What was the most unusual (for you) book you ever read? Either because the book itself was completely from out in left field somewhere, or was a genre you never read, or was the only book available on a long flight… whatever? What (not counting school textbooks, though literature read for classes counts) was furthest outside your usual comfort zone/familiar territory?
And, did you like it? Did it stretch your boundaries? Did you shut it with a shudder the instant you were done? Did it make you think? Have nightmares? Kick off a new obsession?
I'd have to say that one of the most unusual books I ever read, and not in a good way, was Lucky Billy, by John Vernon. It features the life (and death) of the famous outlaw. I do read historical fiction, but not books set in the American west, so I thought this would be a new and welcome change.
Wrong.
Vernon's fictional treatment of the story was so disjointed and confusing that I stopped reading about 100 pages in. He kept switching back and forth between narrators, which was also very confusing. So yes, I shut the book with a shudder--of relief. It was so bad that I didn't want to burdern you all with a review of it, since there wasn't much to say, anyways. I received the book through Amazon Vine, and I now know that I need to be more careful when I make my ARC selections there!
And, did you like it? Did it stretch your boundaries? Did you shut it with a shudder the instant you were done? Did it make you think? Have nightmares? Kick off a new obsession?
I'd have to say that one of the most unusual books I ever read, and not in a good way, was Lucky Billy, by John Vernon. It features the life (and death) of the famous outlaw. I do read historical fiction, but not books set in the American west, so I thought this would be a new and welcome change.
Wrong.
Vernon's fictional treatment of the story was so disjointed and confusing that I stopped reading about 100 pages in. He kept switching back and forth between narrators, which was also very confusing. So yes, I shut the book with a shudder--of relief. It was so bad that I didn't want to burdern you all with a review of it, since there wasn't much to say, anyways. I received the book through Amazon Vine, and I now know that I need to be more careful when I make my ARC selections there!
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