:: penelly ::

Parrot and Olivier in America by Peter Carey

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I was underwhelmed by this book. I made it to the end, but I must admit there were times when I felt like giving it away. I think my main reason was because one of the lead characters had almost zero redeeming features. Olivier has got to be one of the most obnoxious, spoilt, arrogant character ever created. I much preferred the Parrot chapters, but was not completely absorbed into either of their worlds. The female characters were disappointingly lacking, too. On a positive note, the period in which it is set is fascinating, and I was provided with some insights into post-revolutionary France and the early history of America. There were times when I got swept up in the story, but there were plenty of times were I was cursing Carey's overly wordy descriptions and complicated similes and metaphors. Maybe just not my style. Much preferred Tsiolas' "The Slap", which I read just after this one.






The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed The Slap. I had heard negative things about it so I was pleasantly surprised. I whipped through it, engrossed from start to finish. Many of the characters are unlikeable, but Tsiolkas paints them with such detail and humanity, that they felt very believable and I could empathise with just about all of them, despite their faults. The story revolves around a set of interconnected family and friends in suburban Melbourne. I enjoyed how each chapter was told from a different characters' point of view, and the way the tensions, loves and squabbles between the characters were played out. Now looking forward to checking out the recent ABC adaptation of it.



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