Janet's review of Netherland (original) (raw)

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Janet's Reviews > Netherland

Netherland by Joseph O'Neill

Netherland
by

1421407

3/4 the way done with this. Reading it while sick--just after Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Interesting 'bookends'--Girl was badly written but a moderately compelling story, while Netherland is a completely uninteresting story packed with gorgeous writing and wonderful insights into our contemporary life and marriage, as well the secret life of diaspora culture in New York City.

Alas, more than half the book is about the game of cricket, and I just couldn't care less, even after being told about its glories for 80 pages or so.

So, hard to decide on three or four checks, when I often find I am catching my breath with the insight or moment--quoting parts of it to other people, like this New York Moment: "...while I changed, Danielle wandered around my apartment, as was her privilege: people in New York are authorized by convention to snoop around and mentally measure and pass comment on any real estate they're invited to step into." I was just in New York, in the Times Square subway station, and his description of that escherish locale and especially the freakish encounter with a man dancing with a lifesized puppet affixed to his feet and hands came flooding back... So, four checks.

But the bottom line-- I don't know if I can force myself through the rest of it, and I wouldn't recommend Netherland to anybody. Although I would definitely, eagerly read another book by the same author.

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Reading Progress

September 28, 2009 – Shelved

February 19, 2011 –Started Reading

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