I finished this on the weekend and it is a testament to the quality of the book that even though I only had 3 pages to go approaching my tube stop, I put it away rather than rush through the final bit. If you really want to know, I finished it on the loo when I got home!
I found the last few chapters quite interesting as they whizz through time; suddenly bringing us from Pelagia's youth to her becoming a grandmother, albeit with quite a few significant events in between. I felt that the horrific events listed, including the German occupation, the earthquake, the deaths of various people close to Pelagia, were dealt with in such a way that although they were vivid, they were not emotive. Although I don't often cry at movies (Million Dollar Baby being an exception), I often tear up at books, but this one seemed to be more distant and detached. I don't think it detracted from the power of the novel, but I thought it was an interesting way to tackle the whole thing.
I very much enjoyed reading it, and will definitely look for more by the same author. I have 'A Prayer for Owen Meany' and '100 Years of Solitude' to choose from next - I'll see what kind of mood I'm in this evening!
05 September 2006
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