We need to talk about Kevin - just how bad does it get?

[claudiaschiffer]

Ok so i'm about half way though this book, Celia has just been born and I'm worried that Kevin does something so awful to her, that i'm a bit "eek" about reading on.

Go on, reassure me, surely it can't be as bad as I'm imagining.

I know this all sounds so wussy but I have a really lovely sweet dd whom Celia reminds me of and I really really don't want to read anything horrifying about gruesome Kevin torturing his lovely little sis.

Apart from that I'm LOVING it. It's fab and such an interesting/appalling (in a good way) read. Anyone got any thoughts?

MsD, you have a very good point there....maybe because TC became so involved he could write "clearly" (not sure if that is the word I mean) from both sides. It takes something to write about such a dreadful act and manage to invoke understanding (sympathy even?) not just for the victim but the perpetrators. Maybe that is why Hannibal Lecter was such a success....

Just realised I referred too 'Theres something about Kevin'!!?? [hm]

You know that highly amusing film about a high school shootout starring Cameron Diaz with spunk in her hair! - sorry I am v. tired and pg

FossilSister - when i read it I had more of the feeling that it was Dad to blame (my son can do no wrong etc etc) than Mum - who always worried about his behaviour....

and everyone blamed Mum though....cos you do.

Horrible book
Horrible writer

I read it only because the book club chose it and I wanted to go.
Grudged every minute
Didn't go in the end because I'd have resented wasting the time talking about it or listening to others talking about it.

Marina - at 'We don't need to talk about Lionel'

Whereas 'In cold blood' - brilliant journalism and I don't mean that as a put-down.

'Midnight in the garden of good and evil' - just brilliant.

there are not enough rolling eye emoticons in the world

Lovely! - quote of day.

Frogs - if feeling at all wobbly, "Music for Torching" is best left alone! It's enough to drive one back to one's dog-earned collection of Barbara Vine, or whatever one's own "comfort reading" is!

God, I loved this book. I hate guessing endings; like getting caught up in the moment of the book without second-guessing it.

Am reading The Road now, another laugh-a-minute.

I've just finished it! It was great, I loved it. Thought it was really interesting. I guessed that they were all dead about half way though but it didn't really spoil it. I liked her detached style.

In Cold Blood - also good but actually I think I liked Kevin better. I like a good schlocky horror. ICB more obviously worthy but Kevin a bit more of a rattling page turner IMHO.

tmmj - I thought that as well. I was quite shocked to find out Kevin had killed them...

me = smug smug smug

I did guess that they were dead - confirmed for me after the drain cleaner incident (HORRORS!). But even so the ending was ghastly - and totally absorbing. Found the fact that he chose to kill his dad really interesting - that he should leave his mum alive and that they were forging some kind of relationship - for the first time - at the end was fascinating.

Oh God don't get me started on this book.

The ending is very contrived and predictable.

The daughter was only introduced so the inevitable could happen.

Writing by numbers.

You can predict what will happen.

It's nasty and not especially insightful imo.

Well written though.

I recently finished it. I thought it was brilliantly written. It really got under my skin and I would like to read more by Lionel Shriver.

I was given this when pregnant, along with several other books with slightly iffy synopses that made me think not for the hormonal woman.

Did get around to it. Not nice really, but these things do happen. Very much the popular fiction take on "nature/nurture" all one or the other.

I quite like Lionel Shriver ... you may not like her pretentious writing style (although I've read worse), or her characters (they are never very nice in any of her books) - but like them or loathe them they stay with you for a very long time (if you know what I mean).

I'm a voratious reader and can easily get through two books a day if I have an indulgent day LOL... so the ones that really stay with me are unusual in some way

Two books A DAY! Wow, that's amazing, the onlyl 2 books a day I can manage are Thomas the Tank Engine and Kipper. Well done LittleMissMolly, I am so .

I agree that her characters are very memorable, I think Eva and Kevin will be with me for a long time. I think she is FAB, I don't really think her writing is pretentious either. It seemed very 'every day' to me, but then I have just read Possession and that was pretentious .

I found it such a trite, contrived, obvious and pretentious load of codswallop. The characters are grotesque and poorly imagined. IMHO.

LOL Claudia - my kids are in their mid to late teens, so I have more time to read these days. Back when they were little I was lucky to manage two books a month.

I did so love Kipper books though ... my own dogs even have a sock thing ;)