State of Wonder – Ann
Patchett
It starts with such a
weak premise that it is unbelievable, and therefore I could not
continue it. I gave up about 50 pages in. The premise that a
pharmaceutical firm would let one female researcher go off into the
Amazon jungle by herself, and then send another top-flight researcher
after her by himself, followed by a third, is not on. It destroys any
credibility.
The definition of
fiction that I remember from my school days is that it should be
plausible, could happen. Non-fiction included factual stuff, and
fantasy.
Today’s definition:
the class
of literature
comprising works of imaginative
narration, especially in prose form. So I suppose it fits.
No score.
comments from AW:
I have to say I found this dull at first (even though we are going to Manaus in January), and in normal circumstances would have given up if a) it wasn't bookclub (so, fear of Liz), and b) it hadn't won an award. However once Marina actually got into the jungle I found it considerably better paced and very enjoyable. It was well written to bring you round to the obstructive and 'doesn't suffer fools - gladly, if at all', character of Dr Swenson as actually trying to do something great for humanity. Still a bit of diplomacy with her financial backers wouldn't have gone amiss. So sorry for poor Easter though. Perhaps he will bring the tribes together one day.
------------------------
Capital – John
Lanchester
What happens on a
typical urban London street, from the Muslim family in the corner
shop, to the old lady at no. 27, to the rich banker who has a
spendthrift wife, and then gets fired. Meanwhile someone is posting
postcards about the neighbourhood, one house is used as a temporary
residence for an African footballer, and Zbigniew the builder fancies
the bankers nanny. You feel that you get to know the people. A good
read, well paced and enjoyable.
Score: 8
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/mar/01/book-club-capital-john-lanchester
Comments received from AW: It took me two goes to get into this, but it was prior to it being a bookclub choice. However at the second attempt I enjoyed it all the way through. I liked the characters, and the postcards theme which pulled everything together satisfyingly in the end. The only thing I found unconvincing was that the first postcard transgressor turned out to be the more devout of the Muslim brothers, the one that disapproved of the Western lifestyle. Would he really claim to want it rather than just condemn it? It's not impossible to be ambivalent about these things of course, but it felt unlikely here. I felt that the author wanted the postcards as a device and as the later perpetrator didn't know the people he was targeting he, the author, had to have someone who set up the situation but without evil intent. Not a convincing choice.
Comments received from AW: It took me two goes to get into this, but it was prior to it being a bookclub choice. However at the second attempt I enjoyed it all the way through. I liked the characters, and the postcards theme which pulled everything together satisfyingly in the end. The only thing I found unconvincing was that the first postcard transgressor turned out to be the more devout of the Muslim brothers, the one that disapproved of the Western lifestyle. Would he really claim to want it rather than just condemn it? It's not impossible to be ambivalent about these things of course, but it felt unlikely here. I felt that the author wanted the postcards as a device and as the later perpetrator didn't know the people he was targeting he, the author, had to have someone who set up the situation but without evil intent. Not a convincing choice.
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