Sunday, May 31, 2009

My Heart is Made of Stone (except for when it isn't)

I wasn't sure what the official vote for the May was so I read both, "The Middle Place" and "My Sisters Keeper".

Let's start with "The Middle Place". I watch the video that Amber sent and I was very excited to read this book. What I got from the video and what the book was actually about were a bit different than I expected. I thought that this book was going to be about a group of friends and their friendships over time (that's not what it was about).

As I began the book and read the part about how The Middle Place is "that sliver of time when parenthood and childhood overlap" I could identify. Although my "Middle Place" feels like a boulder of time when adulthood and childhood overlap. Continually seeking the approval of parents yet still trying to figure out how to live my life regardless of what my parents think (for the record they would always love me even if I was a street rat).

I thought this book would make me cry, it didn't. I thought this book would touch my soul given that one of my dearest friends has breast cancer, it didn't. I thought I would have some kind of emotional connection, but I didn't. Well, that is not entirely true, I did love her dad.

I enjoyed reading the book and I would call it a quick good read. Unfortunately, I expected it to be about one thing and it was about another. Another one of those 'don't set your expectations to high and you won't be disappointed' type thing.

ONWARD . . .

"My Sister's Keeper" was a good read that I thought would make me cry, it didn't. I am very much looking forward to watching the movie to see how the screen writers adapted it for the movies.

Usually, I don't like books that are written by multiple characters perspective because the story generally becomes repetitious. However, the Author did a WONDERFUL job. When one character's perspective ended the next character seamlessly continued the story.

The ending was HORRIBLE. I felt like the Author didn't know how to end it so she took the easy way out. After dragging (not sure if that is the right word because I really liked the book and the word "dragging" implies that I didn't like it) the book out it ended too quickly.

. . . .and that is how I am ending this blog.

FYI don't forget to vote for June's book!

4 comments:

  1. I had never read a book from several people's perspectives, so I loved this "fresh" approach (yeah, I don't get out much. Woof.). I liked the characters - that they each had their own stories, their own lives, their own struggles. I think if the entire book had just been about the girl with cancer (already forgot her name), it would have been boring and depressing. I didn't like the ending, either, but it is the first time I have ever read a book that completely took me by surprise. Usually I guess the ending by the second paragraph or so, and find myself skimming over the whole thing as quickly as possible to find out if I am right. Not so here. I did not expect that ending at all. Maybe because it was the "easy way out" as Rozel put it, and I expected something greater from the way the rest of the book had been writyen. I liked the book. That's all.

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  2. p.s. I know there are lots of typo's in that last comment, but I'm tired and I'm trying to hurry, so I'm sorry.

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  3. I have "The Middle Place" in my pile to read - nothing like being a day late and a dollar short.

    I've read "My Sister's Keeper" and I just commented on another blog about it - I liked it until the ending. It was truly a horrible ending. My favorite part, actually was the relationship between the Lawyer and the Guardian.

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  4. I finished "The Middle Place" this morning. I fleshed this out a bit on my Blog, but the thing I most took away was her comments about memory.

    As the daughter of a breast cancer survivor, I appreciated what she's gone through. But, I thought that she idealizes her Dad so much, that her relationships with her mom and her own family definitely pale.

    But I did appreciate that she was able to put herself out there so well, warts and all

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