I quite like Tessa Hadley but I found this book irritating. Billed as a tale of sisterly bonding I struggled to engage with them or their situation. Moira and Evelyn are sisters, Evelyn the younger studious one, Moira the older and more adventurous. They mislead their parents and head off to a party in a pub where they get talking to two men, who are apparently of little interest. And yet at the weekend they find themselves picked up and taken to a second gathering in a fancy, though somewhat down at heel, house, attended by the same men. Much of the description felt laboured and excessive and I was irritated by the unclear period of the book. It is set very vaguely 'post war' but the description of Evelyn's outfit felt more 1950s, or even 60s, but the music at the party is definitely not rock and roll... I keep reading things I don't care about, and feeling irritated with myself for a waste of reading effort. I am definitely in a slump. Started Birnham Wood by Eleanor Catton (who I have loved) but ...
I have stopped forcing myself to finish books I'm not enjoying. Took me awhile to get to that point though, so completly understand what you're going through. I've decided if by the 2nd or 3rd chapter I'm not into I send the book back to the library and get another one. But, luckily I've not needed to do that in awhile. I'm on the last book of a series right now, that I've really enjoyed so sorta sad to know this is the last one.
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