Last night was the March meeting of Lowestoft Library Book Group. This month we have been reading Ancestral Vices by Tom Sharpe. When I started it, I really couldn't get into it. I had absolutely no idea what it was about or what was supposed to be happening. My eyes took in the words on the page but they didn't make their way up into my brain box. Some books get me like that. However, I did get excited when I reached page 43. Two characters are sitting down to dinner and are served turtle soup. One character says, "The shell came from the Aquarium at Lowestoft and the contents from Fortnum & Mason."
However, continuing reading I still had absolutely no idea what was going on. The book cover doesn't have a blurb, so I had a little bit of a snout around the internet and found out that, apparently, this book is really funny. I thought it must get funnier the further I get into it, but one of the funniest bits in the book (according to t'internet people) was something I'd already read.
I like to think that I've got a pretty decent sense of humour, but this book was more irritating than funny. And not irritating to the point that it turns into funny. Just irritating.
I've been a member of this book group since 2009 (ish) and for a couple of years I would read part of each book (around 100 pages) but never finish them. Then, at the start of last year, I made a bit of a resolution to read the books, even if I really didn't like them. And I did it. I pushed my way through hundreds of pages of dreadful words, but I read them. Until now. I tried. I really did. But I couldn't do it. I couldn't bring myself to finish this book. That shows just how bad it is. I managed to get to chapter 12/page 154, but I'm not really sure what happened in those 154 pages, and I really don't care what happens after.
*****
Our next meeting will be Tuesday 30th April, and we will be discussing The Crimson Rooms by Katharine McMahon.
However, continuing reading I still had absolutely no idea what was going on. The book cover doesn't have a blurb, so I had a little bit of a snout around the internet and found out that, apparently, this book is really funny. I thought it must get funnier the further I get into it, but one of the funniest bits in the book (according to t'internet people) was something I'd already read.
I like to think that I've got a pretty decent sense of humour, but this book was more irritating than funny. And not irritating to the point that it turns into funny. Just irritating.
I've been a member of this book group since 2009 (ish) and for a couple of years I would read part of each book (around 100 pages) but never finish them. Then, at the start of last year, I made a bit of a resolution to read the books, even if I really didn't like them. And I did it. I pushed my way through hundreds of pages of dreadful words, but I read them. Until now. I tried. I really did. But I couldn't do it. I couldn't bring myself to finish this book. That shows just how bad it is. I managed to get to chapter 12/page 154, but I'm not really sure what happened in those 154 pages, and I really don't care what happens after.
*****
Our next meeting will be Tuesday 30th April, and we will be discussing The Crimson Rooms by Katharine McMahon.
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