Unfinished #5

Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace was not a fun book for me.  I originally picked up Wallace's collection of essays as part of the Read Harder Challenge for Book Riot.  I couldn't help but be intrigued by the title, and I thought it seemed like an interesting thing to pick up; however, I quickly regretted my decision.

Little, Brown & Co.

Dense and verbose, Consider the Lobster was an ill fit for me for the simple fact that it was not that interesting and Wallace has a lot to say.  I'm sure Wallace had a point to make and, perhaps, others may enjoy his style of writing, but I couldn't find it in myself to enjoy much of what I was reading.  He has an interesting sense of humor, which I didn't mind, but I wasn't entirely sold on the subject matter--or the never-ending foot notes.

The first essay is about the porn industry.  Yes, you heard me:  porn.

I was a little flummoxed as I started to read and, if I'm being honest, partially horrified.  I wouldn't say I'm a prude, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't bothered by the graphic descriptions of what the porn industry does and what some of the men and women experience in their daily working lives.  It was a little weird, and it wasn't something I could enjoy reading.  I found myself feeling like I'd been unexpectedly scarred.

It's not something I enjoyed, and it's definitely not something I'll attempt to read again.

-

I picked up The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd on a whim.  I was intrigued by the eerie cover and the story, which promised to be gruesomely scintillating and slightly macabre.  As a spin-off from H.G. Well's classic novel, The Island of Dr. Moreau, it picks up with Dr. Moreau's daughter, Juliet, and follows her dangerous path to reunite with her father--and the boy she once loved.

Balzer + Bray

It had so much promise, but it was a bit of a disappointment.  Although I probably ruined it for myself by reading the reviews of other readers (and inadvertently catching spoilers), I would probably have put Shepherd's book aside anyway.  It just didn't feel quite right to me.  I think the narrator was pretty interesting, and I think the author did a pretty good job of creating a singular voice; however, I found it was lacking some quality that would have made it great.

The author did a decent job of creating a unique Gothic atmosphere, borrowing from the works of H.G. Wells, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley; moreover, I thought Shepherd made a fair attempt at incorporating history into her work.  The Madman's Daughter had the architecture in place--the grim atmosphere, the subtle history woven into the story, the grisly story--and it could have been a great novel.

Except it was ruined by the implications of a love triangle.

Oh, yes, I understand that romance can blossom in the most unusual places.  Likewise, I realize the character can't help the way she feels.  However, I would have much preferred if Juliet was a little more concerned about her survival once she's out on the streets and her livelihood once she makes up her mind to find her father, a man who is known for his vicious vivisection and his nonexistent medical ethics.

I just couldn't take it seriously after that.

-

I can't remember why I started to read A Gentleman Always Remembers by Candace Camp, but I can clearly remember when I decided that it wasn't worth the time or effort to finish the novel.  Sometime in chapter two, I completely lost interest and decided to put it aside because I couldn't find anything redemptive in the characters, or the plot, or the setting--or, well, anything else.

Pocket Star

In my opinion, it was just a bad novel.  A very bad novel.

I didn't think Eve was an incredibly endearing female protagonist, and, for some reason, I found Fitz to be rather preposterous.  I didn't care for either of them--or any of the other characters involved, to be perfectly honest.  They all felt like caricatures:  stiff, stagnant, boring.  I quickly grew tired of them and their individual histories.

I also noticed the story wasn't all that great, either.  I don't mind love stories, but this one felt a little contrived.  And the blackmail thread of the narrative felt silly, just another unnecessary way to propel the novel forward, because it doesn't have much substance.  Moreover, I wasn't a fan of the writing.  I didn't like Camp's style or her language or her inability to pace the story properly or develop her characters.

So, yes, I can safely say I didn't like A Gentleman Always Remembers.