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zzzrevel's review
2.0
This is a weird one. I found the first quarter
of the book amusing, a lark, despite a rather
farcical premise to the actions of the protagonist.
But I wanted to see where it went.
However, then the book focuses on other
(new) characters, and I found them UNinteresting.
Drab even. Who cared for them?
The two sets of characters do come together
eventually but not before this book that began
as a romp turned pretty sad and depressing.
And then a good bit of the actual ending is
really, really dumb. It shouldn't be a spoiler
for me to say who asks for a bath from
basically a total stranger and then gives it
to them?! Amazing,
Don't bother with this one.
of the book amusing, a lark, despite a rather
farcical premise to the actions of the protagonist.
But I wanted to see where it went.
However, then the book focuses on other
(new) characters, and I found them UNinteresting.
Drab even. Who cared for them?
The two sets of characters do come together
eventually but not before this book that began
as a romp turned pretty sad and depressing.
And then a good bit of the actual ending is
really, really dumb. It shouldn't be a spoiler
for me to say who asks for a bath from
basically a total stranger and then gives it
to them?! Amazing,
Don't bother with this one.
pgchuis's review
4.0
3.5* rounded up.
When it is explained to Natalie how easy it is to alter the payee on a cheque made payable to, for example, the company in whose accounts department she works (NT), she seeks to marry a man whose last name begins with T. She will then add her last name to the payee line and cash the cheque. This part of the story, while seeming ridiculous, was very entertaining.
Natalie believes by an additional accounting step, she has made her theft a "victimless crime", but carelessness has consequences in the lives of others. The chapters from David and Sheila's point of view were sad, but became rather too much of the narrative; I found the novel stronger when we were inside Natalie's head. The point about there always being consequences was I suppose the "meaning" behind the story, although this was weakened by the fact that Natalie could so easily have avoided her careless mistake.
An interesting read, but it did leave me wondering if it had really been worth my time - I will, however, always be sure to write out the payee in full on my cheques.
When it is explained to Natalie how easy it is to alter the payee on a cheque made payable to, for example, the company in whose accounts department she works (NT), she seeks to marry a man whose last name begins with T. She will then add her last name to the payee line and cash the cheque. This part of the story, while seeming ridiculous, was very entertaining.
Natalie believes by an additional accounting step, she has made her theft a "victimless crime", but carelessness has consequences in the lives of others. The chapters from David and Sheila's point of view were sad, but became rather too much of the narrative; I found the novel stronger when we were inside Natalie's head. The point about there always being consequences was I suppose the "meaning" behind the story, although this was weakened by the fact that Natalie could so easily have avoided her careless mistake.
An interesting read, but it did leave me wondering if it had really been worth my time - I will, however, always be sure to write out the payee in full on my cheques.
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