I'm not good at giving up on books I'm reading (when I'm writing them it seems to be all too easy *sad laugh*). But when I've started a new book, it takes ALOT for me to not finish it. I have got to HATE what I'm reading to put it aside.

I'm driven by rampant curiosity, always desperate to know what happens in the end. And before you suggest it, it's not something I can resolve by flipping to the last few pages...I need to experience the whole damn thing!  It's the same with movies, and television shows - although I've gotten better at abandoning TV shows as there are simply too many to keep up with. But with books - let's just say there are very few tomes I've willingly left unfinished.

Which is why I recently spent hours upon hours of my life trudging through A Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin. I was inspired to read it by the recently made movie starring Colin Farrell. Since the days of American Outlaws (the most cheesy but awesome modernly made western ever) I've held a special place in my heart for Colin. Annoyingly I still haven't seen the movie, as it appears to have only been released in London, despite the fact that Tesco was carrying the book branded with the movie's poster, which to me suggests a wider release.

I want to tell you what this book is about, but that's the crux of my issue. 700+ pages later and I'm not entirely sure what happened. I can tell you it takes place over 100 years, I can tell you it takes place in New York City. And I can tell you that there's this guy called Peter Lake (Colin Farrell in the movie) and a giant magical horse...who might be an angel? I can tell you lots of things...but I can't tell you what actually happened. Because I have no idea. I think it's about love - the book starts with Peter Lake falling in love with a girl named Beverley who dies...and then years pass and we meet a whole bunch of new characters, and then suddenly Peter Lake shows up 100 years in the future having not aged a bit. I still don't know how he got there...

I'm baffled people. The writing was beautiful and at times I thought I knew what was going on, and I enjoyed it. But then the book just ended (I never see the ending coming with my Kindle, as I can't visualize how many pages are left) and I was left with a giant "what now?" of disbelief.

I tried really hard to find something online that would explain what I'd just read, but there's not a lot out there to help me. Just some reviews that don't really focus on the ending. The book is 30 odd years old...it's Wikipedia page is woefully brief. I have a feeling the movie is probably loosely based on the book, as I'm not entirely sure what I just read is screen worthy...so that's probably a dead end in figuring out what happened properly.

I think it might have had to do with God and Heaven...

Anyways.

Have you ever finished a book and just been left completely flabbergasted? I'm not talking 'Breaking Dawn, wtf was Stephanie Meyer thinking?' kind of flabbergasted...but you know, a book where you genuinely didn't get it?

Do share below.

I hope everyone is having a great Easter Weekend. I'm going to spend some of it reading a joyful YA novel that I'm sure I will understand from start to finish.