Re: What are you reading now?
Posted: Thu May 24, 2018 3:33 pm
My neighbor gave me a copy of "Camino Island" by John Grisham for my Birthday. I haven't read a Grisham novel for 20-30 years but remember him as a writer of suspenseful and twisty thrillers. Where has that gone? An absolute chore to read. First 20 pages detailed a crime and I thought was setting up for a detective type thriller. Next 280 pages of self indulgent bullshit, most of the characters are either writers or book dealers and there are endless details of how hard it is to be either, completely uninteresting characters with completely uninteresting back stories, lots of walking on the beach staring wistfully into the sunrise/sunset.
Writers writing about writers is like movie makers making a movie about making a movie, as I said, indulgent and only of interest to those in the business. Last 20 pages resolved the side issue of the crime.
Felt obligated to finish it as my neighbour is a voracious reader and is sure to ask my opinion of the book. Is it a sin to lie to an elderly lady?
Edit: Just had a look at a couple of reviews, seems I am not alone in my view.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/12/book ... isham.html
https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-r ... ino-island
Writers writing about writers is like movie makers making a movie about making a movie, as I said, indulgent and only of interest to those in the business. Last 20 pages resolved the side issue of the crime.
Felt obligated to finish it as my neighbour is a voracious reader and is sure to ask my opinion of the book. Is it a sin to lie to an elderly lady?
Edit: Just had a look at a couple of reviews, seems I am not alone in my view.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/12/book ... isham.html
https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-r ... ino-island