I'm DNFing this one at 21%. I didn't like it, and it has been in limbo since june 5 (it is now august 19...).
Not only was the Dutch translation awful (not as in incorrect, but in the choice of words. It felt old-maiden like. I'm not sure whether the original text has the same problem, and frankly, I don't care, because I won't be reading it.
What else bothered me? Well, if you care to check, I hardly post updates when reading. I posted 6 lenghty comments on this one...
I'm recapping them here in reading order, since they were all unrealistic actions, and definately the author's fault and not the translator's;
WARNING: SARCASM AHEAD
- Someone who lives in the country, does not go out and buy kindling wood in a store. You collect it on your walks, or in your garden.
- And this really 'got my goat', because I work in the industry; a non-seamstress promises a VINTAGE WEDDING DRESS can be altered to fit (it has to be let out, since it's too small). Guess again, darling, in most cases, this is not possible. Oh and the statement 'People in the '80s (1980s) were a lot thinner?'.. UGH.
- Very good business sense: an aunt will be baking the wedding cake for her sisters wedding, and without sampling any of her baking (or asking the aunt whether she wants to), the MC promises her first client auntie will bake her cake too. Note: this 'aunt' is not a baking professional. If it where the case, I wouldn't be up in arms about this.
- Another thing, related to the kindling, that proves the author does definately NOT live in the country: one of the other MC's (there's 3 of 'em, and all of them infuriating), who has a fireplace that has NEVER BEEN LIT, and the draught capacity of the chimney has not been checked, lights a fire and THEN LEAVES FOR THE EVENING. This is irresposible in so many ways, I was cussing so loud when I read this, my neighbors acctually came over to check whether everything was allright.
point 1: a cold chimney won't draft as well as it should, and needs monitoring, to make sure the smoke actually gets pulled out, and not blown into the room.
point 2: if the chimney does not draw propperly, it's a CO2 hazzard.
point 3: it's a fire hazzard. Really. You should never leave a fire unattended, unless you can close off your fireplace with a spitguard. And even then, it could cause a chimney fire (althouh granted, this is unlikely in a new chimney, it's caused by sooth build-up).
I guess the MC has a really good fire insurance that pays out easily?
And then I haven't touched on the basic premisse of this book: off course you decide to start a company with two girls you've just met, in an industry none of you have any experience in, or any qualifications (sewing, baking)... At least one of them is an accountant. And really, in my pion this makes things even worse. BECAUSE SHE SHOULD KNOW BETTER.
What peeved me the utmost about this book, is the set of mind it reflects, and, unfortunately, a set of mind I have encountered in real life numerous times, and still infuriates me. (And yes, I know I've been using 'infuriate' a lot in this review, but that is really how I feel about this issue).
People think, because baking, sewing, knitting and all those other crafts are something 'everyone can do', you can build a business out of it WITHOUT EXPERIENCE OR EDUCATION.
Wake up people, this is not true. Would you call yourself a plumber because you know how to install a kitchen faucet? Or a carpenter because you can screw 2 pieces of wood together? Probably not. Then why do people accept that someone who can push the peddle on a sewing machine calls herself a seamstress?
I could go on and on about this, and examine the sociological reasons for this, but I don't think this is the place. I just want to wake people up and think about this for a second.
Rant done.