Not many books have made it to my ‘books
I’ve thrown at walls’ list, however, after reading only one page, this book
swiftly became it’s newest resident.
The
book opens with short sharp sentences, which would in most cases, pull in a reader’s
attention, but we quickly come to realise that the rest of the page is written
this way too. Flicking ahead, to analyse the rest of the book, we learn that the
whole book is written this way. With one short sentence after another, it felt
more like a list of events, rather than a novel that you could easily sit down and
enjoy.
The sentence structure more than annoyed me, it infuriated me, because I
didn’t have a clue, as to what was happening! On a scale of one to ten, with
ten being ‘I’m so confused, what the hell is happening right now’, I would have
to give it a peacock.
It
is very clear on what she was aiming for when she chose to use this technique,
however I do not think it has worked particularly well for her. It is
impossible to find yourself interested in a book, when you have to keep
stopping every other word, due to either a full stop, or the need to try a
figure what the hell is going on. There are so many other books, that have told stories
from a child’s point of view, in much better, and clearer ways, such as ‘Room,’
by Emma Donoghue (previously reviewed), which tells the story of a woman that has been kidnapped and
been help captive, from the voice of her five year old son.
It
does not surprise me that, McBride’s ‘A Girl is a Half-formed Thing’ won the
Baileys award for fiction, as you would probably have to get incredibly drunk,
and then read it, in order to understand what is actually being said. No wonder she went through so many publishers, to try and get it published.
I can't tell you anything about the plot, not because I don't to, but because I refuse to read past the first page.
If you want to read this book, you can find it here, but I wouldn't recommend it.
Have you read this books, what were your thoughts! Please feel free to comment below!
Post a Comment
Please leave a comment here!