I started and finished A Sense of Direction in one evening; I couldn't really stop thinking about it, so I couldn't put it down. I found it...
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I've seen all the glowing reviews for this book, and to be honest I'm pretty baffled. The "unique voice" I keep hearing about seemed to me to be forced and stilted and overrun with juvenile cliches and contrived metaphors. I have to admit, to a point it was amusing, but I don't think it was amusing in quite the "look how clever I am" way it was intended. It was self-indulgent, and vaguely offensive in parts - especially knowing the "heroine" was based so closely on the author. The homophobic slurs on the part of her characters were received without reproach or offense from the main character. Some say it's a rookie mistake for a reviewer to confuse the author with the character, but in this case I think it was the author's mistake to blur the lines so severely between mystery and self-serving autobiography.
The fact that the plot was so predictable was secondary to the frustrating prose and poor character development. I get the whole fallen rich kid thing, but it was hard to muster up any sympathy for a character I just couldn't bring myself to like. And I can only help but wonder - why am I the only person who was disturbed by the fact that she wanted so badly to sleep with her cousin?
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A Field of Darkness: A Novel by Cornelia Read
dc2nyc, May 21, 2008
I've seen all the glowing reviews for this book, and to be honest I'm pretty baffled. The "unique voice" I keep hearing about seemed to me to be forced and stilted and overrun with juvenile cliches and contrived metaphors. I have to admit, to a point it was amusing, but I don't think it was amusing in quite the "look how clever I am" way it was intended. It was self-indulgent, and vaguely offensive in parts - especially knowing the "heroine" was based so closely on the author. The homophobic slurs on the part of her characters were received without reproach or offense from the main character. Some say it's a rookie mistake for a reviewer to confuse the author with the character, but in this case I think it was the author's mistake to blur the lines so severely between mystery and self-serving autobiography.The fact that the plot was so predictable was secondary to the frustrating prose and poor character development. I get the whole fallen rich kid thing, but it was hard to muster up any sympathy for a character I just couldn't bring myself to like. And I can only help but wonder - why am I the only person who was disturbed by the fact that she wanted so badly to sleep with her cousin?
(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)