The Post-Birthday World by Lionel ShriverMy review
rating: 2 of 5 stars
I had heard some good things about "The Post-Birthday World" and I know many people enjoyed it -- I just wasn't one of them. Entertainment Weekly named this the best book of 2007 and I am trying to understand why. One word that sums up the book for me is depressing.
First going in I had no idea there was a dual story line. Time Traveler's Wife jumping between years was played out in a clever manner but the jumping between the 2 story lines in Post-Birthday world often left me confused. It wasn't until nearly 300 pages in that I understood how the author was jumping between the story lines. And by that time the story grows old and I know what is going to happen. To tell the truth I actually skipped about 150 pages and never felt like I missed anything. I went back and skimmed the 150 pages I skipped initially but I was thankful I had skipped it.
The reason it isn't getting one star is because I felt the plot line is hashed out well although boring, predictable and long winded. The characters were well developed though I never liked them and couldn't wait to finally be done with the book to get away from them. And the author is obviously a good writer - good at prose but she goes on and on and talks about things that aren't needed or things that don't make me interested in the story.
It is a good concept for a book the dual storyline but this was executed in a way that made me happy to finally be returning the book to the library.
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