I am behind too - I read it wrong and thought we were suposed to start reading only yesterday - so I held my horses from starting, lol. IDK if I´ll catch up this week or next one on my trip...
I have to say that at the end of the first part, I really wan't sure why I put this book on the list of book club options. I didn't like any of the characters, nothing in the story was particularly interesting. Everything seemed really grotesque and terrible. I thought to myself, "what have I gotten myself into?"
I have no idea where the book is going, or if I have any hope of liking it even a little bit. But as I'm the book club leader, I will have to persevere!
The author's writing style is also difficult for me. I find it both distracting and difficult to understand at times. The dialogue seems very formal and unlike real speech patterns, which I suppose is fine since it's a fantasy world and I think he's trying to evoke a feeling of a different time. However, it's really distracting and keeps pulling me out of the story. Also, with the formal language and all the made-up words, I often don't know what's going on. That's often a general difficulty with fantasy/scifi, and you just have to bumble through until things start to make sense, so here's hoping things start to gel in the next part!
I have to confess: I am having vocabulary issues: This book isn´t translated to my mother tongue, but... well, I´ve read part of Tolkien´s Unfinished Tales, the last book of His Dark Materials and the whole Jonathan Strange and Mr.Norrelll in English, so I wasn´t expecting to not understand due to lack of vocabulary... Well Marisa, your comment kind of relieved me....
I'm loving the story. Not necissarly a theme for the whole book, but a good one to point out for this part of the book is the adultury and ministry. Adultry and divorce aren't uncommon in the world of married ministers, and for the reasons in the book. The "minister" in the family, usually the husband, puts his job before his family and the added pressure on the spouse of being perfect and liked brings the whole thing down. The ordained have a high rate of alcoholism and suicide as well.
I'm not having problems with vocabulary? I don't find it to be formal or stilted. I also have been told I talk peculiarly as well, though. So maybe it's just something I can hear well in my brain.
The first time I read this book(I've read it lots of times) I had a hard time in the beginning. I promise Marisa that it gets way better as it goes along and people age
The narrator of the audio book has a very formal and stilted way of talking and it suits the language used by the author. I had no idea what to expect of this book and find that I am developing perhaps a gruesome fascination of where this is going.
I am picturing a society that tries to be genteel (like in a Jane Austen novel such as Pride and Prejudice) but then the superficial nicety is shattered by a gritty earthy moment where adultery, alcoholism or some other vice becomes the focus.
First impressions - well I would have preferred to answer that at the beginning of the week but I have a house full of guests and though I have time to read the book I have not had time to get to the PC much.
I was pleasantly surprised by the beginning of the book - it was better than I thought it might be. I think I was expecting a book more aimed at the young adult audience.
I did not find the language particularly stilted or ungrammatical but it did start out slightly stylised - like a fairytale, I thought. As fantasy and sci-fi are my favourite genres this did not distract me and I doubt I would have been particularly aware of it until I read the comments here.
I do not think it is the strongest of beginnings. However, the flow improved tremendously by the end of the section so I think the author may have had difficulties with the initial chapters too. I found the first section grim and full of unlikeable characters but I have read on and that does change.
On the whole I enjoyed the first section but I would not be enthusiastic about it.
Lorien I was surprised you were having difficulty - your english is soooo good. Sadly I do not speak any other languages - a bare smattering of Welsh - and I'm useless at them so I have no idea what would prove difficult. I hope it does not spoil it for you. It must be so frustrating not to be able to get it in your own language. I like Fred Vargas (a French crime writer) and it takes forever for her books to be translated into English - only some of them are available and the flow of the book is affected by who translates them. (A topic for another time perhaps).
I went in not knowing what to expect. As mentioned in the pre-reading, I thought it was a 'lighter' read, and it was, well, a bit unexpected to have such heavy themes. I agree with Marisa, I really don't know what to expect from the rest of the book...
I quite enjoyed the style of writing, however the made-up words were a bit difficult to follow and are only explained later (if ever). I quite like having a sense of mystery in the having to wait to find out, but it can be slightly overwhelming too.
My first impressions aren't good. I didn't even finish the first part completely. I like the story (from the movie), but the writing style just seems to bore me. It was quite painful reading as far as I did. I don't think I'll be continuing with this particular book. I agree with Marisa, that the writing style is distracting and difficult to understand at times. I've been really confused by the characters too. Good luck ladies, and I hope to join the next book.
@Dawn: As I said, I wasn´t expecting to be put down due to language too! Well, in fact, after the first three charpters of part 1, it got a little better, and now, I´m starting enjoying the book. However, this and the fact that my tablet somehow don´t hold his battery on the road (when Im still it´s ok, when I´m on the road it goes out of battery in one hour or so... really weird...) are slowing me down. I thought I´d finish part 1 by today, but I´m only around p.37.
I don't know if there's a specific example to point to. It's more just when I'm reading I keep getting pulled out of the story because the words don't flow well.
Almost in the end of part 1 the book started to catch me up. I also guess I got used with language (or it got better? Maybe it was just the "bad beginning syndrom?" aka, authors that don´t know how to begin properly? I don´t know... I´m on part 2 and enjoying the book now.
I'm already behind!
I am behind too - I read it wrong and thought we were suposed to start reading only yesterday - so I held my horses from starting, lol. IDK if I´ll catch up this week or next one on my trip...
