Reading The Transit of Venus By Shirley Hazzard

[MsAmerica]

and can't believe how boring it is. The occasional clever line doesn't make up for the general tediousness.

Goodness, I read it years ago and thought exactly the same!

In fact I nearly abandoned it altogether, however I kept going and really enjoyed it by the end.

I keep meaning to reread it. All I recall is that the end makes the whole thing worthwhile.

(I went through an Australian novelist phase about 15 years ago - the best thing that came out of it was ‘discovering’ Patrick White. If you haven’t read Voss, or The Tree of Man - you should.)

Well, I finally finished it, and no, I didn't like it any better. It's true that there's a sudden backstory, but it doesn't make the book any more palatable.

There's a small pleasure in her allusions or obscure words - which is really just my own smugness. The problem is, for me, that the characters are mostly an indistinct, colorless unmemorable bore. The only really distinctive character is Dora, the insanely neurotic stepsister, and the only character who sounds like potential fun is the very minor Valda, who revolts against the denigrating women's role at the office.

Well done for getting through it!

I don’t remember any of the characters at all, just that authorial sleight of hand at the beginning and end - which was one of the most breathtaking things I’ve ever seen in fiction. Though ultimately a bit … pointless. Maybe.

God, I adore that novel!

Please expand, @Subfusc.

I honestly cannot remember anything about it. Time for a re read obviously.