Literally Dead Book Club discussion
This topic is about
Platform Seven
Platform Seven by Louise Doughty
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check in | the first 6 chapters
I know it has only been 6 chapters, but this book is so slow. Nothing has happened so far and I'm really considering DNF'ng it.Haven't connected with the main character yet and just like how some have said in the Book Selection discussion, this book should not be labeled as "horror" or "thriller" - nothing "creepy" or "suspenseful" has happened.
I hope it picks up!
Agreed! It is super slow.... I’m so far disappointed, I was really looking forward to this. I’m hoping it picks up too!!
This book is extremely slow. Till now I don't feel invested in the story.. I hope it improves
Okay, I've just given up on this one. It's soooo boring and very slow, and I have absolutely no interest in reading any further. I just have too many books on my TBR pile that I can't waste time on a book that doesn't grab me.Sorry everyone, but this one gets a big thumbs down from me. I'll be back in April to take part in the next read because I'm really looking forward to that one. :-)
This is officially a DNF from me.
I agree this book is terribly slow. I keep going though hoping it will pick up but the feeling is doubtful.
Aaah this part is so slow and boring, nothing interested had hapoened yet. l hope It picks up.
I'm listening to the audiobook of this one because I couldn't get a physical copy. I like the first part of the book although it is really slow. It's hard in the beginning of this novel to fully connect with Lisa and some of the ideas in this book are muddy from the start. I'm further along now so I'll continue my thoughts in the other sections.
It does pick up some !
I like the perspective of a ghost a lot. The idea of that is just fun. This book, however, is super slow and i'm not sure if I really like or connect with Lisa at all just yet. Not a lot happens except we get snippets of the workers of the train station and what they're like and if Lisa likes them or what she thinks of them. Which is like okay neat but what else? I'm just curious enough to keep going but we'll see how far I make it if it doesn't pick up or get interesting in the next bit.
I've listened to 48% and I am sooooo bored. I think I'm going to DNF for now....maybe keep an eye on what you guys are saying so I might, big might, continue later.
I thought of something, it may be all muddy and confusing and boring because the dead see things differently then us. They usually have fragmented memories and time lapses when trying to speak. So maybe that’s it? Idk just a thought.
If it weren't for the book club, I would DNF this one. I'm so bored! Also, how is it that one minute she doesn't know her name or who her parents were and the next minute she remembers every detail of falling on the sidewalk? Or of a discussion she had with her class? This is so disjointed. I will hang on a little bit longer! Time to power through the next section!
I agree this first section has been pretty slow. I’m also not sure how I feel about the main character yet. I’m hoping things start to pick up soon.
God this book is boring. Would have dnf-ed it if not for the book club. Whoever voted for this book over other more interesting titles!!!
I just got to chapter 7. Maybe it’s because I’m listening to it on audio but I’m just boredddd so far. I’ve seen good reviews so I’m going to keep listening- fingers crossed!!
I'm a bit further along than chapter six, but not quite far enough to be able to look at the next discussion group, and I am starting to have a bit of trepidation about not liking this book. The slow beginning didn't bother me that much, and I enjoyed the atmosphere and some of the quotable sections. The meditation on life and death, the border, and the station. However, I do find the writing a bit inconsistent - like in the beginning we learn more about the other characters internal thoughts (supposedly through Lisa's supernatural ability to feel what others are thinking) but then later she doesn't seem to remember or know what we learned while we were in their head. I hope this is explained somehow because otherwise it seems like a bit of a fail.So far the next few chapters aren't working for me at all. Lisa is starting to get on my nerves. I hope it improves, as the premise is interesting, and I think it has a lot of potential. I will keep reading, but for those of you that dnfd, I haven't found any strong reason yet to recommend you pick it back up, as I currently like these next few chapters less than the beginning, even if we are starting to get a few answers.
I finished up the first chapters, and I must agree. The story is slow and dragging. I know that it is building up for hopefully something better. I am enjoying the fact that it is written a lot in the point of view of Lisa, our supernatural ghostly being haunting the Platforms of this particular station, and I do want to know what brought her to haunting it. I write this after reading a bit further, having 25% of the book read so far, and it does get a bit better, but I’m hoping there is something that will maybe be surprising.
As for the thriller part, this story I feel shouldn’t be considered one, not unless the thrilling parts are yet to start.
