Ted's review
The Lovely Bones
by Alice Sebold
I was about to write a review, but you got it down pat. What an odious novel. The cliches abound and make me sick. The reviewers who praised it must have been on acid (or just paid to do so probably!)
If you don't like it, that's fine and great to get varied opinions. But I really don't see a point to insulting other people who use the site and liked the book. Why not just save the acid critiques for the books?
O I meant to slap the official reviewers, not the reviewers here -- I think the official reviewers have to judge by different standards. But yeah, I'm just bitchy. Sorry. By my standards it just doesn't cut it, and anyone trained as a literary critic (like those people who wrote the reviews for magazines) should not be praising the book.
I had assumed Janna's comment was addressing something I had written in my review. Like Lorraine, I was not referring to reviews written on this site (I haven't actually read any on this site), rather, the work of paid professional reviewers (of which I have read many...really, too many). I don't believe there is anything insulting to people using this site who liked the book in my review (or in Lorraine's comment). I was just stating (my personal opinion) that this is a horrible novel and in turn that I am horrified by the number of people who consume (what I consider) trash (like this book) based on the recommendations of bandwagon-like reviews that drive mediocrity* (*just my opinion, again) to the top of bestseller lists. "Da Vinci Code", anyone? Okay, now I'm asking for it... :)
Ah, I see. Thanks for clarifying. When I read your review (Ted), I thought it good, but thought the comments about reviewers were directed at the other reviewers using this site.
PS - I liked DaVinci Code. ;-) Sometimes it's nice to read something fast-paced and light, and even a bit predictable. Sort of like eating at In n'Out burger instead of at a 4-star restaurant. :)
thanks, ted, for a while there i thought i might be crazy since i read so much good stuff about it. i feel like we've survived something together. ...and i'll even admit to liking a lot of mainstream fiction.
uugggghh!
I completely agree with your standpoint. I rolled my eyes and yawned through most of the forced, jumpy and yes--cliched text. I really couldn't have said it better!
Ted's review
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Ted's review
rating:
bookshelves:
garbagestbooksever
recommended for: my worst enemy
Two-dimensional stereotyped characters
-Mother – living with the regret of losing her independence to the demands of childrearing. The tragic loss of a daughter accelerates her departure from those heavy burdens and into the arms of the detective working the case.
-Father – obsessed to the point that he neglects the living members of his family destroying his relationship with his wife. Only in her absence is he able to fall in love with her “all over again”.
-Detective – his ‘sob-story’ past (wife committed suicide) explains his devotion to make sense of senseless death by solving cases of murdered women. This leads him into the arms of the latest victim’s mother (who, incidentally, reminds him of his dead wife - eww).
-Mrs. Singh – the exotic, wise, independent, and strong foreigner who calmly dispenses cool sage-like personal advice to near-strangers.
-George Harvey – the ‘odd-but-harmless neighbor’ otherwise know as the psychotic pedophile/murderer who...more
-Mother – living with the regret of losing her independence to the demands of childrearing. The tragic loss of a daughter accelerates her departure from those heavy burdens and into the arms of the detective working the case.
-Father – obsessed to the point that he neglects the living members of his family destroying his relationship with his wife. Only in her absence is he able to fall in love with her “all over again”.
-Detective – his ‘sob-story’ past (wife committed suicide) explains his devotion to make sense of senseless death by solving cases of murdered women. This leads him into the arms of the latest victim’s mother (who, incidentally, reminds him of his dead wife - eww).
-Mrs. Singh – the exotic, wise, independent, and strong foreigner who calmly dispenses cool sage-like personal advice to near-strangers.
-George Harvey – the ‘odd-but-harmless neighbor’ otherwise know as the psychotic pedophile/murderer who...more
I was about to write a review, but you got it down pat. What an odious novel. The cliches abound and make me sick. The reviewers who praised it must have been on acid (or just paid to do so probably!)
If you don't like it, that's fine and great to get varied opinions. But I really don't see a point to insulting other people who use the site and liked the book. Why not just save the acid critiques for the books?
O I meant to slap the official reviewers, not the reviewers here -- I think the official reviewers have to judge by different standards. But yeah, I'm just bitchy. Sorry. By my standards it just doesn't cut it, and anyone trained as a literary critic (like those people who wrote the reviews for magazines) should not be praising the book.
I had assumed Janna's comment was addressing something I had written in my review. Like Lorraine, I was not referring to reviews written on this site (I haven't actually read any on this site), rather, the work of paid professional reviewers (of which I have read many...really, too many). I don't believe there is anything insulting to people using this site who liked the book in my review (or in Lorraine's comment). I was just stating (my personal opinion) that this is a horrible novel and in turn that I am horrified by the number of people who consume (what I consider) trash (like this book) based on the recommendations of bandwagon-like reviews that drive mediocrity* (*just my opinion, again) to the top of bestseller lists. "Da Vinci Code", anyone? Okay, now I'm asking for it... :)
Ah, I see. Thanks for clarifying. When I read your review (Ted), I thought it good, but thought the comments about reviewers were directed at the other reviewers using this site. PS - I liked DaVinci Code. ;-) Sometimes it's nice to read something fast-paced and light, and even a bit predictable. Sort of like eating at In n'Out burger instead of at a 4-star restaurant. :)
thanks, ted, for a while there i thought i might be crazy since i read so much good stuff about it. i feel like we've survived something together. ...and i'll even admit to liking a lot of mainstream fiction.
uugggghh!
I completely agree with your standpoint. I rolled my eyes and yawned through most of the forced, jumpy and yes--cliched text. I really couldn't have said it better!