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Original poster

Labyrinth by Kate Mosse

44 replies

DumbledoresGirl · 03/02/2007 10:43

Has anyone read it? Is it worth it? Dh bought me a copy for my birthday and I am part way through but am a bit reluctant about the whole thing really. I see it won the Richard and Judy book prize, but the wealth of French names and her irritating habit of including an obscure French dialect into the dialogue, totally unnecessarily and pretentiously, is really bugging me.

What did anyone else think of it? (without giving away the plot please!) Is it good or is it not worth the hype?

OP posts:
Blandmum · 03/02/2007 10:44

awful! Utter crapola and I only finisehd it because I was on holiday and had limited nimbers of books.

Original poster
DumbledoresGirl · 03/02/2007 10:46

Oh God! Thanks MB! Could you elaborate at all? In what way crapola?

I have to say, I feel I am going to agree with you based on what I have read so far.

OP posts:
sassy · 03/02/2007 10:46

Didn't like it although I expected to.

Didn't finish it - this is very rare for me, generally finish even the most tedious novels.

fortyplus · 03/02/2007 10:47

I ploughed my way through it because it was given to me as a present by a friend who assured me I'd love it.
It did take a while to get going - and it would be best to take it on holiday or something so that you can read it over a week or so. It took me so long that I had to keep referring back to remind me who'd done what.
Overall I quite enjoyed it but found the ending really irritating - had a strong suspicion that the author was thinking it would make a great film scene!

fryalot · 03/02/2007 10:48

I wouldn't waste my money on it. Somebody bought it for me and I read it but tbh, it took me ages to finish it because I couldn't be bothered with it. Didn't like the characters, didn't identify with anyone, sussed the 'twist' which wasn't that exciting anyway... finished it because I AM NOT A QUITTER. But that was the only reason. Utter utter crapola.

Blandmum · 03/02/2007 10:48

I just found it tedious, over elaborated in some parts,, she does 'go on' don;t you think? I also found it totaly unbeliavable.....and I'm a HP fan remember , so I can suspend my disbelief as good as the next nerd!

I also didn't 'care' terribly about the characters. I found the 'pace' of the book poor, she kept trying to make it a rattling read, and a real page turner and fell flat on her face IMHO

fortyplus · 03/02/2007 10:49

It was better than the Da Vinci Code, though!
That really was crap!

pointydog · 03/02/2007 10:51

'tis dire. I couldn't finish it.

Original poster
DumbledoresGirl · 03/02/2007 10:55

Oh sod it......

I too am the sort of person who, once started, goes on to the bitter end to finish a book. The temptation now is to not bother. But I can't not finish!!! Could someone come and steal my book and throw it in the nearest river please?

OP posts:
sassy · 03/02/2007 11:01

More intellectual than Da Vinci Code, but I would disagree that it was 'better'.

Da VC doesn't seem to have any real pretensions to being anything other than a thumping yarn, heavily plagarised too. This book sees itself as 'quality fiction' and is just DULL imo.

I would rather have crap but a bit entertaining than dull and worthy-in-a -pointless-and-derivative-fashion myself.

Rant over!

Blandmum · 03/02/2007 11:07

DG, I took it on holiday and we go with friends. On seeing that I had a copy the friend said, 'I'm just finishing it', I brightly said 'Is it good? And he said, 'I'm only finishing it because I feel I have to'.

Says it all really.

Utter crapola

Blandmum · 03/02/2007 11:08

And I'm quite interested in the history of the period, which made the book even more of a disapointment.

marthamoo · 03/02/2007 11:08

I didn't finish it. It felt to me like she'd jumped on the Dan Brown bandwagon but with a deliberate effort to be obscure and 'intellectual'. Too wordy, too wandering and generally pretty dull. One of those books where you don't care what happens to the characters - in fact you'd really like them all to drive off a cliff, and the sooner the better.

At least Dan Brown was quick to read...dire though it was. That I kept going with because I kept waiting for that moment when I would understand why it was such a massive best-seller and why so many people raved about it. Never happened!

DimpledThighs · 03/02/2007 11:12

I have realised in the last few eeks I have said "crapola" quite a lot.

Is this a mumsnet thing or a martian bishop thing?

Blandmum · 03/02/2007 11:16

famous, me!

DimpledThighs · 03/02/2007 11:23

hey - so when I say it in the playground people will look at me and think 'oh that must be martian bishop from mumsnet'

Funny thing is I didn't see it and think 'oh that is a funny way of calling something rubbish' I just have been around on here and mumsnet speak has started coming out of my mouth!!!

suedonim · 03/02/2007 11:45

So shall I set fire to the copy of Labyrinth sitting on my shelf?

Blandmum · 03/02/2007 11:46

No, that will add to global warming!

littlelapin · 03/02/2007 11:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Aimsmum · 03/02/2007 11:50

Message withdrawn

Dior · 03/02/2007 12:00

Message withdrawn

fortyplus · 03/02/2007 12:26

Wasn't it written by Kate Mosse not Kate Moss? Surely the latter would be too busy with Pete D to write!

suedonim · 03/02/2007 12:37

Lol, MB. How shall I recycle it then? As loo roll (Will the print come off on my posterior?); compost (will it kill off any goodness in the soil?); Bookcross it so someone else has the task of reading it?

Blandmum · 03/02/2007 12:45

You can't bookcross, that is for good books!

You can't compost, as the Co2 will still be released into the air by bacteria in the soil, just more slowly than buring it!

What you have to do is this. Sign your name on the inside of the book, and the date you give up reading it.

Give it to a friend and challenge her/him to finish the book. If they fail they have to sign the book and pass it on. See how many transits it needs until somebody finished the bloody thing!

DimpledThighs · 03/02/2007 12:50

I didn't like it either and it went to the oxfam shop to be inflicted on some other poor soul!

Paper maiche for the kids????