I'm not hooked yet to the book and struggle a bit to read further. Up until now I find it so confusing and have no idea where the story is going. Why does she seem to be able to see memories from one person but not from another. and why is she so fixated on "Caleb" all of the sudden?
i'm still in chapter 3 but i think this is the first book i read from the point of view of a ghost and i'm excited about this one
I can't deal with this book. I have tried the physical, ebook, and audiobook, and all of these are terrible, so I have to call it finally, and I am DNFing this book, sorry everyone. Platform Seven might be the most boring book I have read in years. The synopsis has nothing to do with the book. I don't think I would hate this book if I had not read the synopsis. I one got to like chapter 5 ( i think), and we have met the other ghost, and he never said anything just waved and moved on.
Sorry not sorry, but I am DNFing this book, but I will watch the live show, and I will keep looking at the update to see if the book gets better, and maybe I can give it another try.
Sorry but I’m out. There is absolutely nothing happening and I have a huge pile of books to read this month. I’ve tried to read the same page three times and fall asleep every time. DNF and I’ll catch up in April
I think I can summarize all six chapters into one word. Unsurprisingly the word is: slooowww. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. I just had to adjust my expectations - no action packed mystery. Instead we need to wait until the Lisa's memories return and maybe there will be some twist or two near the end. I'm not holding my breath though - it'll probably just end with Lisa moving into afterlife or something after we learn why she died. Or maybe she'll continue haunting the train station. Anyway it's kinda convenient that in the first part she didn't know her own name, but was able to read minds of everyone and then in part two she suddenly was able to recall very vivid memories, but couldn't find out anything about "Caleb". One thing that's kinda hard for me is that I got this as a e-book (cheapest option) and I strugle with reading from a display. Seriously - reading the entire The Other People took me the same time as to read the first 6 chapters of Platform Seven.
On the side note - I was super happy when I found out that one of the women in the café (Milada) is not only Czech, she's Moravian! Like me! Yay!
This book is so boring. I just finished chapter 9 and nothing had happend. I hope it gets better.
This book is definitely slow, and I definitely wouldn’t call it a thriller when nothing very thrilling has happened. But tonally, it kind of fits. Just as Lisa is stuck, waiting for...what? Something, hopefully, but who knows?...so we are also stuck waiting for something to happen. I feel like the blurb indicated there was a connection between Lisa’s death and this other man’s death, but there’s been no real movement toward that yet. I’m going to continue reading, because I’m curious what the other presence in the car park is, and because I want to know what the cop finds out about Lisa’s death, but I do wish the pacing would hurry the heck up. I feel like this author is trying very hard (and succeeding) at writing beautifully, but that was never what thriller readers demanded in their books, especially if it comes at the cost of pacing.
Not a fan of the casual ableism re Elevator Guy in chapter 3. Sure, he was a jerk, but Melissa's assumption that he was able-bodied and just being lazy was annoying. Other than that though, I've found the story really interesting. I like the atmosphere and the way that Lisa describes things. She's almost developed omnipotence about the station and the people within it because she's been stuck there for so long. The descriptions can get a little colorful, but I think that adds something to it.
Agree with the majority, very slow start. I would normally DNF, but this is my first book with the group so I'm going to try and push through.
I'm switching to the audio book for a bit to see if it helps me get through the story. But from the sounds of other comments, it feels just as slow.I read Apple Tree Yard a while back and honestly felt the same way. Mildly interesting but dull and way too slow for my liking.
I am enjoying the perspective the story is told from the Ghost point of view. It is a slow paced novel, I am listening to the Audio book version not sure if that helps or not. So far So Good.
I am happy to see many people feel the same as me. I was away on a trip this weekend and read this on the plane. It is so boring and slow. I am thinking about DNFing it unless people tell me it gets better.
I thought it was maybe because I didn’t sleep well last night: I fell asleep too many times reading Chapters 5 and 6. I’ll probably stick with it for a while, but only because it’s with the book club. 👻
I can't believe how many people are ready to dnf this book not even a quarter into it. Very rarely does a 400+ page book pick up until a third of the way in - I'm surprised. Like a character died within the first few pages, so how does that not count as something happening?I agree that it's slow but the building for something I feel is well paced for the book and the setting???
My "enjoyment" might also have something to do with the fact that I've been to Peterborough station and live in the surrounding areas, so I get the references and can place myself there.
