Present: Mark, Gill, Jen, Nic and Alex
Fabulous food and wine, which conjured up Buenos Aires, for me, much better than this book was able to do.
For me this was the most disappointing book of the year - it held great promise, with wonderful reviews on the cover (which I later noticed were for one of the author's other books!). I was expecting the poetical literacy of The Shadow of the Wind instead, when I began, I thought I was reading the foreword and only, with growing disappointment, realised this was the book after several dull and un-engaging pages.
Gill, although disappointed, was able to reap some enjoyment from the descriptions of tango. I don't think I read far enough to encounter one.
Fabulous food and wine, which conjured up Buenos Aires, for me, much better than this book was able to do.
For me this was the most disappointing book of the year - it held great promise, with wonderful reviews on the cover (which I later noticed were for one of the author's other books!). I was expecting the poetical literacy of The Shadow of the Wind instead, when I began, I thought I was reading the foreword and only, with growing disappointment, realised this was the book after several dull and un-engaging pages.
Gill, although disappointed, was able to reap some enjoyment from the descriptions of tango. I don't think I read far enough to encounter one.
Gill:
I am the first to admit that I chose this book because (a) it had something to do with tango; (b) it sounded good on the cover; and (c) it had a nice photo on the front. So, yes never judge a book by the cover! I would, however, disagree that it was such a bad book. It perhaps lost something in the translation but I am glad that I finished it. It reminded me of a literary version of an art gallery - each of the venues the tango singer sang at had a story and was a different picture of buenos aires. I agree that the narrator character was highly annoying! All in all, the idea behind the book was interesting but it just didn't live up to its promise. Will go back to dancing tango and not reading books on it!
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