Rarely has a book annoyed me as much as this novel, by Yann Martel. I thoroughly enjoyed Life of Pi so I guess I had pretty high expectations. It wasn't that the book was poorly written, it just seemed very contrived. The description of a pear, a dialogue between Beatrice and Virgil, went on for pages. It appeared to me that it was a writing exercise -- something that was put into the story since it was already written.
The description of the taxidermist with the list of different animals found inside the store was of Biblical proportions and maybe that was the intent. I found it merely annoying.
Yes, I recognize that Martel is a skilled writer. I caught many of the different literary allusions, and I'm sure I missed many more. I now know more about flip books than I ever imagined I needed, and without a doubt, the publishing industry is not for the faint of heart. I get that but the fact remains that after all those pages I just didn't care that much about Henry or his plight.
So, I closed the book and feel no loss at not finishing it. Sad, as I wanted to enjoy it, and I'm in need of a good novel right now.
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