tee’s review of The Little Friend > Likes and Comments
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So, would you recommend it because of her mad writing skills, or stay away from it because of the OMFG going-nowhere-ness of it all? (loved your review, btw) :)
haha i'm so terrible at reviews, i'm as verbose as they come. it's funny watching me flap around with words, i know. hrm, i loved tartt's other book - the secret history, i'd recommend that one over this. but then i'm hesitant in recommending any book, because i'm always fearful the person won't like it and won't trust my opinions ever again.
i would definitely recommend this one for the writing alone, she's a master at telling a story, albeit one that goes nowhere ;) dude, if you love anne of green gables, this is kinda similar. just tales about people, beautiful descriptions. more things happen in the secret history, it also has an even weirder atmosphere.
OMG I DON'T KNOW, it's so stressful, this book recommending thing. i like her writing because it's unlike anything i've ever written. i can't believe all that stuff can come out of one woman's head.
eloquence=me
you make me laugh really hard out loud!! :) I'll let you know when i get around to reading the book you recommended, and I'm sure I'll like it just fine :)
And yes...you=verbosity, but in the best way possible
I very much liked your review. The main reason you adduce could be the reason that I never finished TLF. On the other hand I couldn't put TSH down and tore through it absolutely loving it. For me TLF was a big disappointment.
you know I never finished it either...a regret since it was a gift from my son (only 12 I think then) and I felt I should for that reason alone. But it frustrated me to no end!
I really liked the novel a lot. It's not nearly as good as The Secret History but it is also radically different from that novel as well. Also, the fact that it is solely a character driven novel may be a turn off to some. If Tartt was a bad writer, it would be utter crap but her amazing prose is definitely its saving grace.
I went to a reading of this book by Tartt when it first came out(she also autographed my copy too). She said she was influenced by Flannery O'Connor and the Southern Gothic style of writing. So she wanted to do something similar and in that regard, she succeeds.
treehugger, I would recommend reading this simply for Tartt's "mad writing skills".
If you approach the novel from that vantage point, I think it may be more enjoyable.
This review really connected to how I felt after I finished reading TLF. The prose is definitely well written, rich but I found my mind wandering off - to do lists, what to eat for dinner - which is so strange for this novel as
a) the premise hooks you in - murder of an innocent young boy, sister looking for revenge.
b) rich setting - I love the idea of "southern gothic" and exploring the its social landscape.
c) my belief in Tartt's ability to make sharp observations on feelings, impressions and characterisations, whilst remaining profound and poetic - as demonstrated in TSH.
d) The Secret History being so good!
But this ending was so ridiculously anti-climatic, not enough to even forgive it's lack. And I HATED Hely. And his stupid brother.n
Spot on, tee rex.
That story could have been told in half the amount of pages.
And the end was so disappointing after wading through more than 550 pages.
A week of my life I will never have back.
Your review is exactly what I kept thinking the whole time. I did stop reading it though, because it fell in the (clean) toilet (or tossed, I don't remember), the pages were creased, and it had, well, fallen into a toilet.
Maybe justly.
Somehow I missed reading all your comments, thanks for your input (and Marcus, so unfortunate when bad books get "dropped" in the toilet, it's a pity that the sewerage system can't handle simply flushing the thing away). I'm pretty amazed at how brilliant The Goldfinch was in comparison to TLF. Makes me excited for further Tartt novels.
I'm currently on page 180 and I just don't think I can continue...
I completely agree with you. I enjoyed The Secret History but it is almost as if someone then told Tartt that she was a great literary writer and she decided to take on this absurdly portentous style.
I think I'll give it a miss. The Goldfinch was pretty good, though.
Great review - especially your opening two paragraphs which I think are right on the money re: Tartt.
tee wrote: "Somehow I missed reading all your comments, thanks for your input (and Marcus, so unfortunate when bad books get "dropped" in the toilet, it's a pity that the sewerage system can't handle simply fl..."
Really? I thought it was in desperate need of an editor. I mean Jesus, if she described that painting one more fucking time...
Im struggling with this book right now and I totally feel the struggle you went through of nothing happening yet still doggedly wading through the pages because in some way inspite of its mind and body numbing boredom, it still is interesting. I want to stop reading it. I do, but I cant.
