Another DNF. *sigh*
This one pained me. To add yet another title to my Did Not Finish tally, and to have it be the third time I’ve had to do this in about a month.
On the plus side, that TBR pile that looked so intimidating just a week ago is now looking pretty darn manageable.
But, I mean…BARBARA KINGSOLVER. She’s a legend who writes some damn fine novels. The Bean Trees was eye-opening for me when I read it the summer before high school. Prior to that, I had mostly read Baby-Sitters Club and Sweet Valley Twins, with the occasional Jane Eyre or To Kill A Mockingbird thrown into the mix. The Bean Trees let me know there was a wonderful world of books beyond the token classics and pop-culture novels of my youth, and I couldn’t wait to explore the previously unknown genre of “Contemporary Fiction.”
And, The Poisonwood Bible. Apart from making me terrified of ever owning a banana tree and of fire ant attacks, this novel is epic. Sweeping, tragic, startling, amazing. It is ALL THE ADJECTIVES. I couldn’t put it down.
I’ve yet to read more of Kingsolver’s works, but I know enough from the two I’ve read that this woman is a magnificent storyteller.
But, I suppose everyone has an off day. Or, novel.
I’ve been eagerly anticipating Unsheltered from the library, for the reasons cited above about Kingsolver’s previous works. I started reading it, with quite high hopes, after putting down The Witch Elm. The story takes place in New Jersey — represent!! — so there was that immediate draw for me, and at least one of the storylines was relatable — a family who has done everything “right” still feels like they never get a break.
There’s quite a bit of action in the present-day storyline. However, truth be told, I found it kind of depressing. And, not just a “Why am I reading this at Christmas?” kind of depressing, either. Like, really heavy stuff. However, I read some pretty dark books, so I wasn’t about to let this deter me.
Even with that…the novel didn’t really feel like it was going anywhere. Along with the present-day storyline is an historical one, and once it switched to that, I REALLY started to lose interest. I forced myself to keep going, made it proudly past my 50-page rule and back to the present-day storyline, and was confident that it would start getting better any minute… any minute now… aaaaaany minute now.
On page 63, ignoring the fact that I was re-reading some paragraphs because my mind had drifted, I thought, Okay, this isn’t so bad. I can keep doing this. I’m not terribly intrigued, but I’m not totally put off, either. I can keep going…
Then, I looked at how many pages I had left, and I was like, NOPE. There was no way I could continue with such mediocrity for another 400-ish pages.
At this point, I have to wonder — with three failed attempts to read novels by acclaimed authors, is the problem with them, or with me??
Please, please weigh in. Have you read Unsheltered? More importantly, did you finish Unsheltered? Am I being a cynical and jaded book snob, or are you, too, having a tough time reading this one? Please share in the comments below!
I loved it…I read it after many rereads of Animal, mineral vegetable. But…and huge but…I have ties to Vineland NJ, which is a very obscure place in southern NJ. It felt very regional just like Junot Diaz does. I fell in love with the family, I’m about the age and temperament of the main character so the book ticked a lot of boxes for me.
Want to know a secret, and don’t judge (well judge, but don’t tell me): I have never finished a Kingsolver title ever. I couldn’t get through The Poisonwood Bible or the ever popular The Bean Trees (or maybe I finished that one but didn’t like it). I might never pick up a Kingsolver book again–too much to read and too little time. Thanks for your honest review. I am relieved that it is not just me.
It’s great that you had such a connection with the book, Brenda! I’ve heard of Vineland, but I’ve never been since there I’m in Northern NJ. It does sound pretty interesting based on what I did read of the book. 🙂 I’m glad that Kingsolver isn’t disappointing all her fans with UNSHELTERED. 🙂 I’ll definitely try reading other books (and new books in the future) by her.
Christine — no judgement! Kingsolver novels can definitely be a little dense, so I don’t blame you for not getting through them. I loved THE POISONWOOD BIBLE, but it was definitely a dedicated read. Read what you love! If it doesn’t inspire you, move on! So many books and never enough time. 🙂
I just found your blog and am fast becoming a devoted Tartlet!
Unsheltered was a big disappointment for me, too. I managed to finish it and was more engrossed toward the end, but it’s not a book that I would recommend. I might have liked it better if I had not read the publisher’s synopsis first–about a family that had done everything right, etc. I couldn’t relate and couldn’t feel any compassion for them because I didn’t think they had done everything right. I found them all to be rather selfish, especially the narrator (whose name I can’t even remember). I liked the parallel story much more. As a Jersey girl, I liked the NJ setting. Although I have never been to Vineland, I’ve been to the Pine Barrens, which was featured in the parallel story.
My favorite Kingsolver novel is Prodigal Summer.
Welcome to the Tart, Kate! We’re glad to have you. And, yayyyy, another Jerseyite! 😊 Glad to hear another reader had difficulty with this book. Kudos to you for finishing it, though! I hope you have a chance to browse around the site to see what books I DID finish. 😊