I was really excited to read another novel from the
acclaimed author of ‘The Book Thief’ and the fact that he is a fellow
Australian built it all up for me even more. Sadly I don’t think this is the
better of his works, but I suppose comparing anything to the tremendous 'TBT' is
asking for trouble. At times I felt like I connected with the ‘pathetic’ nature
of the protagonist but other times I felt it missed the mark, but ultimately
the take away ‘message’ (pun intended) was effective and made me appreciate the
novel that much more.
Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
I'm really happy to have read this Penguin classic, and even though the prose annoyed me at times I enjoyed this novel quite a bit. It's definitely still a shocking premise to read about and it's made me want to watch the 1997 Lolita film!
Spellbound - Jane Green
Of all the 'chick-lit' available, I always get the best hit from Jane Green and am a long-time fan of her work. This turned the whole 'happily over after' stuff on its head which I liked, though as with many 'chick-lit' novels I was still annoyed by bits of the narrative which were a bit too 'perfect' and set-up for my liking...I thought the characters were well constructed and overall enjoyed reading this.
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - Helen Simonson
I really enjoyed this novel, it spoke to me from the very start and I found the characters really interesting. Often I get stuck in reading the same types of novels over and over but this was refreshing and I loved the age group of the characters, too (the protagonist is 68) The cover is beautiful and if I recall correctly Mister bought me this at an airport a few years ago - I sure am glad he did, as it was a lovely read.
Straight Talking - Jane Green
Yes, another Jane Green to fulfil my fast-pace chick-lit needs! This was her first novel and it's not my favourite from her - I could see the ending a mile away and some of the characters were a bit too 'meh' for my liking, but overall it was okay and I'm glad to have read another from Green.
Top recommendation: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
Hope you enjoy and feel free to leave book recommendations in the comments, or tell me what you're reading right now?
-Emma x
Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
I'm really happy to have read this Penguin classic, and even though the prose annoyed me at times I enjoyed this novel quite a bit. It's definitely still a shocking premise to read about and it's made me want to watch the 1997 Lolita film!
Spellbound - Jane Green
Of all the 'chick-lit' available, I always get the best hit from Jane Green and am a long-time fan of her work. This turned the whole 'happily over after' stuff on its head which I liked, though as with many 'chick-lit' novels I was still annoyed by bits of the narrative which were a bit too 'perfect' and set-up for my liking...I thought the characters were well constructed and overall enjoyed reading this.
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - Helen Simonson
I really enjoyed this novel, it spoke to me from the very start and I found the characters really interesting. Often I get stuck in reading the same types of novels over and over but this was refreshing and I loved the age group of the characters, too (the protagonist is 68) The cover is beautiful and if I recall correctly Mister bought me this at an airport a few years ago - I sure am glad he did, as it was a lovely read.
Straight Talking - Jane Green
Yes, another Jane Green to fulfil my fast-pace chick-lit needs! This was her first novel and it's not my favourite from her - I could see the ending a mile away and some of the characters were a bit too 'meh' for my liking, but overall it was okay and I'm glad to have read another from Green.
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I'm going to be popping up review posts like this with every 5 books I read - I like to reflect on what I've read and since I graduated university I feel like I've become quite slack with it, so hopefully this will push me to think more! Top recommendation: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
Hope you enjoy and feel free to leave book recommendations in the comments, or tell me what you're reading right now?
-Emma x
Thank you for the reviews and recommendation, Emma! I remember really liking Lolita when I read it all these years ago - I haven't read any other books from your line-up, but I'll keep Major Pettigrew in mind next time I'm reserving books at my library!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your comment Monika - glad to hear you like Lolita, too! Would love to hear what you think of Pettigrew :)
DeleteI absolutely adore Lolita! It's written so beautifully and even though the topic does bother some people, I always recommend it to people who want to see what great writing looks like.
ReplyDeletemissjulziez.blogspot.com.au
I found the prose a bit difficult at times but my preferred style is pretty left of field so I definitely think it is well-written :D Madame Bovary and other French classics still reign supreme for me, haha
DeleteOoh! Lolita is one of my favourite books of all time, it is just so beautifully written! And I completely agree about The Messenger, it was nothing like The Book Thief although I feel as though he'll never be able to come close to such perfection again! Haha x
ReplyDeleteIt's a great read :) I think it must be equal parts awesome but sad to know that your book is so good that it's the best you'll ever do - you'd be so proud but have so much to live up to! The Book Thief really is next level stuff, something the generations to come will love too I believe
DeleteYay, I love book posts! I remember reading The Messenger a while ago. I agree, it's not quite as good as TBT, but I still enjoyed it. I keep meaning to read Lolita, but I still haven't gotten around to it. Maybe this year!
ReplyDelete