Is there anyone else on here who didn't love The Book Thief?

[TunipTheVegedude]

I was told to persevere with it and I'm now 63% through and it's annoying me more than ever.
I'm finding it pretentious and dull and while some of the characters are fine, the girl is totally unconvincing - she reads like someone has sat down and decided on some interesting characteristics to give her ('I know! I'll make her good at fighting and football!') rather than the character growing naturally.
Is it going to get better in the last 37%?

Mintty, you forgot the Smarties Award when you were at school, the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize, and of course, the Pulitzer, for your searing indictment of global cartels in your seminal work, "Where Have All the Artisans Gone?" It made me cry.

Cote

BOF WAS JOKING

Oh yes of course! I won that Smarties Prize when it really meant something

I don't have no prizes

But I calls a spade a spade I do

Or should that be "ovarian' work?

You lot are cracking me up

If it was recommended by Richard & Judy that would be good enough for me...

I'd go with just Richard

He always shows good judgment

I just go with Dick.

I'm petitioning MNHQ to replace the Christmas appeal with a new-style Booker, current longlist BOF, Mintyy, Hully, MadameD and Cote, with possible newbie challenge from Kusak.

Who's with me?

hm, might be a conflict of interest to nominate oneself!

Those booker parties used to rock!!!!

I think it should be like the Whitbread (or whatever it's called now)

I suggest a category entitled

"Best Refusal to be Amused on A Thread"

I didn't love it either. It was okay. It passed the time. But I haven't recommended it to anyone else.

Hully, you are too kind!

Hey, my thread ended up brilliant!

Of course LRD can say the prose was too lush and sensory based on a quick flip through. You can comment on the prose style from reading a sample. If she'd been criticising the structure without having read it that would be different.

I am, it has always been my downfall

Oh my lord, we've crossed over into sub-Bronte rude story territory. I trust we all have mob caps at the ready.

Thanks, tunip, for not getting infuriated that I didn't read the whole thing.

no simpering here, missus, pretty or otherwise.

LRD, take a peek at the IPOAT thread...it's mob cap heaven!

I read it a couple of years ago, was a bit 'meh' about it.

That Kite Runner is shite too but Thousand Syrupy Suns with drooping Maryam is even worse

I wonder if Khaled Hussein has ever actually met a real live woman in his life.

And don't give me no kulcher shite

don't get me started on Maryam. Drippy drippy drip.

I quite liked the Kite Runner. But it def comes under easy reading.