Disappointing
|
Ok...so it isn't as good as "Wicked" or "Son of a Witch"...who says it has to be? I'm not disappointed that this book did not reach the literary heights of the aforementioned books...because it would be unfair of me to be. I don't want to be compared to my brother because I am a separate entity from him...I want to be judged on my own merits, and those alone...so I give this book the same respect.
All of that being said, this is a book that caused me great frustration. As many others have pointed out, there are too many loose ends left dangling at the story's end...too much time invested in certain elements of plot which have no pay-off in the end.
I found myself particularly annoyed by something that had to have been intentionally avoided by Maguire...but the reasons for this avoidance are not clear to me. This story is constantly referencing Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol"...the protagonist (Winnie Rudge - a surname which is the root of my frustration) is almost obsessed with the possibility that the Scrooge character was based on one of her ancestors. So over and over again, either Dickens or one of his characters are mentioned. How is it possible then, that with all of this Dickensian fixation, and this family name of "Rudge" littering the page, that a mention of Dickens's "Barnaby Rudge" is never made? Surely, the theory that Dickens knew Winnie's family (and therefore, modelled a fictious miser after one of its members) would gain strength from this piece of "proof."
It is a piece of work that drips with darkness...macabre and eerie at times...the sun doesn't even seem to appear until the very end.
Perhaps the "Lost" that Maguire refers to in the title is meant not to give hints into this book's plot, but more to forewarn the reader of their ultimate state of mind from turning the pages of this book.
|
|
Not That Bad
|
Despit it's flaws (and there were a few) I found myself intrigued by the novel. I thought the Christmas Carol mythology worked well in the story and enjoyed the new take on it. I disliked the protagonist immensely until I realized she was supposed to be the "Scrooge" character of the story. She isn't meant to be likeable and her actions in the novel (pushing people away continually) illustrate how she will end up like Scrooge, lonely and bitter at the end of her life. One character even calls her Winnifred Scrooge, just in case the reader misses the point.
The main problem with having a main character appear unlikable is that you have to have the secondary characters appear sympathetic. While colourful and interesting, the characters of Allegra, John, Jenkins, Rasia and even Kat Jenkins aren't that appealing so it is really no wonder Winnie can be quite rude to them at times. The only real likeable character in the novel is Irv, and even Winnie treats him horribly at times.
The revealing of the "mystery" was quite interesting I thought and I liked the little historical details, but I thought it was kind of rushed. I would have liked to have read more about the interaction of Winnie and Gervasa.
If you enjoyed MacGuire's other books, you may want to give this one a pass because I didn't think it was his best. But it was an interesting divergence from his usual genre.
|
|
Completely Disappointing
|
|
Having read Wicked, I couldn't wait to plunge into another Gregory Maguire book. Plunge I did, ploughing through chapters that barely held my attention as I held out for the richness and depth that I so enjoyed in Wicked. If you're doing the same, don't hold your breath. Meandering and pointless, this book was a complete waste of my time and money. Read Wicked. Read its sequel, Son of a Witch (also enthralling and richly constructed) but give this one a pass.
|
|
|
So Many Loose Ends
|
|
I'll admit I read this book cover to cover, but it wasn't an enjoyable experience in the end. So many questions left unanswered -- so many dead ends to the different plot lines. I'd write a longer review, but I have already forgotten much of it (it was that unremarkable) and it's only been a week. Winnie's character and the haunter herself (Gervasa) never really let their stories develop fully. It's like Maguire got tired of writing. I am reading "Confessions" now -- I'll let you know if it's any better. I don't normally write these as "anonymous", but don't want to get flamed -- maybe it was such a "deep" book - I just missed something.
|
|
|
Lost is the right name for this book!
|
|
Let me first start off by saying that, I am usually a Terry Maguire Fan. Everything about this book was Lost, the main character Winnie, the plot, me, and the usual Terry Maguire spin. He touches up Jack the Ripper and Dracula, but really the focus should have been on the haunting of Ozias Rudge how that paralleled Dickens and Winnie herself. Winnie would almost become endearing then act completely out of character. Few other characters were formed the way Terry usually allows. The only thing that really fit was the title. I think if you skip this book you won't be Lost for it.
|
|
|
