Present: Alex, Nic, Shubha, Jane, Gill
Alex can explain most eloquently why he enjoyed this book so much and why he chose it for book group and, of those present, most found it easy to read, a pacey, reasonably enjoyable page turner. Only Shubha hadn't finished it and was struggling a little but, as she was getting to the bit with the beach and the whales, it was about to pick up, so it will be interesting to see how she ended up feeling.
For my part, I thought Wally Lamb's obvious writing talent, good use of language and pace, were wasted on this misery tome. He captured the feminine voice of the narrator and main protagonist subtly and convincingly. However, I am at a loss to know what he, as writer, or I, as reader, got out of him writing this book (well, I take that back, he, presumably, got a heap of cash). He crammed in a lot of events but I felt they were dealt with shallowly: I did not receive any great insights into mental health issues; childhood development; the after effects of rape, abandonment, or bereavement; analysis, whales, or any other topic he into which ventured. There are plenty of real life tales of woe (see Mark's photos of bookshelves in Smiths and Waterstones!) so I need something more from a fictional account than a relating of facts (um ... ficts?). I need an analysis and an understanding of cause and effect, something that moves our knowledge forward ... just something ...
So, for my money, a harmless yarn but one feels Wally Lamb is capable of more. I'm just not sure I'd risk trying it.
Alex:
Ach. Lawyer, empath thyself...
Jen:
I on the other hand thought this was amazing and loved it. I thought he dealt beautifully with a damaged girl growing up with what happened to her and the consequent impact of the events on her psyche and personality. Of course it wasn't spelt out; she didn't understand it, it was just something she was liviing through.
I thought it was fab and Dolores and the othyer characters breathed on the page. Great choice!