The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud
This book is covered with doggie teeth marks. That fact alone is usually a pretty good benchmark for me. I've had plenty of books sit on my bookshelf long after little Ginger had her way with them. Never wanting to get rid of a book I might enjoy, I'd read through the missing corners and the punctured pages. I'm certain this book came from my sister. She owned dogs who could dwarf the petite Ginger. The bite marks seem spaced out for a larger dog with a bigger jaw. Ginger is more of a nibbler. This book looks like it had been carried around the house a few times.
The Emperor's Children is a well written novel and does a wonderful job of getting inside the heads of all it's characters. The problem for me however, is that none, and I mean none of the characters are the least bit likeable. They are all sad and sorry arrogant self centered people who never thought about anything other than themselves. And then 9/11 was thrown in as the catalyst that tore them all apart. That kind of turned me off just as a matter of principle. It tore us all apart.
I think The Emperor's Children is a creative tool for me to learn about writing. I like to read about more likeable characters that I might learn a life lesson from. The teeth marks didn't make this story any more enduring to me.
This book is covered with doggie teeth marks. That fact alone is usually a pretty good benchmark for me. I've had plenty of books sit on my bookshelf long after little Ginger had her way with them. Never wanting to get rid of a book I might enjoy, I'd read through the missing corners and the punctured pages. I'm certain this book came from my sister. She owned dogs who could dwarf the petite Ginger. The bite marks seem spaced out for a larger dog with a bigger jaw. Ginger is more of a nibbler. This book looks like it had been carried around the house a few times.
The Emperor's Children is a well written novel and does a wonderful job of getting inside the heads of all it's characters. The problem for me however, is that none, and I mean none of the characters are the least bit likeable. They are all sad and sorry arrogant self centered people who never thought about anything other than themselves. And then 9/11 was thrown in as the catalyst that tore them all apart. That kind of turned me off just as a matter of principle. It tore us all apart.
I think The Emperor's Children is a creative tool for me to learn about writing. I like to read about more likeable characters that I might learn a life lesson from. The teeth marks didn't make this story any more enduring to me.
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