tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3773539610706998068.post2067009149855090967..comments2024-03-28T10:33:47.385+11:00Comments on Kate Constable's Blog: A latte beckonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12967372772145537800noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3773539610706998068.post-59312830954622883342009-12-07T13:41:29.266+11:002009-12-07T13:41:29.266+11:00I didn't realise you'd read this, Chris, w...I didn't realise you'd read this, Chris, we must discuss further some time! Well, I've finished it now and I think I too would have preferred three or four shorter books; or a tighter focus on one or two characters. I think Byatt bit off more than she could comfortably chew and the result was somewhat lumpy. Though I must say that I was more engaged by the second half than the first; but I don't think all the loose ends were tied up satisfactorily and there were a few characters left hanging. But I felt a sense of achievement when I got to the end, too!A latte beckonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12967372772145537800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3773539610706998068.post-78267873472886140762009-12-06T11:54:57.077+11:002009-12-06T11:54:57.077+11:00It certainly is a very large book. A bit like an ...It certainly is a very large book. A bit like an over-packed suitcase in many ways. I agree that research and background information does not always need to be in the foreground and there were times in this book where I felt that this was definitely the case. This book could easily have been three or four books and maybe that would have been a better outcome. I am very much from the 'less is more' school of thought and I also found myself getting frustrated with all the different layers of information packed into this book and I did skip a few sections - I wanted to get on with the story and not be dragged off on tangents. But when I did get to the end I felt a certain satisfaction at having finally finished this epic. I did thoroughly dislike the author/mother character but didn't read this in the context of a wider 'nastiness' towards children's authors - but then I'm not a children's author so probably wouldn't be so aware of this.Christine McCombehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11994507272111335514noreply@blogger.com