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Anybody read A Week in December by Sebastian Faulks?

34 replies

JannerBird · 09/11/2010 10:56

I am at the point of giving up on this book (which I hate to do) and wanted to ask if anybody here has read it?

I am on page 182 and I really don't feel that anything has happened, at all. Is it worth perservering with, does anything actually happen?

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sarahat2littleboys · 12/02/2011 07:57

I skipped the banking stuff - felt like he was trying to teach us how it all works and having waded through a few of the pages about it, I started to scan the rest and ended up quite enjoying the book (looks like I'm in a minority here!). I have to say that I thought the way he was able to flick between characters without ever losing me was done really well..... it was a bit of fluff; not particularly enlightening, but other than the finance lecturing, actually quite enjoyable! I read the Finkler Question afterwards which starts with only three main characters and I got confused by page 6 about which character was doing what..... now THAT'S bad writing! Oh, and sorry, but I also liked Birdsong AND Engleby :0

maryz · 10/02/2011 22:09

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scottishmummy · 10/02/2011 22:08

lol,still in bag with receipt is it that bad?

maryz · 10/02/2011 22:06

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scottishmummy · 10/02/2011 21:58

bought it the other day.not out bag yet

maryz · 10/02/2011 21:52

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stegasaurus · 10/02/2011 21:48

I've read about 80 pages and was wondering if it would be worth the effort of persevering. I guess not from what most of you say.

Haribojoe · 10/02/2011 12:02

I gave up with this (which I rarely do with books) but I decided I didn't want to waste any more time on it.

I felt a bit embarassed like I didn't get it, so thank you everyone for making me feel better Smile

Grabaspoon · 09/02/2011 19:59

I read the whole book but it was utter crap and I wish I had ust read something else instead.

jenga079 · 09/02/2011 19:56

Sounds like I'm alone. I LOVED it! So did DP and my best friend. I agree that not much happened, but I was very engaged by the characters and the situations.

booge · 09/02/2011 19:47

Mariella Frostrup had him on the ropes on R4 last week. He came across as a misogynist and pompous.

cornishpasty · 09/02/2011 19:44

I gave up too. Birdsong is one of my most favourite books, but i've not finished anything else by him. Very disappointing.

motheroftwoboys · 09/02/2011 16:56

Gave up on it - very rare for me.

UntamedShrew · 09/02/2011 16:54

I am reading it. Haaaaaaaate it. I will finish it though.

Wish I had found this thread much earlier but it helps to know I am not alone in my suffering.

grumpypants · 16/11/2010 17:27

I forced myself to read it, and then read the back describing it as 'hilarious' and 'satire' which I totally missed (and I have an Eng Lit degree....really dire

JRsandCoffee · 16/11/2010 17:26

Sorry Lala, forgot to come back! I think my problem with it was that it was just so damned pleased with itself, everyone was "saved" from total doom in the end, SF exercised his highly educated brain extensively and convincingly over a variety of topics, I found myself comparing the writer to one of the characters and just as I warmed to it in places it froze me out again. Obviously it has very Londoncentric feel to it, but only certain bits of London, it isn't really a narrative about real London, just margins of it, the very rich and the very intelligent. The barrister and a tube driver who has clearly been failed by the educational system make up some kind of "normal" slant but it all somehow rings hollow.

I felt patronised and unconvinced, I love London and all it's crazieness, I got married there rather than at "home" because I've spent most of my adult life there and the city had become my home. I didn't see that city and the diversity of it in this book and I suppose that disappointed me. I agree that if you are tired of London you are tired of life, this book had none of London's joy in it, only glimmers of occasional hope and redemption in a dark and depressing world I'm happy to never know!

Ooooh, rant over..... The satire wasn't even particularly good........ I'm stopping, honest......Hmm

chocoholic · 10/11/2010 19:55

Did you see this thread.

It was MN book for Sept.

piscesmoon · 10/11/2010 19:45

I put off reading Engleby-it didn't appeal -and I picked it up one day when I had nothing to read and couldn't put it down.

ClenchedBottom · 10/11/2010 18:25

But wouldn't it be boring if we all thought the same thing!

ClenchedBottom · 10/11/2010 18:25

Erm so am I alone in really not enjoying Engleby, then???

I found it predictable and utterly un-gripping, if there is such a word. To be fair, I'm not a Faulks fan, have read a few of his to give him a chance to improve (Birdsong best of his I've read) but Engleby left me cold and not in a good way. Not chilling, more sleep-inducing......

lalalonglegs · 10/11/2010 18:22

Blimey, it wasn't that bad JR. I read some of the book club thread and some people really liked it including Justine MN (although she may have been politely faking it Wink).

JRsandCoffee · 10/11/2010 17:56

I'm just finishing A Week in December - it will be going in the recycling - not sure I'd want to inflict it on a charity!!!

larrygrylls · 10/11/2010 14:51

Jajas,

i agree that Engleby is good. Very chilling.

Jajas · 09/11/2010 21:43

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travellingwilbury · 09/11/2010 19:13

itsjust Birdsong is in my top ten favourite books but this one is shite , honestly I wouldn't bother .

I spent the whole book waiting for something even slightly interesting to happen . And the last few pages were finished off by a 13 yr old I am sure .

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