Mumsnet Talk

Really trying to enjoy this book as its had so many good reviews and won some award.

I just can't get into it. I'm up to the bit where the girl and her grandad had seen the elephant in the street.

Is it worth carrying on?

Not really. I am determined to finish it but I am not enjoying it.

I didn't enjoy it either. Kind of skim read the end but had no desire to finish it properly.

Dammit, it's in my 'to read' pile. I don't think I can take any more literary disappointment after last years lot, shall I bin it now?

Hmm, so its not just me!

It reminds me so much of The Secret Scripture which was another book highly recommended and which won awards but I just couldn't stand it!!

Who are these people giving out awards??!!

I usually have a rule of persevering with a book until page 50 then ditching it if I think its rubbish but DH bought me The Tiger's Wife for crimbo so I would feel a bit guilty.

Or I could just pretend I read it, he never reads so wouldn't know the difference

Agree - it's hard to explain, with a book so apparently original, but I found the writing formulaic. Somehow there didn't seem to be anything behind it, which is odd, because if you look at its individual elements there should be loads in it. But I found myself skimming as well.

I thought it was rubbish. I didn't think the three elements - the protagonist's story, the grandfather's life and the folk stories hung together at all. It was all over the place. I didn't think the characters were deep. I didn't think the story was interesting.

I persevered to the end (I don't think I have ever not finished a book) but I shouldn't have bothered. I have no idea why it won an award.

CoffeeCamel I know exactly what you mean. It should have had substance but somehow didn't.

I finished it but thought it was shit. Just didn't hang together enough, not enough time for the characters to develop and the stories were confused. Not sure why it was raved about so much really!

Have decided to abandon ship and read something else, will probably tell DH I loved it

Just ordered You by Joanna Briscoe, looks much more up my street.

I also got it from my DH last Nov for my birthday. Out of loyalty I read it. But good god it was painful. I felt it was a shame that there was not more focus on her life and her grandfathers life and the war. It could have been a good book but wasn't. Also I found the end boring, the long story about the Tiger's wife....