book swap: Unless by Carol Shields

[kipper22]

I've been putting off writing this review because I'm still not really sure what I think of the book. I guess I'll write this now then change my mind as each new person adds a review! The blurb really interested me and I was eager to start but then found the style of writing quite difficult to get into (but this could just be due to the difference to the book I'd read previously). I found the exploration of what had happened to Norah interesting and enjoyed Reta's letters. I found the references to Reta's own book a little confusing. If I'm completely honest, I think it was the feminist edge to the book that hampered my enjoyment - I do struggle with fiction having a political message. I did, however, like the use of the editor in bringing this to a head. Finally, I didn't understand how Reta and her friends, with all their discussions of women trying to braek through, had not heard of the women who had set herself alight & led to Norah's withdrawl.
As I said, I think I'll wait to see what others thought before casting a final judgement - it's definitely one of those I need to discuss!

bumbleweed - what did you think?

I am very interested to read what you thought, kipper, because I felt embarrassed initially at how difficult I found this to get into. The reviews seemed so overwhelmingly full of admiration that I thought I must be just too thick to appreciate its wonder

I found I did not like the narrator very much to start with, and felt more sympathy for her daughter. I wasn't taken by all the translation stuff, and the book seemed full of passages which were terribly carefully written, but not actually very interesting. Reta's letters were just completely barking and I didn't relate to the feminist ideas at all - they just seemed irrelevant to the actual situation, to me.

It wasn't until quite near the end that I started to warm to Reta, and the book itself. I loved the new editor and cackled away to myself every time he phoned. His visit was a fantastic comic interlude and also had some genuinely moving moments. It gave me a glimpse of what a different book this could have been.

I also found the ending rather too neat and as there was no way the reader could have seen it coming, felt it was a little bit of a cheat. Unless I missed something, of course - I may well have done as I was forcing myself through the early part of the book and I am notorious for not picking up 'clues' as I read anyway.

On the whole I am glad I read this - the parts I did enjoy made it easily worthwhile - and I am interested to try something else by Carol Shields at some point.

like others, i detected that this was a very worthy, well written book, but it contained too much navel gazing for me. When i read your reviews it helped me to keep going, although at one point i was thinking - get over yourself, the whole world isn't about you & your daughter.
of course, the letters were kind of about that - that she was slightly losing the plot.
also thought the ending was very quick, particulalry after so much introspection. the new editor just asking mil about herself just cured her straight away? really? i shall remember that next time someone is suffering a traumatic loss & has ceased to speak. and the daughter just coming home? dad, the gp, was right, it was post traumatic stress, and now we're all happy.
except, of course, all that stuff about the feminism. if norah's withdrawal wasn't due to a feminist awareness, doesn't that nullify all the comments made throughout the book? doesn't that kind of nullify their arguments, and their raison d'etre?doesn't it make it ok for men to sideline women all the time, because she was just a traumatised teenage girly, whose daddy could fix the problem?
not sure i'd read a nother one - too slow going & not sure i agree with all her arguments (although i agree with her intentions)

Ok i'll be bold. I couldn't stand it. My inlaws bought me a set of four Carol Shields books for Christmas 3 years ago and although I read them all I thought they were rubbish. I don't like a book without a definate beginning , middle and end (unless they're by Haruki Murakami but that's another review). She just does nothing for me in her writing.

are they all the same then? the blurb said this is her most 'intent' novel - are others even more wishy washy? i could see she has a good command of vocab, and if she had something with a little more plot, i would be interested.

I hated this at first

and then part way through I loved it

and at the end it was "oh. thats it. Why write it then?"

was not massively impressed

if you're going to write like that you need to work more on characterisation. or be margaret atwood.

do you think she was trying to be margaret atwood? there seem to be a lot of female canadian writers around (well, 3 that i can think of) who use introspection & description to set the mood. personally i don't get margaret atwood either (although i had to teach her at a level) but do like anita shreeve. i think shreve uses a bit more plot & characterisation than atwood or shields.

hmm

never got on with anita shreve

have liked margaret atwood for a looooong time so dunno, am immune to criticism of her work.

Do you know who she really reminded me of? That woman who does all the happy kitchen sink issue drama books...um...

jodi picout. yes.

not read nay of hers, and probably won't now! still wishing that arundhati roy would write something else!

bump