I had mixed feelings about this book. Throughout most of it, I wanted to smack Dolores over the head with something. She obviously has glaring personality issues (coughborderlinepersonalitydisordercough) as well as being generally annoying. At the same time, if a character can get under my skin like that, I know some good writing is going on.
So, here's a brief summary: Some bad stuff happens; more bad stuff happens; still more bad things; whales die; bad stuff; more bad things; possibility of happy; bad stuff; the end.
Okay, let me get my thoughts together for a minute. I've put off writing this reaction because I really don't know what to say. It's taken me a while to process. I liked it and I didn't. The writing style was awesome. I enjoyed Lamb's use of language and description and I'm interested in reading more of his work...just not about these characters. This novel was so depressing, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I was just waiting for Dolores to make one good decision and she kept letting me down. Of course there are terrible things beyond her control that happen, but it seems like every time she's given a way out or when there could possibly be a turning point, she sabotages it. It was maddening. And there's this whole section involving quackery passed off as therapy that made me want to pull my hair out.
By the end of this book (and I mean the very end...like the last few pages) I grew to like Dolores. She had a tough ride, but ended up becoming somewhat self-aware and caring about herself.
Favorite lines:
- I didn't want to die. I didn't want to live, either.
- "Life's a shit sandwich, my ass. Life's a polka and don't you forget it!" -Roberta
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