I've been a loyal member of the BCB since its inception. (look there's even a badge right over there on my sidebar - I feel like that's commitment...) I've linked up each month and always thoroughly enjoyed reading everyone's reviews. But last month I dropped the ball.
Christianna, the girl behind The Girl With the Blue Bow, picked Neverwhere as last month's book club selection. Try as I might to finish the book and review it, I couldn't do it. Perhaps my hunger for Suzanne Collins trilogy had something to do with it. But I have to admit that my reluctance to finish the book had more to do with the actual book.
I'm new-ish to science fiction as a genre. And Neil Gaiman's work was just a bit too much for me. Reading it felt more like a chore or assignment than enjoyment. It's true that the characters in Neverwhere were neither distinct enough for me to differentiate nor compelling enough for me to care about. As a reader, that's a big road block. And while the novel's concept was intriguing, Gaiman never fully realized the plot in my opinion. There were just too many questions that I couldn't answer. There were too many gaps to navigate and I couldn't fully wrap my mind around the "rules" of his created universe. I found that the constant confusion wasn't pleasant but instead tedious and tiresome. I wanted to like this book, I really did. But sadly I just couldn't make myself. So, I'm crying, "Uncle." I'm admitting defeat. There are too many books out there to force myself to finish one that I'm not enjoying. (I'm so sorry, Christianna!)
BUT WAIT! That doesn't mean I'm abandoning the BCB!!!
On June 24th (that's NEXT FRIDAY) we'll be posting reviews of A Separate Peace by John Knowles. Wanna join the party? Come on, it'll be fun! Annnnnnnnd, since I picked this book, you could all pick it apart the way I have just picked apart Christianna's selection (hangs head in shame). Head over and check out The Daily Snapshot for a few questions to ponder as you read.