This is far inferior to the Goldfinch and the Secret History. Harriet is an amazing character wasted throughout the plot.
I feel like we read different copies of this book. Loved it, thick, syrupy prose and all... Hung on every word.
OMG, I felt the exact same way! I just closed this book a while ago and thought of so many different ways I was hoping it would end, and how I wish the author would have just done ONE of those endings. Very, very disappointing.
I couldn't have said it better, I felt the exact same way all the time!
You're review nailed it for me. Couldn't have said it better myself. The word that kept popping into my head was "rambling". Thanks for the great post.
You're review nailed it for me. Couldn't have said it better myself. The word that kept popping into my head was "rambling". Thanks for the great post.
Exactly! I just finished this and said to my husband, " I read 555 pages for THAT?!" I want a month back
So... since no one's bothered to tell you this I just wanna say that your review sums up this book perfectly and I felt exactly the same way when I read it. Which was years ago and I can still vividly recall my frustration with the ending. I still haven't read The Secret History yet even tho I've heard it's so much more...fulfilling. I'm starting on The Goldfinch now bc I believe in 2nd chances. And I'm a sucker for peer pressure. Oh and also, just in case anyone actually reads this and takes offense to my 1st sentence, apologies for the sarcasm. And I really did LOVE your review.
Couldn't agree more! Fantastic book, I can't get enough of her writing style, but NO RESOLUTION. I was worried I'd missed something...
I thought the ending was insightful and rewarding. If you felt there was no resolution, maybe read it again, it is subtle, but it is there. It just doesn't knock you over the head. That's the point. The answers were always there. They were just so easily overlooked. I would put the book right up there with some of Faulkner's lesser-appreciated yet equally powerful work.
I listened to the audio-book, and it added the dimension of hearing all the characters in their voice. And the reader nailed them! I highly recommend it. The disadvantage of the audio book is that you don't realize that you've reached the last page and so when it ends, it's even more of a shock! :-)
oh em gee, me too. i go back and forth between loving tartts writing chops and being annoyed that large chunks of her books dont seem to go anywhere.
I'm on page 135. I finished TSH the morning that I picked this one up. Goldfinch was read several years ago. I find your review comforting. Several times already, I thought to myself..."Look, just pick up that David Lodge book you put on the nightstand." But some weird force draws me back. Again and again!!
I was glad to read in someone's comment on your artful review that she was TRYING to emulate Flannery O'Connor, because she has quite succeeded!
Even more than her other two books, this one can not be read with a modern brain, with expectations of short chapters and action sequences just poised and ready to catch the eye of some dreadful Hollywood person. This is a 19th century novel.
I just finished as well. Agree! 600+ pages and she loses steam. So many questions left unanswered, plus the BIGGIE! What the bloody FLIP!! So furious
I SOO feel this way about a few books I read...
I Just finished, and I feel exactly the same. I loved it, but at the same time I fucking hate it. My god... Just when it was picking up and then it ended and she does this every fucking time, but yet, I have read all her books.
Thank you. This review just made my day. I’m not sure I will ever read this book, but I loved your parody.
Yes, this is exactly it. If you haven’t read The Goldfinch, you must. It is exactly as well written, with more story and more drama.
For years, I’ve been wondering what I missed. Was there really no resolution to anything? Or was it just that my brain fell asleep while I continued to read because it felt like I was there I needed to know what all these things were so I could feel safe at night. I feel so much better now. Thank you. PS Reading Goldfinch was just as miserable. The Secret History, on the other hand, is one of my favorite books ever and I will reread that every few years and how on earth did Special Topics in Calamity Physics get published?!?
Thank you.
I’ve just finally finished reading this and I now know to give away my copy of ‘The Goldfinch’
Jeez, how many hours did I waste in this self indulgent story without finding out who killed Robin.
You forgive her? Ha
That’s rich.. you think she gives a damn?
Sandie do read The Goldfinch. It is great.
I wish I’d have read your review before I started the book. I loved the Goldfinch but this one keeps putting me to sleep.
I couldn't agree with this more! There are pages and pages where literally nothing happens, but her sentences are spun so well that I don't even care. I just like hearing her talk about absolutely nothing.
