Initially, I read the buzz for this book, but after awhile it seemed there were more mixed reviews. However, I had to read this for a book club I was attending for the first time. One of my best friends got me into the group. She did not like this novel and found it miserable. As a result, I had a bit of bias going into this book.

I did not hate this book. I definitely did not like any of the characters. No one is likeable in this story and the few likeable characters (Cathy the roommate, the mysterious ginger guy) were one note. The women didn’t feel complex to me either. They all had issues and Rachel was more sympathetic than the other two. However, I found it really sad and annoying that all the women in this novel were defined by their relationships with men and in some specific cases, their mothers or being a mother. Most of the the men in the novel seem to dislike women. I understand it’s part of the unreliable narration, but to be fair, the actions of most of the women were crazy. Still, it was a lot of plot and not a lot of character depth.

The plot itself was predictable. I saw the murderer and cheater early on. I’ve mentioned before that twists don’t really matter to me much as a reader or entertainment consumer as long as the characters and the actual journey engage me. In this case, I did not like the journey too much and found the ending more anticlimactic than anything. I am glad it ended well because it would have been a miserable book otherwise.

In better news, the book moves along and is a very quick read. I know some people who really enjoyed this novel and others felt more neutral. It is not an awful book either, but personally, I think the hype is exaggerated.

Read April 23, 2016 on Kindle.

This was a fun book. I could not shake the Harry Potter comparisons the first quarter or third of the book, but then it became a book of its own merit with its own sincere characters.

The book started like some weird Harry Potter fanfiction. Simon is the typical chosen one like Harry.
Penelope is both Hermione and Ron. Agatha is the archetype of the girl. It was funny, satirical and subversive. While two of the leads are male, the book has a good cast of interesting, varied, and distinct female characters.

The more I read the book, the more depth was imbued in the characters and the world building. It became sincere and touching. The ending was good and a touch sad like many epic stories are.

The ending was neat enough that I doubt there will be sequel. I got so involved in this fantasy world and the characters, I hope there is one.

Recommended for readers who enjoy a good fantasy novel.

Read April 4-6, 2016.

When this book was first released last October, reviewers noted how dark it was. Indeed, this book is very heavy in tone and creepyness. Much more so than the previous two books. Even though the second book had its strange oddities too. I found some of the chapters from the perspective of the villain hard to get through. Still, I finished this book in two evenings so it was not that bad.

The other minor quibble I have with this book is the relationship between Robin and Cormoran. The constant push and pull between them is getting tiring. It is not say that I either do or do not want them together, but the constant speculation in the book from all sorts of characters is overdone now. Secondly, I am finding Robin is a bit too perfect. There is even a line in this book that says “everyone likes Robin” especially animals. I like Robin too and I guess her biggest flaw is her taste in men.

I continue to love many of the supporting or tertiary characters. In this book, I like the new side characters such as Wardle and Shanker. Rowling does have a way with dialogue and quick backstory that reveals a lot about the characters. I like all of Cormoran’s associates except I do not care (and do not think we are suppose to care) for his female romantic partners.

I have notied that Rowling’s writing has improved too overall over the years. I like her descriptions even more. One of the women in this book “had a look of a Bruegel peasant, with her rounded cheeks, prominent chin and wide nose.” She also continues to be verbose. In this novel, some words that I rarely use, but would like to: chicanery, holdall, pierrot, and perpatetic. I am glad she is writing for adults.

Finally, one thing I love about this series is how the setting is a supporting character in itself. I know Rowling does not live in London, but she writes it extremely well especially the current modern London. I had to laugh out loud because my alma matter is mentioned and couple of scenes in the book are set in the area.

The following excerpt is one of my favourites of the city that I’ve read recently:

Nobody who had not lived there would ever understand that London was a country unto itself. They might resent it for the fact that it held more power and money than any other British city, but they could not understand that poverty carried its own flavor there, where everything cost more, where the relentless distinctions between those who had succeeded and those who had not were constantly, painfully visible. The distance between Elin’s vanilla-coloumned flat in Clarence Terrace and the filthy Whitechapel squat where his mother had died could not be measured in mere miles. They were separated by infinite disparities, by the lotteries of birth and chance, by faults of judgment and lucky breaks. (p. 214)

The line about poverty and the relentless distinctions are very true to London. To any big city? Yes, but to a city in a country where classism still has history, the side by side of the haves and have-nots is both viscereal and subtle.

Reading this book has made me look forward to the TV adaptation that will be forthcoming. I wonder who will be cast and how and when they get the right tone for the show.

I have a knack for reading these novels during the season they are set. During this one, Easter weekend came and went too.

I enjoy reading these books, but I do know that there are issues with the style of the plotting and some other character issues. Still, I can not deny that I enjoy Rowling as a writer and have seen I was a kid. In a couple of years, I’ll have said that I’ve been reading this woman’s books for twenty years Keep at it, Ms Rowling.

Read March 21-22, 2016.

This manga took me a bit too long to read because I find it hard to watch Emma be so very wrong in visual form. There is a lot second hand embarrassment knowing how blind Emma is through most of this book with respect to the characters. It is understandable given her background, but it’s still hard to read through in comic form.

It is a fun manga adaptation as with the Pride and Prejudice one. If you enjoy both Austen and manga, then this a nice way to pass the time.

I would like to still say that the best Emma adaptation is BBC’s 2009 version.

Read February 18 – March 2, 2016.