Well, the questions aren't going anywhere, so stop by when you're ready!
I have to say that at the end of the first part, I really wan't sure why I put this book on the list of book club options. I didn't like any of the characters, nothing in the story was particularly interesting. Everything seemed really grotesque and terrible. I thought to myself, "what have I gotten myself into?"
I have no idea where the book is going, or if I have any hope of liking it even a little bit. But as I'm the book club leader, I will have to persevere!
The author's writing style is also difficult for me. I find it both distracting and difficult to understand at times. The dialogue seems very formal and unlike real speech patterns, which I suppose is fine since it's a fantasy world and I think he's trying to evoke a feeling of a different time. However, it's really distracting and keeps pulling me out of the story. Also, with the formal language and all the made-up words, I often don't know what's going on. That's often a general difficulty with fantasy/scifi, and you just have to bumble through until things start to make sense, so here's hoping things start to gel in the next part!
I have to confess: I am having vocabulary issues: This book isn´t translated to my mother tongue, but... well, I´ve read part of Tolkien´s Unfinished Tales, the last book of His Dark Materials and the whole Jonathan Strange and Mr.Norrelll in English, so I wasn´t expecting to not understand due to lack of vocabulary... Well Marisa, your comment kind of relieved me....
I'm loving the story. Not necissarly a theme for the whole book, but a good one to point out for this part of the book is the adultury and ministry. Adultry and divorce aren't uncommon in the world of married ministers, and for the reasons in the book. The "minister" in the family, usually the husband, puts his job before his family and the added pressure on the spouse of being perfect and liked brings the whole thing down. The ordained have a high rate of alcoholism and suicide as well.
I'm not having problems with vocabulary? I don't find it to be formal or stilted. I also have been told I talk peculiarly as well, though. So maybe it's just something I can hear well in my brain.
The first time I read this book(I've read it lots of times) I had a hard time in the beginning. I promise Marisa that it gets way better as it goes along and people age
The narrator of the audio book has a very formal and stilted way of talking and it suits the language used by the author. I had no idea what to expect of this book and find that I am developing perhaps a gruesome fascination of where this is going.
I am picturing a society that tries to be genteel (like in a Jane Austen novel such as Pride and Prejudice) but then the superficial nicety is shattered by a gritty earthy moment where adultery, alcoholism or some other vice becomes the focus.
First impressions - well I would have preferred to answer that at the beginning of the week but I have a house full of guests and though I have time to read the book I have not had time to get to the PC much.
I was pleasantly surprised by the beginning of the book - it was better than I thought it might be. I think I was expecting a book more aimed at the young adult audience.
I did not find the language particularly stilted or ungrammatical but it did start out slightly stylised - like a fairytale, I thought. As fantasy and sci-fi are my favourite genres this did not distract me and I doubt I would have been particularly aware of it until I read the comments here.
I do not think it is the strongest of beginnings. However, the flow improved tremendously by the end of the section so I think the author may have had difficulties with the initial chapters too. I found the first section grim and full of unlikeable characters but I have read on and that does change.
On the whole I enjoyed the first section but I would not be enthusiastic about it.
Lorien I was surprised you were having difficulty - your english is soooo good. Sadly I do not speak any other languages - a bare smattering of Welsh - and I'm useless at them so I have no idea what would prove difficult. I hope it does not spoil it for you. It must be so frustrating not to be able to get it in your own language. I like Fred Vargas (a French crime writer) and it takes forever for her books to be translated into English - only some of them are available and the flow of the book is affected by who translates them. (A topic for another time perhaps).
I went in not knowing what to expect. As mentioned in the pre-reading, I thought it was a 'lighter' read, and it was, well, a bit unexpected to have such heavy themes. I agree with Marisa, I really don't know what to expect from the rest of the book...
I quite enjoyed the style of writing, however the made-up words were a bit difficult to follow and are only explained later (if ever). I quite like having a sense of mystery in the having to wait to find out, but it can be slightly overwhelming too.
My first impressions aren't good. I didn't even finish the first part completely. I like the story (from the movie), but the writing style just seems to bore me. It was quite painful reading as far as I did. I don't think I'll be continuing with this particular book. I agree with Marisa, that the writing style is distracting and difficult to understand at times. I've been really confused by the characters too. Good luck ladies, and I hope to join the next book.
@Dawn: As I said, I wasn´t expecting to be put down due to language too! Well, in fact, after the first three charpters of part 1, it got a little better, and now, I´m starting enjoying the book. However, this and the fact that my tablet somehow don´t hold his battery on the road (when Im still it´s ok, when I´m on the road it goes out of battery in one hour or so... really weird...) are slowing me down. I thought I´d finish part 1 by today, but I´m only around p.37.
Okay, I'm curious since so many people have mentioned it. Can I get an example of the writing style being boring or "formal"? I don't see it.
I don't know if there's a specific example to point to. It's more just when I'm reading I keep getting pulled out of the story because the words don't flow well.
I am having a really hard time getting into this book. Don't like much so far, but will keep plugging on for a while
Nice to have you with us Elaine - I thought part 2 was much better if that helps??
I hope people hang on for the rest. It really does pick up!
Almost in the end of part 1 the book started to catch me up. I also guess I got used with language (or it got better? Maybe it was just the "bad beginning syndrom?" aka, authors that don´t know how to begin properly? I don´t know... I´m on part 2 and enjoying the book now.