{reading, lately}
I fully admit that I picked it off the shelf because of the title. I was a teensy bit unsure of where the book was going in the beginning, but I fell into it fairly quickly. It's sweet and funny and unusual. The ending wallops you out of nowhere, which I always love.
I also love that the people who gave it bad reviews on Amazon almost universally mention that they found it pretentious. I found the pretension purposeful and intentionally hilarious - I guess we all read things differently.
Do you ever go to Amazon and read other people's reviews after you've finished a book? I try to never do it before I read something, because I like to come to it without any idea of what I'm getting into.
i completely AGREE with you on all counts. kinda slow...laughed a lot...started laughing harder....so great!
ReplyDeleteI'm reading this at the moment, and also picked it purely because the title is wonderful. I've been finding it kind of dull and slow moving mostly and then the other night I turned to my husband with a big smile and said, "My book just got interesting!" He laughed, but I'm glad I persevered with it. I'm hoping, like you I love it in the end! Thanks for the review (and encouragement to keep going!)
ReplyDeleteyes always, and I almost always disagree with the majority! This book looks really interesting.
ReplyDeletei find myself getting upset if other people give negative reviews to a book i read and adored.
ReplyDeletehey, we come to books in all kinds of ways: i first read norman rush's mating because he was next to salman rushdie on the fiction shelf and i saw that he'd won a few awards, and i first read bulgakov's the master and margarita because there was a black cat on the cover. both are favorites of mine now.
ReplyDeletei have a compulsive review-reading thing with movies, actually: when i get home from the theater i make a beeline for rottentomatoes.com to see how critics felt about it. on amazon specifically, i remember a blog competition awhile back to find the worst possible review for the best possible book; it was pretty hilarious. we should resurrect something like that!
C&C, i know what you mean. i get very george mcfly: "hey, you! get your damn hands off of her!"
I loved that book, too!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree I'm on a fan of reading reviews before anything (books, resto's, trips, hotels). Just go judge for yourself and you'll enjoy it a lot more
ReplyDeleteD e g a i n e
http://www.fashiondegaine.com
I usually don't read reviews of novels, but of art/design/cooking/etc. books, I do. The ones where it doesn't need to be a surprise. :)
ReplyDeleteI've heard the title of this book floating around lately. I'm glad to hear you liked it. I think I'll add it to my Goodreads pile :)
ReplyDeleteI actually do read them before, but that's a good idea not to get influenced. I guess I can look at the rating to see how popular it is without spoiling it.
ReplyDeleteI liked Hedgehog a lot! And if you're in the mood for some more Francophile lit, I just finished Julia's My Life in France, which was a total delight.
ReplyDeleteHaven't read it, but I love your ugly doll. He's wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI just recently finished reading this book too! Struggled through it in the beginning, wondering where it was going...but thought it had great little gems throughout it about humans, life, relating to one another...and the ending was such a surprise! I completely agree that it was "sweet and funny and unusual"!
ReplyDeleteNadia Bordeaux FR
ReplyDeleteThis book was very popular and last year; a movie was made out of it. "L'élégance du hérisson" with a famou french actress Josiane Balasko...
I loved that book. Once I finished it I mailed it off to a blog-friend and she really enjoyed it too. The end was amazing; I really wasn't expecting it. I really want to read Gourmet Rhapsody which is the story of the man in the apartment complex (the food critic) that dies.
ReplyDeletei always read the reviews too. books are so expensive that i want to be forewarned if i can. sometimes i agree and sometimes i disagree - i like exploring. it's not the friday night knitting club out of nowhere is it? that would not make me happy.
ReplyDeletethis is so next on my list of books to read.
ReplyDeletethank you thank you rachel! putting in on my if-I-ever-make-it-to-the-fucking-library list. I WILL MAKE IT TO THE FUCKING LIBRARY.
ReplyDeleteI suspect that many of my favorite books are ones that other people find pretentious.
reading the reviews after having read a book almost like going to a book club. find out what others thought & maybe gain some new insight into the book!
ReplyDeletewill add "elegance of the hedgehog" to my list -- thanks :)
i had such a hard time getting into this novel so I walked away...glad you liked it though. sometimes with young kids and pure exhaustion at the end of the day i have to walk away from books that don't immediately grab me.
ReplyDeleteIt's on my list, I've heard such good things too.
ReplyDeleteI almost bought this book the other day at our tiny local bookstore. The title drew me in as well. However, I have more books to read right now than I have time to do so I'm holding off for now... :)
ReplyDeleteWe first listened to this as a very charming audiobook and then I read it - imagine my delight when I saw there was a movie, which we went to see while in France on holiday last summer!! Considering the complexities in the story, which we loved, the movie version really is good.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I dread is some American movie-maker who needs to make a "better" US version... sadly, this happens all the time to European movies. Yeuch.
Oh, and I picked it up 'cos we adore hedgehogs!!
kay so I should read it then. Not just ponder it's cover on my bedside table? I admit I decided to read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo first because I need something that I can get into FAST and read in small spurts while breastfeeding. Hedgehog will be next.
ReplyDeleteI loved this book too!
ReplyDeletealso, can we talk about your uglydoll quintopus so carefully perched next to your Excellent Contemporary Fiction? don't act like i didn't notice.
ReplyDeletedo you know they have GLOW IN THE DARK UGLYDOLL ACTION FIGURES now?
as my terrifying old boss used to say: just sayin.
I just finished reading this book too and absolutely loved it as well!
ReplyDeleteI also try to stay away from Amazon as I don't want to have any preconceived notions before I even start reading any book. But then again, I am the type of person that hates having movies spoiled for them . . .
i know what you mean.. i am often surprised at how much i dislike books with raving reviews and vice versa..
ReplyDeletei was not a big fan of the Time Traveler's Wife which is a book so many worship.
Will have to look this book up. Currently i am trying my hand at a classic, just started reading Tolstoy's Anna Karenina
This book is AMAZING! You have such great taste in books, I love your recommendations!!! Keep it up! xx
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