Rosh ~catching up slowly~’s review of Pearl > Likes and Comments

Even though this one failed to make an impact on you, your review is detailed. It will be helpful to people who might like such books.

Great review. Sorry you did not enjoy it.

Great critique Rosh. There’s definitely a difference between contemplation and rambling!

I don't think this one would work for me either, Rosh. By booker to me the booker choices? If so, ya def not a fan of those. Appreciate the thoughts!

Even though this book was not your cup of tea (and it doesn’t sound like it would be mine either), you still gave a terrific and very fair review. I hope you enjoy your next read much better! 💗

Am I terrible ? You make me so happy I have this one although I wish it had been better for you Rosh🦊🦝

Great review and thanks for your honesty, Rosh. I'll pass. I just finished one I think you would like - The Essential Elizabeth Stone by Jennifer Banash. 💖📚

Super review, Rosh! Sorry that it ended up being such a dud. To be fair, this book does sound very tiresome; I'm happy to take your review & skip this one. Shoutout to you for reading a Booker Prize book ahha I hope your next read is a way better read :) xx

We are one and the same type of readers.

Great review Rosh what a shame it didn’t turn out how you hoped though. Better luck with your next book 🩷

Amazing review, Rosh. Booker books usually aren't for me either. I hope you enjoy the next one. 🤗💕

Hmmm. Do not think I did not notice the "summary" reading of the poem. If Rosh is resorting to reading poems or poetry for context, I know it's going to negatively affect the book and her mood. :D I like the fact that it took 40 years to write; the drafts must have been pretty interesting to read over the years. Great review, my friend!

Great review, Rosh. Something interesting with books is that I find it really depends on the story at hand if I enjoy the first or third person narration, and sometimes I wonder how a shift in the narrator would change the whole book. This is an interesting point you bring up here for this book! Sorry it did not land for you. Onto better reads :)

Great review Rosh! Books that are praised by literary critics are never my cup of tea! I hope your next one is full of plot and joy 💛

Your September reads have definitely mostly been disappointing so far. Mine haven’t gone as well as I’d hoped either. Though considering some of the things you mentioned in the beginning of your review, it seems there already was a chance that it wasn’t going to be your kind of read from the very beginning. So at least you aren’t too disappointed. And I’m also not one to value prose over plot, so it’s very understandable. Fair review, Rosh.

Fabulous honest review! I am with you: not a fan of rambling books! I also have rarely liked a Booker list book! I hope your next book is a winner.

Great review, Rosh! Your comment about this being Booker made me laugh. I hear you so much. I don't think I've found a Booker winner or nominee I've liked so far.

Outstanding review, Dear Rosh! I think you wrote a stunning analysis of what you appreciated, as well as the things that didn't work. I am so glad I listened to my instinct and turned down the offer to read it. I thought that this sounded like it could have been great, but so much self destructive behavior in teen years and her adult years would be a good reason to pass. I love literary fiction very much, but I'd pick a great plot over prose all day long. I had almost read this, however my instinct was not to. I'm glad that I listened to my intuition. Thank you for writing such a lovely review which you accomplished beautifully, even though this was a 2 star reading experience for you. : ) <3 xx

I am starting to think that Booker books will NEVER be for me because I don't usually click with anything long or rambling! I can respect the intelligence that is often behind these kinds of books, but I usually find them boring or SO long if I'm being honest...so I completely get it Rosh! 👏 Wonderful review and hope you love your next! 💞

Booker books don’t work for me either! Fair and honest reviews! 💞

Booker's love for prosey misery porn is why I stay away from the lists. Sorry this was disappointing and added to the list of not-good reads for the month. Superb review, Rosh.

P.S: I realized a while ago that Sh's reccos won't work for me (unless we are talking about Christie). So, I didn't risk this one.

Bummer you didn’t care for this one. Too bad Marianne couldn’t get it together either. A fab review, Rosh!

books that win prizes or are long listed for them are usually a miss for me too. i haven’t really read them but i’ve sampled some and i’ve realized they tend to be too complex haha. sorry this was a miss! too bad it started off strong only for it to go downhill. hope your next read is much better! great review, rosh!

Such a well thought out review Rosh .. as ever :)

An insightful review, Rosh. Booker and I are usually not in agreement. 😉

P.B. wrote: "Even though this one failed to make an impact on you, your review is detailed. It will be helpful to people who might like such books."

Thanks much, PB! I hope so too. I know there are many readers who will be blown away by this work in a positive way.

G_occasionally_reads wrote: "Great review. Sorry you did not enjoy it."

Thanks, G. Me too!

Christy wrote: "Great critique Rosh. There’s definitely a difference between contemplation and rambling!"

Thanks, Christy. Well said!

Canadian Jen wrote: "I don't think this one would work for me either, Rosh. By booker to me the booker choices? If so, ya def not a fan of those. Appreciate the thoughts!"

Yes, Jen, the Booker Prize choices - nominees and winners. They always seem to go for a particular type of writing, which hardly ever works for me.

Rachel wrote: "Even though this book was not your cup of tea (and it doesn’t sound like it would be mine either), you still gave a terrific and very fair review. I hope you enjoy your next read much better! 💗"

Thanks much, Rachel! 💚 The month is finally turning towards the better - Yay!

Jaidee wrote: "Am I terrible ? You make me so happy I have this one although I wish it had been better for you Rosh🦊🦝"

Haha, not at all terrible, Jaidee! I hope you love it!

