Member Profile
| Name : | Holly S. |
My Reviews
Our club read Big Little Lies in December and all members of the club rated it in the high 3s or low 4s. Everyone finished it! While it\\\'s not \\\"fluff,\\\" the writing style is light and so it reads quickly with a nice amount of humor.
Our book club had mixed emotions about this book, but no one gave it over 3 stars. The story is sort of like listening to someone free associate - it feels random and wandering and pointless. Yet in the end, a story emerged and progressed with a few concise phrases, which to some was impressive and memorable. To others it just stayed annoying.
Our group was mixed on the book, with some rating just above 3 stars and some just below. Some thought the writing overly simplistic, while others found it a fast, light, enjoyable read. No one really felt that they got a feel for the time period, but all enjoyed the stories of the world of magic.
Our book club enjoyed this book - everyone finished the book and liked it. Ratings ranged from 3.5-4.5 stars. Everyone was pulled into the book, and kept wanting to read to find out what would happen next. The book also generated a lot of good conversation about each of the characters.
Our club generally liked the book, with most readers giving it 4+ stars. We liked the twists and turns, and learning about the different tribes and groups in the period, and how each woman responded to situations.
Our club generally liked the book, and found it's portrayal of life in the 1500s (and the Inquisition) very interesting and not commonly written about. There were some areas where we thought the story could be constructed better - some elements were never returned to, while other parts got wrapped up with a bow. But we had fun discussing it all.
PS. Do not use the Audible version of this book - the performance is obnoxious.
Our whole group enjoyed this book and the nostalgia of the 80s. It was thought provoking enough to create some good discussion but light enough that people enjoyed reading it as we were headed into the busy holiday season.
In fact, I was the only one who finished it, most never got very far in. It was confusing to follow, though when I stopped worrying about tracking exactly who was who and just went along with the story, I ended up enjoying it. I did think the vignettes were going to weave together, which they did not, and that was disappointing. I also understand it was to be a commentary on life in Cuba, and while I could see the allegory, there was nothing that uniquely said "Cuba" versus any other location to me.
Our books club found this book informative but challenging. The plight of women in Afghanistan, portrayed as having very little freedom or rights, and facing frequent abuse. And, unfortunately, not much has improved in their circumstance in the generations between the two stories. Most readers rated in between 3-3.5 stars because the writing was good, though the subject matter itself was hard.
Our group generally enjoyed this book, with most ratings between 3-4. We had some different takes on the various relationships in the book, and had a nice discussion about the different forms that love can take. Some felt the ending was a bit abrupt, but we all liked the author's approach of letting the reader fill in some of the story and consequences and not spelling everything out.
Our club was enjoying this book until the last segment, one part of which was supremely depressing and the other was extraordinarily convenient. We don't need a happy ending but at least something redeeming?
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