Not sure if I like the story of our narrator - I'm more intrigued in the man at the beginning and Dalmar, but it's nice to have bits and pieces being told over time as she starts to remember certain things
I have a differing opinion so far. It’s so interesting to me that everyone is finding this boring when I can’t put it down. I feel so connected to the main character and I honesty really like the writing. I feel like the first 15-20% of every book is like this... guess I will see if it continues to intrigue me.
got through this chunk in one sitting, and I really didn't find it as terrible as everyone seems to think. I'm definitely curious about Lisa's death, and I like the story from a dead persons perspective. Definitely going to keep reading.
I was hoping to feel different from most people commenting but I’ve just got to Chapter 7 and WOW I don’t care in the slightest! I’m so bored! Also personally for me, I hate the writing style! I honestly don’t know if I can continue with this book. I have no interest in the characters, the plot or well....anything. I’d hate to DNF a book club book but I may just have too!
for all the people reading it: it picks up after the first section. it's really boring at first but then the juicy bits come I guess
I was hoping the comments here would inspire hope in me, but I feel the same as everyone else and want to DNF this book. I don't like the writing style or Lisa's perspective, and I am so bored I just keep falling asleep. The people that managed to finish this book only rated it 1-3 stars, and that doesn't make me want to push through. I had really high hopes for this book and requested that my library purchase the ebook so that I could read it with the group. I'm still going to watch the live show because I don't care about seeing spoilers (in fact that might make me come back to finish it if they're interesting), but I have too many books on my TBR this month and Goodreads keeps telling me I'm one book behind whenever I choose this book over something better ✌🏻
I came here hoping to see how everyone was enjoying the reading to motivate myself to continue, but I feel the same way, I want to DNF the book. It's so so boring!
I’m surprised so many people are already finding it so boring they want to DNF so soon because that’s usually my thing, but I’m not finding this particularly slow or boring at all. I’m interested in what’s happening so far and enjoying it as a casual read.
I was concerned I wasn’t going to like it based on negative comments I heard before I started, but so far my experience doesn’t seem to match up with everyone else’s, so hopefully I continue to like it.
I am listening to the audiobook, and I do not find it particularly exciting atm, but it's a rather long book, so I kind of expected it to be a bit slower at the beginning. I am definitely going to keep reading; the premise of the book sounds super intriguing!
Hey does anyone know the trigger warnings for this book? I'm having a hard time finding them
Why does the first six chapters just seem like gibberish?Also does anybody else think this could honestly be the POV of a Sim’s ghost 🙈
I hate to say it, but even after switching to the audio book I can't do this story any longer. Doughty's writing style just doesn't work for me. So I'm out - this book is officially DNF'd.
Not gonna lie I’m bored, but I’m still pushing on! I do feel the fact it’s told by a ghost is an interesting take. But I’d agree if I didn’t have a hard time finding it.. I’d DNF it.
First of all this is really boring so far and I get that it's supposed to be like that since she can't do anything but wow am I not interested. And am I the only one who finds the whole "wow-look-at-this-random-dude-I-am-now-in-love-with-him" kinda weird?
Also the whole "Two deaths on Platform Seven. Two fatalities in eighteen months - surely they're connected?" .... well, no? No one thinks like that? And it's just way too convenient that this one police officer remembered that someone else died on Platform Seven and that the deaths might have been connected.
Although I'll admit it is a bit of a slower read I'm enjoying reading through Lisa's perspective and how she sort of half wishes she hadn't killed herself. I'm looking forward to finding out why she did and also how and if the other suicides are linked/if she will meet any of them or get to eventually leave the portal.
I think this book is a bit slow but nonetheless pretty interesting. I'll hopefully continue liking this
I'm interested to see what comes up next, especially with those other ghosts that keep coming and to learn more about her history.
Ummm this book is so boring so far! I thought it might be me because I spend a huge amount of time on trains and in train stations and the majority of my reading is done when I’m commuting on a train to work and so the last thing that I want to read about is being stuck in a train station. This isn’t really reading like a thriller either, it seems more paranormal and that’s not really my jam. I’ll try and get through a bit more tonight but if my feelings don’t change I think I might have to DNF this and I never DNF anything!
I gotta admit I was a little disappointed this was set in England not Canada. When I read that it was set in Peterborough I thought that was really cool. But its not :( I really wanted a good Ontario read.
Thoughts so far?
No spoilers for later in the book please!