profil de MD

Very indifferent, Aoû 28 2009

My feelings about this book are of great indifference. I neither loved it nor hated it. There are aspects that just didn't do it for me - it is a dark story, and seemed to drag out quite a bit considering the length (only 166 pages), and the time period (most of the events take place over the course of only a few hours).

But there are also aspects I enjoyed - it is a romantic story about coming of age, falling in love, and of a first sexual experience. It is beautifully told, and reads like a classic. McEwan manages to really develop the characters, despite such a short story, and I felt that I well understood the predicament that each was in.

It didn't "wow"… Lire la suite

You will want to lend it to all of your girlfriends!, Aoû 19 2009

I really thoroughly enjoyed this book, and found it to be an easy read.

It is so neat to read this account of a real-life group of 11 woman and their lifelong friendship. I constantly found myself comparing their relationships with each other to my own relationships, and often tried to determine which of my own friends is most like each of the Ames girls, with their very different personalities. Theirs is an incredible friendship, and it made me want to reach out to my own friends and let them know how important they are to me. Female readers will be able to relate to both the good times and the bad, and will at times be even envious of the bonds that helped these women… Lire la suite

A no-holds-barred tale of modern family life, Aoû 10 2009

The Slap is a very modern tale of families, relationships, careers, lifestyles, and coming of age. Told from 8 different perspectives, including high school students, a single unmarried woman, married women and men, and an elderly grandfather, we see the struggles that each face in their own life and in their interactions with each other. At times, the dialogue, sexual conduct, drug use and alcoholism are shocking, but yet also utterly believable and even relatable. I found myself comparing my own feelings to those of the characters - sometimes completely opposed, and other times completely understanding.

As another reviewer points out, despite being set in Australia, this… Lire la suite