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zasobel's review
DNF-ed at page 50.
I really wanted to like this book because my dad bought it for me. He picked it up in a bookshop and read a bit and thought it was so well-written and right up my alley. He bought me a couple of books that day but he made a point to say that he was most excited about this one. Unfortunately I got bored :(
That's not to say this isn't a well-written book. Shaun Prescott writes in an interesting way. I found myself starting to compare his writing to translations of Asian literature that I've read, in that it had an unfocused approach to characterisation and plot and a hyper-focused approach to description and environmental context. Dad knew that I loved 'Cold Enough For Snow' and I don't fault his judgement in this book's stylistic similarity to that one. I do usually like that style but found it weirdly dull in the context of two male characters experiencing a rural NSW town. Maybe that context is too familiar for me to find magical.
At another time this might have been a book that I persisted with, and even enjoyed. But right now I'm feeling such a pull towards plot-heavy books that I couldn't be bothered. I read other reviews and saw other people saying that they felt it didn't really go anywhere, so I feel fine moving on.
I really wanted to like this book because my dad bought it for me. He picked it up in a bookshop and read a bit and thought it was so well-written and right up my alley. He bought me a couple of books that day but he made a point to say that he was most excited about this one. Unfortunately I got bored :(
That's not to say this isn't a well-written book. Shaun Prescott writes in an interesting way. I found myself starting to compare his writing to translations of Asian literature that I've read, in that it had an unfocused approach to characterisation and plot and a hyper-focused approach to description and environmental context. Dad knew that I loved 'Cold Enough For Snow' and I don't fault his judgement in this book's stylistic similarity to that one. I do usually like that style but found it weirdly dull in the context of two male characters experiencing a rural NSW town. Maybe that context is too familiar for me to find magical.
At another time this might have been a book that I persisted with, and even enjoyed. But right now I'm feeling such a pull towards plot-heavy books that I couldn't be bothered. I read other reviews and saw other people saying that they felt it didn't really go anywhere, so I feel fine moving on.
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