H is for Hawk - no spoilers please!

[TheEagle]

Anyone read this book?

I'm about 5% into it according to Kindle and it's leaving me cold! Please tell me it gets better

I've got 20% into it and am giving up, it's crap!

Just finished it last night! I loved it but I do have an interest in falconry. If that sort of thing doesn't interest you at all I can't see what you'll get out of it.

it's the mumsnet book group book of the month and I've apparently won a copy but I haven't received it yet. I think though you can get refunds on kindle books if you are not enjoying them though?!

I loved it, but also am interested (but don't practice) falconry.

You can indeed get a refund on a kindle book - don't know how long you have to claim it, however.

I really struggled with it, did not get past 33% myself. Found the constant reviewing of the old falconry book very boring.

Thanks a mill for the replies

I hate giving up on books but I might have to park this one for a while! I just can't summon up the enthusiasm for it!

I am about 60% of the way through now, and know nothing about falconry except what I remember from Kes!

I like her prose and quite like the literary criticism elements - plus how she interweaves her story with White's. But to be honest, I am plodding on with it more because I think it's good, than because I am loving it, if that distinction makes sense?

I listened to the audiobook read by the author. I loved it including the references back to T H White's original. But then I am fascinated by falconry.

Can see it wouldn't appeal to everyone though.

I liked it and found her prose very arresting - knowing nothing about falconry apart from Kes and a couple of Antonia Forest novels. And the TH White stuff was interestingly disturbing.

Not sure what you mean by 'spoilers', OP, given that as a memoir, it's not likely to suddenly perform any strange plot twists! But my only real quibble was the final fifth, which I thought became slightly repetitive on grief and falconry, and could have used a tighter edit. I think if you're not liking it by now, the rest of the book is unlikely to alter your opinion.

I should probably have done a little more research before buying this book, I didn't know it was a memoir I'm blaming baby brain, I usually do my homework better before I buy a book.

I think I will come back to this book but for now it's back to the Kindle store.

I don't have a kindle and only ever read physical books bought from physical shops, so this interests me. How do you decide whether you like the look of an e-Book? What is the equivalent of browsing in a shop, looking at covers, familiar author names, reading blurbs, flicking through to get a sense of the prose? Can you read an extract before you buy?

I had to stop buying physical books because we literally don't have the space for one more book.

My Kindle goes everywhere with me and it's particularly helpful at the moment because I have a lot of hospital appointments with a lot of waiting around!

Sometimes I'll go into the bookshop and browse the physical book before buying. You can often read an extract from a book in the Kindle store on Amazon and you can read and see other reviews.

Amazon will also recommend books to you based on previous purchases.

Sometimes (like this time!) I just purchase the book without checking up about it - I think I was drawn by the 4.5 star (out of 5) reviews and the note about the award it had won.

Gotcha. I suppose I was wondering if the fact that you (I think?) thought you were buying a novel rather than a memoir was something more liable to happen to a Kindle book buyer, because less information was available.

I did indeed think I was buying a novel but that was more my haste rather than not being able to see what the book was about.

LadyGregory - I love my kindle because I travel quite a lot (for work, but am freelance so don't feel obliged to work on trains!) and used to hate finishing my book on the way into London, say, and having nothing to read on the way home (or only what a small WH Smith could offer me). However, to answer your question, I do read physical books as well, and love a good browse in a bookshop - and I think I am a lot less adventurous when choosing things on my kindle because I tend to stick to authors I know, or books I've seen reviewed - whereas when browsing I am a bit more eclectic, attracted by intriguing covers/blurb etc. I do think the trend for e-readers is probably narrowing the book market still further, and that's a shame.

I loved it, but I loved it from the word go so can't tell you that it 'gets better'.

I loved the falconry itself and the discussions of its language and history, and find the way she finds succour in her hawk and its training hugely moving.

I think the discussion of The Goshawk is fascinating both as an insight into the book and its author, and in the way Macdonald links it to her own experience of both hawk-training and life.

The nature-writing aspect is beautiful.

Her unflinching writing about her own state of mind is breathtaking.

It's one of my favourite books for ages. I'd say carry on, but obviously I'm not impartial.

PS - sorry to hear about the hospital appointments, Eagle. I agree Kindles are great for that kind of hanging around.

Oh don't be sorry dotty, it's just cause I'm heavily pregnant with twins!

Ah! The best reason, then...

LadyG - You can download a 'sample' of most books on Kindle for free. It's usually the first 20 pages or so.

I did soldier on with it but I can't really say I enjoyed it as much as I had hoped. It doesn't get any better.

I didn't fancy this one either, so reassured I haven't missed much

I just read it. Very disappointing. The reviews raved about it, but I just found it tedious and self - obsessed!

I was thinking of buying this earlier. Glad I didn't!

I agree with OnlyLovers
I loved it - listened to it on Audible and read by the author. The best book so far read by the author of few I tried and all previous one's were terrible narrators.

To me it is book about grief. Add loneliness and depression.
I also learned a lot about falconry from it - I like nature and am into bird watching.
I am hoping she is going to write more because she writhes in style and pace I enjoy a lot.