Serena: A Novel (P.S.)
This Book is Currently in the Wild!
1 journaler for this copy...
I don't care how many accolades and awards this author has won . . . this book is BONKERS. It's a weird amalgamation of Sidney Sheldon and Ayn Rand.
Without giving too much away, here is a summary of the first 15 pages: Rich sociopath marries rich sociopath. They get back from their honeymoon, and an old man is waiting for them at the train station. He says that Groom got his daughter pregnant and he wants revenge. Old Man pulls a knife. Bride eggs on Groom, who pulls his own knife and stabs Old Man to death. Bride picks up Old Man's knife, walks over to Pregnant Daughter, hands it to her, and says, It's a good knife, sell it, that's all the money you'll get from us. Groom pays off sheriff in public, and Bride and Groom drive off to their timber company, where they plan to get rich, exploit workers, and ravage the environment. Things get much crazier from there.
To get through the last 200 pages, I had to pretend that this was actually SF/fantasy, set in a parallel, Game of Thrones-style universe. The white horse! The eagle! The blind seer! The henchman! The unpunished murders! The circus! THE DRAGON!
I realize that many readers long for strong female characters, but to me Serena is a deranged spree killer. There's no vulnerability and not much complexity there -- she's just a money-making, art-despising killing machine. Also, the foreshadowing is ridiculously clumsy. I kept saying to myself, "I guess this mountain lion will be important later!" "I guess this bag of marbles will be important later!"
I have to give this more than one star (out of five) because it kept me turning the pages, but it's so absurd that two is all it deserves. If you loved this book, I have no quarrel with you, and I don't think you're stupid or a bad person; it was just not my cup of tea.
Soon to be a major motion picture starring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper. I would go see it if it were directed by John Waters. (Suggested title: ¡OVERKILL!)
Without giving too much away, here is a summary of the first 15 pages: Rich sociopath marries rich sociopath. They get back from their honeymoon, and an old man is waiting for them at the train station. He says that Groom got his daughter pregnant and he wants revenge. Old Man pulls a knife. Bride eggs on Groom, who pulls his own knife and stabs Old Man to death. Bride picks up Old Man's knife, walks over to Pregnant Daughter, hands it to her, and says, It's a good knife, sell it, that's all the money you'll get from us. Groom pays off sheriff in public, and Bride and Groom drive off to their timber company, where they plan to get rich, exploit workers, and ravage the environment. Things get much crazier from there.
To get through the last 200 pages, I had to pretend that this was actually SF/fantasy, set in a parallel, Game of Thrones-style universe. The white horse! The eagle! The blind seer! The henchman! The unpunished murders! The circus! THE DRAGON!
I realize that many readers long for strong female characters, but to me Serena is a deranged spree killer. There's no vulnerability and not much complexity there -- she's just a money-making, art-despising killing machine. Also, the foreshadowing is ridiculously clumsy. I kept saying to myself, "I guess this mountain lion will be important later!" "I guess this bag of marbles will be important later!"
I have to give this more than one star (out of five) because it kept me turning the pages, but it's so absurd that two is all it deserves. If you loved this book, I have no quarrel with you, and I don't think you're stupid or a bad person; it was just not my cup of tea.
Soon to be a major motion picture starring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper. I would go see it if it were directed by John Waters. (Suggested title: ¡OVERKILL!)
Journal Entry 2 by rampallion at Potbelly's Sandwich Works - Davis St in Evanston, Illinois USA on Sunday, February 8, 2015
Released 9 yrs ago (2/11/2015 UTC) at Potbelly's Sandwich Works - Davis St in Evanston, Illinois USA
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
Bringing to the Meetup Tuesday night at 6:30. See you there?
http://www.meetup.com/bookcrossing-1/events/219289929/
http://www.meetup.com/bookcrossing-1/events/219289929/
