The Knitting Circle in Around the World in 80 Books

Aug 18, 2009 Lisa of Hopewell rated it liked it

Shelves: audio-books, read-in-2009

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Spoiler and UN-PC comments alert

Last disc--not quite done. I admit that her writing about the death of Stella was traumatic and heart-wrenching in the real sense. Obviously, her personal grief at the loss of her own daughter in real life fueled her writing to truly the level of great literature. For that part I give the book 5 full stars. I had tears running down my face as I drove this morning. The rest of the book was as I sad below.
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Going into disc 7... Spoiler and UN-PC comments alert

Last disc--not quite done. I admit that her writing about the death of Stella was traumatic and heart-wrenching in the real sense. Obviously, her personal grief at the loss of her own daughter in real life fueled her writing to truly the level of great literature. For that part I give the book 5 full stars. I had tears running down my face as I drove this morning. The rest of the book was as I sad below.
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Going into disc 7...let's do a fast cliche check:

1. Obligatory g/l/b/t character regardless of fit with story line [which is not a slam at anyone of those groups, just this is a cliche check, ok?:] CHECK
2. Stupid names CHECK for "Scarlett" CHECK for Lulu CHECK for hubby in his 40s unbelievably named "Dylan" or "Dillon"....
3. Mandatory gut-wrenching angst CHECK
4. Mandatory TMI offered in Mandatory sex scences CHECK
5. Kleenex required? CHECK (Not if you prefer to snark at it all)
6. Obligatory neatly wrapped up ending Pretty much check!

Is this a "good book?" No. Ok, is this a "bad book?" No. Just too predictable: dead child [sob:], multi-decade hubby leaves, [sob:], Daddy of dead child ditches grieving angst-ridden wife for someone "happy" (yes, of course, he's a lawyer) [sob:], perfect mother of 4 dying of cancer [sob:] Central Park Jogger-ish assault victim [sob:], Elderly English lesbian puts others above self to patch all of these back together including the obligatory gay male couple who love to knit [yep, you guessed it! one of them dies:], child of single mom ditched by Irish lover awaits [and gets:] new heart via transplant [sob and yeah!:]Mom bounces back from losing child by writing "history of knitting and it's thereputic uses article".... Oiy.....

If it's so bad why give it 3 stars?
1. It's not set in LA or NYC
2. The writing itself is very nice
3. I wish I could still knit

Don't read this if you tend to feel this kind of book to deeply. Don't read this, say, on the Golden Gate Bridge......you could want to jump.

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I'm listening to this in the car and could have done without the commentary on a blow job during the morning rush hour, but otherwise this is ok. Slightly predictable..... I've only read one other Ann Hood ["Somewhere Off the Coast of Maine" I think it was called:] Not bad. Not the raves I've read elsewhere. We'll see how this goes. ...more

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Jun 30, 2008 Diane rated it did not like it

While I think the author is an effective writer, making me feel the depth of desolation over the protagonist's loss of her only child, I felt the knitting was portrayed as an alternative to therapy, which, as a knitter, bugged me to no end. Plus, the broken aspect of nearly every single character struck me as trite, and ultimately ruined the book for me. ...more

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