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| Name : | Tivoli P. |
My Reviews
This book proved to be very popular with book club members. We had a spirited discussion, some of it even about the book!
Our group was split on this title. Some loved it, reveling in the characters and wanting to learn more about snooker. Others were not so charitable; not everyone managed to finish it, and a couple didn't care to.
Despite the mixed reviews, the issues addressed by the book -- including decisions women make in their lives and the ramifications -- led to animated discussion, ranging in topic from childrearing to whether your primary relationship occurred due to fate or plotting. The consensus, of our group, agreed that, as one of the characters in the book said, timing is everything.
And yes, everyone loves a bad boy. But would you marry one? Not bloody likely!
This title was not a hit with our book group. Most members said they had difficulties with the language and couldn't make it beyond 20 or 30 pages. Those who did make it all the way through said it took some work, and for many, it was too much to make it worth it.
It was a hit with two members of our group (of more than a dozen), who enjoyed the language, the characters and the gentle unfolding of the plot, as well as the many red herrings.
If a group is comfortable with 19th century literature, or up for a challenge, I think this title would work well. If the group is more comfortable with contemporary literature, this may not be the best pick.
Many of our group had read this book years ago -- some said it didn't hold up as well, while others thought it spoke to them differently than it had initially.
It provoked a lively discussion about love, writing and culture, so I would say it was a success.
The reaction to this book was unanimous -- everyone loved it! It prompted an engaging discussion about how the two women, Laila and Mariam, continued to go on as they did, and why each of them made the decisions they did.
It made us reflect on how fortunate we, as American women, are.
This book is a perfect book club selection because of the abundance of issues to discuss.
While there were several book club members who enjoyed this title, the majority either did not like it or did not even bother finishing it.
Those who did like it pointed to the humor, a departure for Amy Tan. Others were lost in the ever-increasing and non-engaging cast of characters.
All in all, we had a good discussion, but it's not a great discussion unless people can actually read the book.
Our group met in record time -- less than an hour -- since less than a third of our group of 15 read the book. Many cited it as being too difficult to read, or as not holding their interest.
Whatever the case, a book that is not read is nearly impossible to discuss.
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