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treehugger
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May 29, 2008 11:31PM
So, would you recommend it because of her mad writing skills, or stay away from it because of the OMFG going-nowhere-ness of it all? (loved your review, btw) :)
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haha i'm so terrible at reviews, i'm as verbose as they come. it's funny watching me flap around with words, i know. hrm, i loved tartt's other book - the secret history, i'd recommend that one over this. but then i'm hesitant in recommending any book, because i'm always fearful the person won't like it and won't trust my opinions ever again. i would definitely recommend this one for the writing alone, she's a master at telling a story, albeit one that goes nowhere ;) dude, if you love anne of green gables, this is kinda similar. just tales about people, beautiful descriptions. more things happen in the secret history, it also has an even weirder atmosphere.
OMG I DON'T KNOW, it's so stressful, this book recommending thing. i like her writing because it's unlike anything i've ever written. i can't believe all that stuff can come out of one woman's head.
eloquence=me
you make me laugh really hard out loud!! :) I'll let you know when i get around to reading the book you recommended, and I'm sure I'll like it just fine :)And yes...you=verbosity, but in the best way possible
I very much liked your review. The main reason you adduce could be the reason that I never finished TLF. On the other hand I couldn't put TSH down and tore through it absolutely loving it. For me TLF was a big disappointment.
you know I never finished it either...a regret since it was a gift from my son (only 12 I think then) and I felt I should for that reason alone. But it frustrated me to no end!
I really liked the novel a lot. It's not nearly as good as The Secret History but it is also radically different from that novel as well. Also, the fact that it is solely a character driven novel may be a turn off to some. If Tartt was a bad writer, it would be utter crap but her amazing prose is definitely its saving grace. I went to a reading of this book by Tartt when it first came out(she also autographed my copy too). She said she was influenced by Flannery O'Connor and the Southern Gothic style of writing. So she wanted to do something similar and in that regard, she succeeds.
treehugger, I would recommend reading this simply for Tartt's "mad writing skills".
If you approach the novel from that vantage point, I think it may be more enjoyable.
This review really connected to how I felt after I finished reading TLF. The prose is definitely well written, rich but I found my mind wandering off - to do lists, what to eat for dinner - which is so strange for this novel as a) the premise hooks you in - murder of an innocent young boy, sister looking for revenge.
b) rich setting - I love the idea of "southern gothic" and exploring the its social landscape.
c) my belief in Tartt's ability to make sharp observations on feelings, impressions and characterisations, whilst remaining profound and poetic - as demonstrated in TSH.
d) The Secret History being so good!
But this ending was so ridiculously anti-climatic, not enough to even forgive it's lack. And I HATED Hely. And his stupid brother.n
Spot on, tee rex.That story could have been told in half the amount of pages.
And the end was so disappointing after wading through more than 550 pages.
A week of my life I will never have back.
Your review is exactly what I kept thinking the whole time. I did stop reading it though, because it fell in the (clean) toilet (or tossed, I don't remember), the pages were creased, and it had, well, fallen into a toilet. Maybe justly.
Somehow I missed reading all your comments, thanks for your input (and Marcus, so unfortunate when bad books get "dropped" in the toilet, it's a pity that the sewerage system can't handle simply flushing the thing away). I'm pretty amazed at how brilliant The Goldfinch was in comparison to TLF. Makes me excited for further Tartt novels.
I'm currently on page 180 and I just don't think I can continue...
I completely agree with you. I enjoyed The Secret History but it is almost as if someone then told Tartt that she was a great literary writer and she decided to take on this absurdly portentous style.
I think I'll give it a miss. The Goldfinch was pretty good, though.
Great review - especially your opening two paragraphs which I think are right on the money re: Tartt.
tee wrote: "Somehow I missed reading all your comments, thanks for your input (and Marcus, so unfortunate when bad books get "dropped" in the toilet, it's a pity that the sewerage system can't handle simply fl..."Really? I thought it was in desperate need of an editor. I mean Jesus, if she described that painting one more fucking time...
Im struggling with this book right now and I totally feel the struggle you went through of nothing happening yet still doggedly wading through the pages because in some way inspite of its mind and body numbing boredom, it still is interesting. I want to stop reading it. I do, but I cant.
