View Single Post
Old 12-25-2012, 06:23 AM   #6
paola
Wizard
paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
paola's Avatar
 
Posts: 2,824
Karma: 5843878
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: UK
Device: Pocketbook Pro 903, (beloved Pocketbook 360 RIP), Kobo Mini, Kobo Aura
Quote:
Originally Posted by fantasyfan View Post
Spoiler:

Where I personally think this novel goes badly--disastrously--wrong is in the contrived final 10%. It seems that when Brooks had to take her character out of the plague-ridden Eyam she didn't know what to do with her and made up a denouement which--far from being a satisfactory resolution--really (IMHO} moves into melodrama and then gets her shipped off abroad. I feel that Anna's character in that final section loses a great deal of its meditative and reflective beauty.

Did anyone else feel this way?
definitely: and it is a pity, for this part could have been used to explore issues of doubt, failed leadership and surrounding issues. In terms of the plot itself, there are a few more details that irked me, but I'd rather wait until others have finished not to spoil it for them.

More in general, however, I am afraid I really did not like the novel one bit. Beside the point I already made, I have to disagree with you as I found the characters really lack any subtlety whatsoever: they are roughly cut, and if they are good they are almost godly so, while if they are nasty they are devilishly so. I must be missing something, as this was a best seller, but obviously what is working for other people is definitely not working for me
paola is offline   Reply With Quote