meredith's review

Prodigal Summer: A Novel
by Barbara Kingsolver

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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14249.Prodigal_Summer_A_Novel?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Prodigal Summer: A Novel" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166585963m/14249.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14249.Prodigal_Summer_A_Novel?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">Prodigal Summer: A Novel</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3541.Barbara_Kingsolver">Barbara Kingsolver</a> 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8055309?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
 rating: 2 of 5 stars Ok. What gives, Kingsolver?
 I have adored her work for years, and had this particular book sitting on my shelf for a long time unread. I picked it up to read recently, and went "oh yeah, that's why". i'd tried previous times to read it and couldn't "get into it". I'm usually a stickler for the "getting in to it" factor. if something doesnt hold my attention, or is downright fucking painful, within the first chapter, i have to ditch it.
 
 but no. i gave Barb K the benefit of the doubt. i mean, she wrote the Poisonwood Bible, after all. i decided i'd read this entirely, even if it killed me.
 it nearly did. it wasn't bad. i infact enjoyed it more and more as the LONG ASS story went on and on. very little plot. nothing really happening. lots of boring ass inane descriptions of nature that got really old really fast. her previously used narrative device of telling different stories with different narrators each chapter was annoying here. i found i only cared about 1 person's story, and didnt care about any of the other co-protagonists.
 it was a book that was beyond slow, beyond tedious. it could've been told in 1/16th the length. i hate nothing more than books that're just taking up pages. Mind you, when you find books you love love love, you wish they'd never end. you get sad when it's finished.
 this isnt one of them.
 i put this book down twice and read other things, then brought it on vacation with me and slowly read it over a month. jesus, a month.
 fhew, it's over now.
 i'd love to hear from someone who actually liked it
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/35420?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

meredith's review
rating:

status: Read in January, 2008 — I have a copy to sell/swap

Ok. What gives, Kingsolver?
I have adored her work for years, and had this particular book sitting on my shelf for a long time unread. I picked it up to read recently, and went "oh yeah, that's why". i'd tried previous times to read it and couldn't "get into it". I'm usually a stickler for the "getting in to it" factor. if something doesnt hold my attention, or is downright fucking painful, within the first chapter, i have to ditch it.

but no. i gave Barb K the benefit of the doubt. i mean, she wrote the Poisonwood Bible, after all. i decided i'd read this entirely, even if it killed me.
it nearly did. it wasn't bad. i infact enjoyed it more and more as the LONG ASS story went on and on. very little plot. nothing really happening. lots of boring ass inane descriptions of nature that got really old really fast. her previously used narrative device of telling different stories with different narrators each chapter was annoying here. i found i only cared...more

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message 1: by Andy

03/12/2008 09:03AM

it's official - i will NOT be reading this book. thanks for the review!!