Finally read ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’

[MsAmerica]

I wasn't particularly interested, but became mildly curious, as it's been a best seller for two years now.

So I finally read it, because a friend bought a copy and offered to loan it to me - and I'm amazed that something so mediocre has stayed on the best-seller list for so long. It's not actually a bad book, although there is some stiltedness that had me guessing that it's the author's first book, and I endured the excessive landscape description, but I didn't give a damn about the characters nor even about who the culprit would turn out to be.

I'm thinking that maybe it's just popular because it's so middling? Not much sex, not much violence, not much intellect.

Definitely a mediocre vote from me too. I didn't think it was very good at all. The nature writing was competent but the story itself was rather poor and I was disappointed.

I couldn't get past the first few chapters, glad I wasn't the only one.

It was the worst book I read last year. I did plough through to the end as so many had raved about it I thought maybe it gets better, but no, it got worse. Totally unbelievable.

I couldn’t get passed half way. I am an avid reader too so read all sorts!

I read it and kind of enjoyed it but remember very little about it. Some truly terrible passages.

This is really odd because I expected to be disappointed and I quite enjoyed it. I thought the nature bits were interesting and at least it had a proper ending.

I thought I’d not like it, but I actually enjoyed it. I do agree it wasn’t very fast paced, but at the end I appreciated its relative gentleness, and I thought it sort of embodied her life, if that makes sense.

I agree it was readable but quite forgettable - surprising really as I'm usually love all the 'must reads' eg loved normal people, Elinor oliphant, one day etc but this to me was quite flat

Couldn't get past chapter 3.

I gave up on it too. Just felt dull and life is too short to read rubbish books!

Just started to read it, this thread is not filling me with much confidence!

Personally I really enjoyed it. I felt really attached to the main character through watching her grow, and felt like I had a really vivid picture of the setting in my mind. Not the best book I’ve ever read but I definitely enjoyed it.

I got this sense from reading the reviews. Glad I didn't bother !

It was one of the worst books I've ever read. It has actually put me off reading altogether as I can't trust any reviews now.

Totally unbelievable and the sex bits were beyond bad

Not my usual genre and was not expecting to enjoy it but I did very much so. I just can’t explain why I enjoyed it as nothing really happened and I usually stick to thrillers, especially fast paced ones. I did find it very evocative and thoughtful.

I really liked it. I liked the slowness of it and thought it matched the life. I liked picturing the marshes and I also liked the main character. It was definitely escapism for me. I dont want to read something too harrowing/ emotive at the moment.

It does seem to be a marmite book. Hamnet, on the other hand, I think I should love it but have started and put it down again twice so far.

@Weepingwillows12 I’ve started Hamnet too, but I have a small baby and I’m not sure if I’m mentally ready, as I suspect something not nice is going to happen and I can’t Bering myself to read it!

*bring

I was disappointed in it. The descriptions of nature were good but the plot was so obvious and trite. To put it politely, it owes an enormous debt to Gene Stratton-Porter's 1909 novel Girl of the Limberlost.

I enjoyed it

I really liked it, apart from the poetry aspect (no spoilers).

I liked the nature scenes and the general story. But I felt that it became all the more implausible as it went on, and the ending didn’t fit right with me. I’m glad I read it, but it wasn’t the ‘best book ever’ that so many people made it out to be.

I didn't think it was that good, but it wasn't so bad that I discarded it after chapter one (as I did with The Midnight Library).

I bought it because people whose taste is usually similar to mine were raving about it. I tried to read it last year when I was white heavily pregnant but couldn't get past the first chapter or two, put it down to pregnancy brain (I think I read about 2 books the entire pregnancy and I'm normally a 50 booker). Tried again recently now my baby is nearly one and did finish it this time but was left very much wondering what the fuss was all about- I usually enjoy the must read best book ever types even if I can see all their flaws I don't tend to mind if theres a half decent story, but this I didn't even think was that really.

• quite heavily pregnant that should say