Friday, February 12, 2010

The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry

Like I said in the last post, be careful what you wish for.  I had to rush out to buy The Lace Reader since it was the monthly selection for a book club I'd been invited to join.  An excuse I felt justified to feed my book buying habit.  Boy, was I wrong.

I started out thinking The Lace Reader had great potential.  The plot line had an aura of mystery combined with Salem witches and lots of psychic readings of lace.  Right up my alley.  But then it started to slog along.  Was Eva dead or wasn't she?  What made Lyndley commit suicide? And why the heck would Sophya change her name to Towner when Sophya is so beautiful a name?

I kept reading even though many of my friends told me to stop.  "If it's dull, give it up.  There are plenty more interesting books to choose from,"  they said.  Normally I would have taken their advice but in the name of my greater cause I felt I had to keep reading.  The author took too long to answer all my questions.  And when she did, they weren't answered in a satisfying manner.  For those of you who still want to keep reading I won't give anything away.  The characters should have all been committed to the mental institution for good.  They had issues far beyond any human capability to understand.  The setting was the only real thing in the story.  The Lace Reader left me cold, and unsatisfied with the outcome. 

I rate this book 2 out of 5.  I think I'll post it on Paperback Swap.  It ought to be snapped up in a hurry since it's a best seller after all.  As for the new book club, I couldn't go.  I was lying in bed watching the room spin suffering from a bout of vertigo. It must have been brought on by the book with characters and plot lines weaving faster than the lace in the story.  I'm learning not to be seduced by the words 'Best Seller' or a cover so captivating I can't resist and to be careful what I wish for. 

1 comment:

  1. And you get 2 out of 5 for fortitude.

    Have you considered ammending your commitment to the first hundred pages?

    Books are long. Life is short.

    ReplyDelete

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