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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think "The Island" is a shit book

62 replies

Nevertooearlyforcake · 03/10/2011 23:34

I've just been reading a review of another Victoria Hislop book, raving about it, 5 stars. However, the reviews I read of "The Island" were the same and I was so disappointed. I thought I'd really like it but I found the prose schoolgirl standard "and then this happened and then this happened" drivel with no emotional depth. Cannot understand why anyone would have given it a good review - AIBU?

OP posts:
nerdgirl72 · 04/10/2011 12:35

MardyBra (great name btw), I read The Return as the same friend lent me both and I'd recently been to Granada, which is why I think it offended me less. I agree that the actual historical stories these novels highlight are fascinating, but it is the way she writes such inane and unimaginative plots to shoehorn in all the historical research she has done after being on holiday somewhere nice that annoys me. It is like it is written by/for primary school children.

sun1234 · 04/10/2011 12:41

I think The Island or The Return make a good, light read, but not both. The plot lines and characters are so similar that I felt cheated for having wasted money buying the other book and spent time reading it.

(SW London residing daughter of an immigrant mother. Boyfriend/ husband isn't the right person for her. Mother was in a seriously heartbreaking situation in her youth. Daughter goes on a journey to uncover the mother's story and gets in touch with her roots.)

CocktailQueen · 04/10/2011 12:42

YANBU! I loved the Island and hated the Return!!

Proon · 04/10/2011 12:46

Quite often I google a new, lauded writer and find out what links they have to journalism. (Obv didn't have to here.) If they're getting rave reviews and are in the biz, eg Kate Mosse, or married to someone in the biz, it's a safe bet the 5 stars aren't really related to how well they write. [hard-faced]

Hullygully · 04/10/2011 12:48

hoh yes

CoffeeIsMyFriend · 04/10/2011 12:49

I enjoyed The Island, but read it as a bit of light reading, not as a historically accurate book. I did want to go to Crete though after I read it. Grin

LeQueen · 04/10/2011 13:09

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LeQueen · 04/10/2011 13:18

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AgentProvocateur · 04/10/2011 13:27

Ahem, LeQueen, I have written blurb for in-flight magazines in the past, and I can assure you that my copy was much more interesting and well written than anything VH could produce! Wink

AgentProvocateur · 04/10/2011 13:29

She could maybe write for one of these free magazines that you pick up in supermarkets. They're full of stereotypes and cliches just like her books.

sun1234 · 04/10/2011 14:50

VH has another book out this month. It is called "The Thread".

sun1234 · 04/10/2011 14:52

I thought for a moment she might have written something different but here's the synopsis. Same blend of telling an old story through modern eyes:-

Thessaloniki, 1917. As Dimitri Komninos is born, a fire sweeps through the thriving multicultural city, where Christians, Jews and Moslems live side by side. It is the first of many catastrophic events that will change for ever this city, as war, fear and persecution begin to divide its people. Five years later, young Katerina escapes to Greece when her home in Asia Minor is destroyed by the Turkish army. Losing her mother in the chaos, she finds herself on a boat to an unknown destination. From that day the lives of Dimitri and Katerina become entwined, with each other and with the story of the city itself. Thessaloniki, 2007. A young Anglo-Greek hears the life story of his grandparents for the first time and realises he has a decision to make. For many decades, they have looked after the memories and treasures of people who have been forcibly driven from their beloved city. Should he become their new custodian? Should he stay or should he go?

MissPenteuth · 04/10/2011 14:54

YANBU, I really wanted to like The Island as my lovely Granny had recommended it to me. It was a nice story but the writing was just really flat and uninspiring.

lovecat · 04/10/2011 15:02

If anyone does feel the urge to visit Spinalonga after reading the book (haven't read it, but noticed this place was mentioned and assume it's 'the Island' of the title), whatever you do DON'T take the boat trip from Agh Nik run by the old geezer who assures you he is an expert in the history of the island.

He is an expert. Unfortunately he is also OBSESSED BY LEPERS and unless you want to spend the entire boat journey being shown graphic photos of lepers/leprosy (to the extent that he thrusts the book of them under your unwilling nose) then avoid, avoid, avoid... we laugh about it now, but at the time it was fairly unnerving...

LeQueen · 04/10/2011 15:08

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grubbalo · 04/10/2011 15:12

I thought it was okay, absolutely fine for a beach read but certainly not a masterpiece. Although about 100000 times better than Ellis Island by Kate Kerrigan which I had the misfortune to read recently - it was beyond dreadful! Similar in that all the 5 star reviews on Amazon made me think I must be about to get to a good bit where it all changed - but no

Applemartini · 04/10/2011 15:48

Y Absolutely ANBU. It is the worst book I have ever read, and I have read some shockers. Badly written, so depressing and actually made me want to vomit at some points.

5Foot5 · 04/10/2011 17:06

Well I quite enjoyed it!!

I borrowed it from the library for light holiday reading and it fulfilled its purpose.

I have read the blerb of her other book but wasn't inspired to borrow that one.

A bit surprised at the strong opinions about it. It's not a great book but surely not that bad. I have read much worse.

MogTheForgetfulCat · 05/10/2011 20:25

I haven't read The Island - but it sounds like a lot of other stuff I've read recently in that its cover is littered with the most fulsome praise from every corner, 5-star reviews etc, only to deliver disappointment - see also One Day, When God Was a Rabbit etc. It's what my friend calls 'book-shop porn' - the stuff that bookshops are, for some reason that doubtless preserves their integrity , pushing at punters very hard. Bah. Am glad to have seen this thread, I won't bother with The Island now!

smartyparts · 05/10/2011 20:30

I suspected I would hate The Island, and I did.

So badly written, like grade C GCSE coursework at best.

Bucharest · 05/10/2011 20:31

I quite enjoyed the Island, (I had had visions of limbs dropping off all over the place beforehand though which was worrying) but thought The Return was the worst thing I've ever ever read. Closely followed by the Kite Runner/Splendid Suns things which I found similar in how formulaic they were.

MidnightHag · 07/10/2011 09:18

Proon totally agree with what you said, particularly regarding Kate Mosse!

Nevertooearly
nerdgirl72
LeQueen
MissPenteuth
since I find myself so much in agreement with your views on VH, which contemporary author and novels could you recommend to me?
TIA

Bonsoir · 07/10/2011 09:19

Yes, I thought The Island was a dreadful book.

LeQueen · 07/10/2011 09:27

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Proon · 07/10/2011 11:02

Ha that's interesting. I gave up Labyrinth after the passage where she examines herself in the mirror, ie the author found the easiest way to describe the character. It was secondary school level writing.

(Mind you I am reading Woolf/Jacob's Room, a study in how not to describe a character at all, and I'd describe that as an exercise in bloody-mindedness. I like a happy medium.)