I like Nicholas Sparks. He has an easy writing style, a few solid characters, romance, sometimes a little mystery and too often the death of a beloved character. Sometimes the mystery is who the character is that is going to die. ;) Fortunately, the main characters escaped death in this story, although I was worried about Lily and Evan more than once! I certainly didn't want anything to happen to Evan, since he was always so faithful and supportive to Colin. Colin of course came out with some injuries, but I guess I never thought he would die.
Speaking of Colin, I had mixed feelings about him at times. I really liked him, but I disliked the innate sense of violence and aggression in him. I would have a hard time being with someone like that. I have never understood the lure of boxing, fighting or ultimate fighting. Why do men enjoy trying to hurt each other? I just don't get it. And why would Maria want to see him fight? Colin seemed to live on the edge of his anger, so it was a good thing that he went to the gym a lot and ran when he needed to clear his head. But still.... If I was Maria, I would live in fear of him totally losing it one day.
There was a time that I thought that maybe Maria was imagining Lester, like maybe she was the one with some mental health issues! (I guess I have read too many books like that!) Anyway, I was a little relieved when Maria's sister said (finally) that the man wasn't behind Maria when she raced for the door because he was running the other way. Why didn't she say that in the first place?? She just told Maria that there was no man coming after her. Good grief. That scene made me question everything Maria had said. But, there was indeed a Lester, and Lester definitely had some mental health issues. No thanks to his dad, Dr. Manning, right? The Manning family certainly had their share of tragedies.
Oh, and Colin's response of "okay" for everything? That would drive me nuts! I know it was supposed to be his "signature response", and that some people (characters) found it charming, but I didn't find it sweet. I found it annoying.
Anyway, I actually did like the book. It was entertaining, and it's nice to read books occasionally that I don't have to put too much deep thought into the plot or the characters. That is not a slam. Just a fact.
Wendy's Rating: ****
Monday, May 23, 2016
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Brooklyn by Colm Toibin
I seem to be on a trend of interestingly ambiguous endings lately. I actually don't like it when authors feel like they have to tie up every story line with a neat little bow. But....I guess I do prefer nice solid endings. I want to protagonist to KNOW that he/she is making the right decision, not just doing the "right thing" or the "thing that's expected of them". That's too much like real life. I want them to experience life and learn a lesson or two along the way, but in the end, I want them to know what they want - and have the strength to follow it through.
I actually don't know what Eilis really wants - or who she wants - or where she wants to live at the end of this novel. Maybe she is just a woman who will make the best of whatever life is thrown in her path. She doesn't want to leave Ireland for America, but she does it because her mom and sister tell her she needs to move to Brooklyn, work in a shop and go to school. She doesn't want to switch rooms at Mrs. Kehoe's, but Mrs. Kehoe tells her when and how to switch rooms, so she does. She doesn't want to sell nylons to black Americans at the store (at least exclusively), but she is told that is what she must do, so she does. She seems to genuinely like spending time with Tony, and certainly went to a place with him I didn't think she would go (wink, wink), but she gets so distracted by Jim when she goes back to Ireland. It seems to me that she would have stayed in Ireland and made a life with Jim; stayed in America and made a life with Tony; worked at any job thrown her way; lived wherever anyone wanted her to live. I would have liked to hear her voice at the end. What DOES she want?? It reminds me of the movie The Runaway Bride. Julia Robert's character takes on the likes and interests of every man she is with (and engaged to) - but can't quite commit to them and always leaves them at the alter. At the end, she takes the time to figure out her own likes and interests - and then once she knows who SHE is, she decides who she wants to spend the rest of her life with. That's what I wanted for Eilis!
I liked Eilis, but I didn't overly connect with her - probably because of her ambiguous feelings about everything and her inability to speak up to anyone; her inability to voice her own thoughts, feelings, opinions. I really liked Tony. I am not unhappy that Eilis goes back to Brooklyn in the end, to honor her commitment to Tony, but I sure wish I knew that she wanted it. She did "sew a couple of oats", which I thought was risque for the time and for her upbringing, so maybe she will be happy. I hope for Tony's sake that she is.
Wendy's Rating: ****
I actually don't know what Eilis really wants - or who she wants - or where she wants to live at the end of this novel. Maybe she is just a woman who will make the best of whatever life is thrown in her path. She doesn't want to leave Ireland for America, but she does it because her mom and sister tell her she needs to move to Brooklyn, work in a shop and go to school. She doesn't want to switch rooms at Mrs. Kehoe's, but Mrs. Kehoe tells her when and how to switch rooms, so she does. She doesn't want to sell nylons to black Americans at the store (at least exclusively), but she is told that is what she must do, so she does. She seems to genuinely like spending time with Tony, and certainly went to a place with him I didn't think she would go (wink, wink), but she gets so distracted by Jim when she goes back to Ireland. It seems to me that she would have stayed in Ireland and made a life with Jim; stayed in America and made a life with Tony; worked at any job thrown her way; lived wherever anyone wanted her to live. I would have liked to hear her voice at the end. What DOES she want?? It reminds me of the movie The Runaway Bride. Julia Robert's character takes on the likes and interests of every man she is with (and engaged to) - but can't quite commit to them and always leaves them at the alter. At the end, she takes the time to figure out her own likes and interests - and then once she knows who SHE is, she decides who she wants to spend the rest of her life with. That's what I wanted for Eilis!
I liked Eilis, but I didn't overly connect with her - probably because of her ambiguous feelings about everything and her inability to speak up to anyone; her inability to voice her own thoughts, feelings, opinions. I really liked Tony. I am not unhappy that Eilis goes back to Brooklyn in the end, to honor her commitment to Tony, but I sure wish I knew that she wanted it. She did "sew a couple of oats", which I thought was risque for the time and for her upbringing, so maybe she will be happy. I hope for Tony's sake that she is.
Wendy's Rating: ****
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