Andrew Sharman > Recent Status Updates

DNF

He loved a good cosy crime novel. Who doesn’t? Especially one written by a celebrity game show host and multi million selling author. He sat down in his comfy recliner and put his feet up. With a packet of McVities chocolate digestives at his side. Perfect. He opened the book. Not much descriptive text, but who needs it? It just gets in the way, and slows down the action. And the chapters are short.

He loved a good cosy crime novel. Who doesn’t? Especially one written by a celebrity game show host and multi million selling author. He sat down in his comfy recliner and put his feet up. With a packet of McVities chocolate digestives at his side. Perfect. He opened the book. Not much descriptive text, but who needs it? It just gets in the way, and slows down the action.

DNF

About a third of the way through, and finding it a bit underwhelming so far. The initial premise of a band put together by a Svengali-like manager in the 60s is as unlikely as it is unwanted. If a band were to be created this way, it would instantly be labelled as manufactured and lose credibility with music fans and media. None of the band members question this at all.

DNF. Found Carey’s writing too wordy. He seems to use a paragraph to describe a person opening a door.

DNF

Half way through and I still don’t know what this book is really about. Two newcomers arrive at Rotherwierd, a history teacher called Oblong and Slickstone the new owner of the manor. Slickstone buys some unusual stones from an antique shop and Oblong wants to know what his predecessor at the school had found out that got him sacked.

Jessie Burton's second novel again starts with a lot of literate detail. Burton is a very talented writer and excels at poetic prose. In fact, her eye for the fine detail of a character or scene reminds me of Ian McEwan. But her work does not have the psychological edge that McEwan has.

I gave up on this at page 60. I didn't really enjoy what I read, didn't engage with any of the protagonists and couldn't see where the story was heading.