"Dr. Learmont, newly appointed general practitioner for the districts of West Masedown and New Eliry, rocks and jolts on the front seat of a trap as it descends the lightly sloping path of Bersoie House. He has sore buttocks: the seat's hard and uncushioned."
- Tom McCarthy, from C
I've heard a lot about this novel but, 27 pages in, I can't say I'm impressed. Low sample size - I know - but I'm bored and wondering why I should care about these characters. I've seen hints of McCarthy's "literary pyrotechnics" but, then again, a large majority of the first chapter consisted of nothing but descriptions of rambling around a large estate. Will stick with it, but I'm not left with a good first impression of this Booker Prize finalist. Here's hoping it's just a slow starter!
Update: The book has become much more entertaining after the first chapter, and I can see why people speak so highly of it now. Still, that first chapter had me worried for a while.
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1 comment:
Stick with it! The first chapter is tough.
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