This is far inferior to the Goldfinch and the Secret History. Harriet is an amazing character wasted throughout the plot.
I feel like we read different copies of this book. Loved it, thick, syrupy prose and all... Hung on every word.
OMG, I felt the exact same way! I just closed this book a while ago and thought of so many different ways I was hoping it would end, and how I wish the author would have just done ONE of those endings. Very, very disappointing.
I couldn't have said it better, I felt the exact same way all the time!
You're review nailed it for me. Couldn't have said it better myself. The word that kept popping into my head was "rambling". Thanks for the great post.
You're review nailed it for me. Couldn't have said it better myself. The word that kept popping into my head was "rambling". Thanks for the great post.
Exactly! I just finished this and said to my husband, " I read 555 pages for THAT?!" I want a month back
So... since no one's bothered to tell you this I just wanna say that your review sums up this book perfectly and I felt exactly the same way when I read it. Which was years ago and I can still vividly recall my frustration with the ending. I still haven't read The Secret History yet even tho I've heard it's so much more...fulfilling. I'm starting on The Goldfinch now bc I believe in 2nd chances. And I'm a sucker for peer pressure. Oh and also, just in case anyone actually reads this and takes offense to my 1st sentence, apologies for the sarcasm. And I really did LOVE your review.
Couldn't agree more! Fantastic book, I can't get enough of her writing style, but NO RESOLUTION. I was worried I'd missed something...
I thought the ending was insightful and rewarding. If you felt there was no resolution, maybe read it again, it is subtle, but it is there. It just doesn't knock you over the head. That's the point. The answers were always there. They were just so easily overlooked. I would put the book right up there with some of Faulkner's lesser-appreciated yet equally powerful work.
I listened to the audio-book, and it added the dimension of hearing all the characters in their voice. And the reader nailed them! I highly recommend it. The disadvantage of the audio book is that you don't realize that you've reached the last page and so when it ends, it's even more of a shock! :-)
oh em gee, me too. i go back and forth between loving tartts writing chops and being annoyed that large chunks of her books dont seem to go anywhere.
I'm on page 135. I finished TSH the morning that I picked this one up. Goldfinch was read several years ago. I find your review comforting. Several times already, I thought to myself..."Look, just pick up that David Lodge book you put on the nightstand." But some weird force draws me back. Again and again!! I was glad to read in someone's comment on your artful review that she was TRYING to emulate Flannery O'Connor, because she has quite succeeded!
Even more than her other two books, this one can not be read with a modern brain, with expectations of short chapters and action sequences just poised and ready to catch the eye of some dreadful Hollywood person. This is a 19th century novel.
I just finished as well. Agree! 600+ pages and she loses steam. So many questions left unanswered, plus the BIGGIE! What the bloody FLIP!! So furious
I SOO feel this way about a few books I read...
I Just finished, and I feel exactly the same. I loved it, but at the same time I fucking hate it. My god... Just when it was picking up and then it ended and she does this every fucking time, but yet, I have read all her books.
Thank you. This review just made my day. I’m not sure I will ever read this book, but I loved your parody.
Yes, this is exactly it. If you haven’t read The Goldfinch, you must. It is exactly as well written, with more story and more drama.
For years, I’ve been wondering what I missed. Was there really no resolution to anything? Or was it just that my brain fell asleep while I continued to read because it felt like I was there I needed to know what all these things were so I could feel safe at night. I feel so much better now. Thank you. PS Reading Goldfinch was just as miserable. The Secret History, on the other hand, is one of my favorite books ever and I will reread that every few years and how on earth did Special Topics in Calamity Physics get published?!?
Thank you. I’ve just finally finished reading this and I now know to give away my copy of ‘The Goldfinch’
Jeez, how many hours did I waste in this self indulgent story without finding out who killed Robin.
You forgive her? HaThat’s rich.. you think she gives a damn?
Sandie do read The Goldfinch. It is great.
I wish I’d have read your review before I started the book. I loved the Goldfinch but this one keeps putting me to sleep.
I couldn't agree with this more! There are pages and pages where literally nothing happens, but her sentences are spun so well that I don't even care. I just like hearing her talk about absolutely nothing.
