Sorry, a bit late to the show, but not because I haven't read it! I've just been trying to catch up around here after a rough month. (But it's getting better!)
I really tried to like Roy. Again and again. And each time, he forced me to dislike him. His struggles are all too real, and I want him to overcome them, but in the end, it's right and appropriate that he doesn't.
Quote:
Originally Posted by astrangerhere
It is the women in the novel, more than the men, that to me show Malamud's early academic research. He wrote his thesis on Thomas Hardy. NOTHING ever ends well in Hardy, especially for women, so this was not an unforeseen conclusion.
|
It's his treatment of women, more than anything else, that disappoints. Yeah, I know, this was 1952, but a cad is a cad is a cad. And his braggadocio, with which I confess I have little sympathy or patience.
On a purely technical note, there are now two audio versions -- one only available via Overdrive, so far as I can tell, and one from Audible. The Overdrive one has a slightly better narration, IMHO, but the one from Audible actually has chapter markers, of a sort, so is much easier to read when you're on more than one device, as I usually am. Unfortunately, the Audible one didn't release until after I'd already finished the book, but I might well go back and listen to the whole book with it. I feel like I missed a fair amount and a second pass might help.