Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie
Fiction
Began on 7/21/06
Quit on 7/23/06
Rating: DNF (Did Not Finish)
Eh. This book didn't do a thing for me. I gave up after 70+ pages. It only has 184 pages and I felt like I'd given it more than a fair chance. Off to my discard pile.
That's interesting, because I read his recent book, Mr. Muo's Traveling Couch, and I didn't really like that. It made me not want to read Balzac despite all the good things I've heard about it. Thanks for validating my prejudice!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. And thanks for visiting my blog. I've enjoyed perusing yours recently, although I have to admit that with all my blog surfing, my reading is beginning to suffer. Time to turn the computer off and go read!
ReplyDeleteHmm, you're the second person I know who read this book and found it dull.
ReplyDeleteI know I shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but the book just looks so appealing! I'd be even more disappointed because of that. I'm shallow, I know.
I'm shallow, too. :) I judge books by their covers all the time! I think this one is especially attractive and the book is rather slim, giving it almost a delicate feel. It was certainly short enough that I really could've read it to the end, but why? When I have hundreds on my shelves, waiting to be read, why waste another minute on something that doesn't interest me?
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog. Yours is very nice, btw.
Les, I enjoyed Balzac very much, as I recall, but it's been years since I read it. I remember it being a very gentle sort of book, not fast-paced at all but lovely in imagery, etc. Ah, well, that's what makes life interesting, that we don't all like the same things! Your blog is lovely, just lovely, and I want to come back and visit some more! I'm at: http://bluestalking.typepad.com
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments, Lisa. I agree, it's not an action-packed story, but rather a gentle, thought-provoking tale/fable (?). I wish I had enjoyed it more than I did. Oh, well.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the nice remarks about my blog. It's been fun and I'm enjoying all the new visitors. I'm off to catch a plane, but will take a look at your blog when I return.
Yayyy! Someone else who didn't care for it. I finished it, but it was painful.
ReplyDeleteAndi,
ReplyDeleteIsn't it funny when we discover someone who shares our negative views about a book? In some ways it's even more reassuring than when someone says they loved the same book we did. I suppose it's just nice to know that the decision to quit is validated by someone out there in the book world.