Big Little Lies
It's always interesting when a story gets as much hype as Big Little Lies has over the past year. There's always a chance that it won't live up to it. Then again, these things are often receiving all that attention for a reason, and they're usually worth checking out. The trick is to time it so that you're expectations match up with reality.
This time, it worked. I loved this book. I read it so much faster than I expected to, partly because I couldn't put it down and partly because it was just that easy to read. The story opens as a murder mystery, but the mystery is doubled. Not only do you not know who the killer is, you don't know who the victim is. The book then rewinds six months to plot out all the events leading up to the murder.
Full disclosure: I went into this book knowing who would die. I had a pretty good idea who the killer was (I ended up being wrong, actually). But that didn't detract from the experience at all. On the contrary, the anticipation added to my enjoyment (I really hated the victim). More than that, I've never been particularly spoiler-averse. If knowing what happens ruins a book, then I don't think it was that good of a book to begin with (or movie or tv show or play or what have you). These things should stand up to repeated readings, and that means that there needs to be more than a twist to get you through it.
And there was so much more here than a surprise twist. The three main characters are all delightful in their own ways. They're so different, yet they find enough in common to form rock-solid friendships. I was particularly drawn to Madeline, which surprised me. In real life, I'm not sure I could stand her. But seeing her inner mind made her a lot more sympathetic, and made me realize that I actually have a surprising amount in common with her.
I also loved all the politics of the school moms, which I read with a mix of delight and horror. It won't be that long before I'm right in the middle of those same things. I can only hope that I'll find a way to care the proper amount, and let the things that don't matter slide off me.
This was a fantastic introduction to Liane Morairty, and I'll probably search her out in the future when I want something quick and engaging to read. I'm so glad I got on the hype train this time around.
This time, it worked. I loved this book. I read it so much faster than I expected to, partly because I couldn't put it down and partly because it was just that easy to read. The story opens as a murder mystery, but the mystery is doubled. Not only do you not know who the killer is, you don't know who the victim is. The book then rewinds six months to plot out all the events leading up to the murder.
Full disclosure: I went into this book knowing who would die. I had a pretty good idea who the killer was (I ended up being wrong, actually). But that didn't detract from the experience at all. On the contrary, the anticipation added to my enjoyment (I really hated the victim). More than that, I've never been particularly spoiler-averse. If knowing what happens ruins a book, then I don't think it was that good of a book to begin with (or movie or tv show or play or what have you). These things should stand up to repeated readings, and that means that there needs to be more than a twist to get you through it.
And there was so much more here than a surprise twist. The three main characters are all delightful in their own ways. They're so different, yet they find enough in common to form rock-solid friendships. I was particularly drawn to Madeline, which surprised me. In real life, I'm not sure I could stand her. But seeing her inner mind made her a lot more sympathetic, and made me realize that I actually have a surprising amount in common with her.
I also loved all the politics of the school moms, which I read with a mix of delight and horror. It won't be that long before I'm right in the middle of those same things. I can only hope that I'll find a way to care the proper amount, and let the things that don't matter slide off me.
This was a fantastic introduction to Liane Morairty, and I'll probably search her out in the future when I want something quick and engaging to read. I'm so glad I got on the hype train this time around.
Comments
Post a Comment