty of literary silliness to
make it clear that it wasn't taking itself too seriously.

If you are looking for a taut narrative structure and robust internal
logic, of course, then this is not the book for you.

Yep - I think I'd agree with that. I also liked the style, found it
ingenious, *did* care about some of the characters (Stephen Black, for
example), thought the character of the Fairy King fascinating and very well
drawn even if repellent, and I just got carried happily along. Funny how it
goes, isn't it?
--
Sid
Make sure Matron is away when you reply


.

Relevant Pages

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