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Mumsnet Discussions: Adult fiction : The Post Birthday World-Lionel Shriver (12 messages)
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Contact the poster Contact mumsnet about this post By AbbeyA on Fri 17-Oct-08 09:23:37
Has anyone read this? I have started it but I am not enjoying it-should I carry on? It is a very thick book and I don't like any of the characters!
Contact the poster Contact mumsnet about this post By fumf on Fri 17-Oct-08 09:25:25
I'm struggling ewith it too. Cannot engage with it. really enjoyed Kevin. Will persevere.
Contact the poster See this person's profile Contact mumsnet about this post By Marina on Fri 17-Oct-08 09:25:30
Did you read her first novel Abbey?
Contact the poster Contact mumsnet about this post By AbbeyA on Fri 17-Oct-08 09:33:39
Yes I read 'We Need to Talk about Kevin', I think enjoyed it would be the wrong word, but I found it very interesting and thought provoking.
Contact the poster Contact mumsnet about this post By malovitt on Fri 17-Oct-08 09:34:05
It is awful.
I enjoyed Kevin and was looking forward to this but it is garbage.
I persevered because it was a birthday present and I felt guilty but when I finished it I put it in the paper recycling not the book recycling so no-one else would have to suffer reading my copy.
Contact the poster Contact mumsnet about this post By SweetPea99 on Wed 29-Oct-08 10:33:10
Double Fault is an excellent novel, written before the success of 'Kevin', but I am struggling with 'Post birthday World', it just seems like an academic exercise for Shriver, and a pretty arrogant one at that. Reading this thread has made me decide to give up (I was struggling through and wondering why I was bothering). And what's with the Dick Van Dyke accent for the snooker player??? Oi???
Contact the poster Contact mumsnet about this post By ElviraInanEcup on Wed 29-Oct-08 10:45:48
I really liked it!
I'm wondering what's wrong with me!
I agree that none of the characters were particularly lovable.
Also, it does seem contrived in a way
but i found it very readable.
I liked the way it played with ideas about 'what if' etc.
And how many things remained constant.
I thought the ending could have been clearer and less confusing but then i thought that about the french lieutenant's woman so maybe i am just a bit thick for post-modernism...
Contact the poster Contact mumsnet about this post By PurpleRabbit on Wed 29-Oct-08 21:42:20
It's not just you ElviraInanEcup - I really liked it too. Like you I enjoyed how similar both the versions of her life really were. Not so keen on Double Fault though, but I read that after Kevin and PBW, so I wonder if there's a limit to how much Shriver you can enjoy!
Contact the poster Contact mumsnet about this post By fishie on Wed 29-Oct-08 21:46:00
i've never managed to read the two i've tried, not up for a third go. there is something very unappealing and contrived about her writing. although we could all have guessed that with the lionel business.
Contact the poster Contact mumsnet about this post By ElviraInanEcup on Wed 29-Oct-08 22:03:03
it definitely makes my skin crawl
it is uncomfortable reading
but i do find it compelling
Contact the poster See this person's profile Contact mumsnet about this post By conkertree on Thu 30-Oct-08 21:32:29
my goodness purplerabbit fancy meeting you here. I too am struggling to get through this one - but I will persevere (and then give you your copy back purplerabbit) at least for a while and hope that it gets better.
Contact the poster Contact mumsnet about this post By AbbeyA on Thu 30-Oct-08 21:45:59
I got to the end but the characters didn't get any less annoying. It was a clever idea but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.


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