Doug H’s Reviews > Year Before Last > Status Update

Mimi wrote: "How are you finding this? I have a copy of 'My Next Bride' waiting to be read and looks very promising."

Appreciating the prose, but not necessarily the love story. Probably a bit too “Camille” for me. Mostly hanging on for the scenes with the dogs (of which there are plenty).

Is this your first Boyle?

Proustitute wrote: "Is this your first Boyle?"

No, and I’m glad it’s not. I still have 30 or so pages to go, but it’s not my favorite from her. My first was Your Body is a Jewel Box, a short story from Fifty Stories and I quickly followed that with The Crazy Hunter and the other short novels in Three Short Novels. I found all of those to be firm 5 star reads. I’m thinking she’s much better in shorter formats.

The ending of this is harrowing. I liked it but I wouldn’t recommend this for anyone’s first Boyle, so I’m glad it isn’t yours. Reminds me I have some more of her books I’ve been meaning to get to...

Might try one of her later novels, eventually. More likely to read more of her short stories.

Her very first novel remains among my favorites so far, Plagued by the Nightingale, in that it's very Jamesian and reworks a lot of literary precursors in a wholly original way one doesn't ordinarily expect from a first-time novelist. Avalanche also holds a place in my heart, but I really need to read Death of a Man, which many claim to be her magnum opus.

Proustitute wrote: "Her very first novel remains among my favorites so far, Plagued by the Nightingale, in that it's very Jamesian and reworks a lot of literary precursors in a wholly original way one doesn't ordinari..."

I'm thinking I'm much more impressed with her later writing. Not going to completely pick this one apart publicly, but it reads a bit "green" to me and I sort of doubt I'd be more impressed with her actual first novel. Will check into the later ones you've mentioned.

Proustitute wrote: "The ending of this is harrowing. I liked it but I wouldn’t recommend this for anyone’s first Boyle, so I’m glad it isn’t yours. Reminds me I have some more of her books I’ve been meaning to get to..."

Okay, disregard my last comment. That ending changed my opinion significantly. It’s all about Eve!