I really wanted to like this (especially since it was kind of obligatory reading), but I was off to a false start. A friend of mine, who usually has a a knack for difficult books, said this was hard to get through. Great.
To say the least this book exhausted me. I have never read a 320 page book this slowly in my life, and not in a “savoring every word” way, more in a “why do I have a headache and why am I still on this page” way. I have settled a new record: 13 pages per hour for someone who can easily do 65. The theme however of infidelity, which usually promises some kind of fast pacing, was stretched out and multiplied endlessly. It was interesting in the beginning, it became a huge bore when the same thing kept happening again… and again… and again…
I liked Berthe and Juliette as characters, sadly we didn’t get much of them. Apart from these 2, most of the characters were either painfully unlikable, lowkey pathetic, or straight-up infuriating. I didn’t feel attached to almost anyone.
I chose this book as it was praised for its censored content at the time. I was intrigued by the lesbian plotline I was told about. I have to say that I took a great liking in that part, I wish it played a bigger role in the book.
The writing style was mystical but immensely difficult to follow… I swear I wanted to insert question marks after half the sentences because I was constantly confused or annoyed. I’m probably just too stupid to understand, but why write a book that even some literature students can’t make much sense of? (Yes, Karen, I know this was done on purpose, but that doesn’t mean it was enjoyable).
That said… the ending was actually kind of interesting! Which almost makes it worse, because it shows this book *could* have worked better.
But by then I was checked out.
I’m glad it’s over.