Sandysbookaday wrote: "Great review and thanks for your honesty, Rosh. I'll pass. I just finished one I think you would like - The Essential Elizabeth Stone by Jennifer Banash. 💖📚"

Thanks much, Sandy! 💚 And thanks for the rec as well. I did read your review and it sounds wonderful!

Chantel wrote: "Super review, Rosh! Sorry that it ended up being such a dud. To be fair, this book does sound very tiresome; I'm happy to take your review & skip this one. Shoutout to you for reading a Booker Priz..."

Thanks, Chantel! I should have stayed away from it after it was nominated but my curiosity got the better of me. :D

Sportyrod wrote: "We are one and the same type of readers."

Absolutely, Aussie Bro!

Karly wrote: "Great review Rosh what a shame it didn’t turn out how you hoped though. Better luck with your next book 🩷"

Thanks much, Karly!💚

Shelley's Book Nook wrote: "Amazing review, Rosh. Booker books usually aren't for me either. I hope you enjoy the next one. 🤗💕"

Thanks, Shelley! 💚 Happy to find so many other readers who aren't Booker fans! :D

Chris Lee wrote: "Hmmm. Do not think I did not notice the "summary" reading of the poem. If Rosh is resorting to reading poems or poetry for context, I know it's going to negatively affect the book and her mood. :D ..."

LOL, I should have know you would notice that! :D In my defence, the original work is toooooo long and not in a language I understand. (Reading Middle English is as good as reading Latin or Greek - things look similar but aren't the same!) The summary itself was long, so my mood did get affected a teeny bit. :P
I admire the writer's patience to keep at one potential book idea for forty years - not an easy task to stay focussed for so long!
Thanks, Chris!

Nicole Leigh Reads wrote: "Great review, Rosh. Something interesting with books is that I find it really depends on the story at hand if I enjoy the first or third person narration, and sometimes I wonder how a shift in the ..."

Thanks, Nicole! Absolutely agree! While I like both voices (and even second person), some stories seem to be narrator-dependent. I would have loved this one better in third person as it would have avoided a few of the pitfalls.

preoccupiedbybooks wrote: "Great review Rosh! Books that are praised by literary critics are never my cup of tea! I hope your next one is full of plot and joy 💛"

Thanks much, Fran! 💚 I have learnt that lesson the hard way! :D

Thibault wrote: "Your September reads have definitely mostly been disappointing so far. Mine haven’t gone as well as I’d hoped either. Though considering some of the things you mentioned in the beginning of your re..."

Thanks much, Thibault! Sorry to hear that your September is going the same way. Mine seems to be finally turning around. The last two books I read (yet to review) have been highly satisfying. I hope this new wave lasts.
True that I was prepared for this to go either way. I was just hoping that some miracle would occur. :D

Jayne wrote: "Fabulous honest review! I am with you: not a fan of rambling books! I also have rarely liked a Booker list book! I hope your next book is a winner."

Thanks much, Jayne! Of all the Booker list books I've read, I've liked only two! Almost all their winners seem to have rambling prose, and just as you, I can't stand it!

Yun wrote: "Great review, Rosh! Your comment about this being Booker made me laugh. I hear you so much. I don't think I've found a Booker winner or nominee I've liked so far."

Thanks, Yun! Glad to be in elite company! Guess we aren't made for Booker books. :D

Karen wrote: "Outstanding review, Dear Rosh! I think you wrote a stunning analysis of what you appreciated, as well as the things that didn't work. I am so glad I listened to my instinct and turned down the offe..."

Thanks so much, Karen! 💚 I too love literary fiction, but some books in this genre seem to be all about misery. Life is mostly balanced, and so should fiction. I am glad you listened to your intuition. Mine is evidently in hibernation. :D

Catherine wrote: "I am starting to think that Booker books will NEVER be for me because I don't usually click with anything long or rambling! I can respect the intelligence that is often behind these kinds of books,..."

Yay for one more to keep me company on Non-Booker-Fan island! :D I never thought so many readers dislike Booker books! They are intelligent, but reading is not just about how one can string words together. The prose needs the support of a strong plot, which many Booker books forget. Thanks so much, Catherine! 💚

Jayme wrote: "Booker books don’t work for me either! Fair and honest reviews! 💞"

Thanks, Jayme! There seem to be quite a few of us who dislike Booker winners!! 💚

Srivalli wrote: "Booker's love for prosey misery porn is why I stay away from the lists. Sorry this was disappointing and added to the list of not-good reads for the month. Superb review, Rosh.

P.S: I realized a ..."

Seriously, Sri! It's like the more the misery in a book, the better the chance of its making the list.
I had actually had my eye on this even before S reviewed it and even before it made it to the long list. The Irish pull was quite strong. I should have actually chucked it out after Booker viewed it positively, but by then, it was too late. :D

Heather Adores Books wrote: "Bummer you didn’t care for this one. Too bad Marianne couldn’t get it together either. A fab review, Rosh!"

Thanks, Heather! Marianne should have gotten her act together much sooner!

len ❀ wrote: "books that win prizes or are long listed for them are usually a miss for me too. i haven’t really read them but i’ve sampled some and i’ve realized they tend to be too complex haha. sorry this was ..."

At least you are smart enough to sample them! I take a deep dive and then drown! :D Thanks, Len!

Baba wrote: "Such a well thought out review Rosh .. as ever :)"

Thank you kindly, Baba. :)

Darla wrote: "An insightful review, Rosh. Booker and I are usually not in agreement. 😉"

Haha, thanks, Darla! You and I will be on the same side of the argument against Booker. ;)