Matthew Holt > Recent Status Updates

I hate to say that I am not impressed so far. The prose is poor; the plot is saccharine; the dialogue is trite.

Hard to believe that this book sold millions. But, I guess if you write a love story that has Mengele himself on every other page, the shock value alone will cause the book to fly off the shelves.

Ove’s attempt to buy a “McBook” from an electronics store already has me reeling - reminds me of my experiences in retail pharmacy.

I can’t put the novel down now. Charles Darnay is one of those fascinating characters from literature—two competing, conflicting responsibilities. Two separate lives, really. This type of character is almost archetypal, for sure. But Dickens has me hooked.

Giving this one a re-read. Already appreciating it much more than I did as an 11th grader.

This book is long. The challenge is not to be frustrated by what seems to be impossibly slow progress. I struggled with that at first. However, I’ve come to appreciate this novel so far. For right now, let me say: Tolstoy can write exceptionally well about what goes on in people’s minds; that which they would never say.