WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?

I rarely give up on books. Partly I think, because I realise how hard those damned things are to get published...therefore a LOT of people have had faith in the work. Believed in it so much that it was in fact put out in print. But last night, after half way through, I just couldn't go on.

I had no idea what the story was about.

There were generations involved..okay....there was some time slipping into various unknown universes, perhaps parallel...who knows. But then there was this thing, well actually two of them and they lived in this place.  As you can tell I had NO IDEA WHATSOEVER what was going on.

Perhaps I was reading too much into it  reading it wrong. But how can you? Surely it's up to the writer to take me, the reader, on a journey.

Last weekend my girl turned 30 (do children know that the older they get, the older it makes us!). For her shindig she wanted a relaxed boho Moroccan inspired event. Relaxed...with my girl this means spreadsheets and days, weeks almost months of thought and planning. Anyway, after a few borrowed items, a few bought, and quite a few jaunts to op shops for various bits and bobs....

This is what she came up with.

The theme definitely all came together.

It was fun...it looked great...

and more importantly, you knew what you were getting into. (especially the drinks)

It just goes to show that with a bit of thought, and some planning....

it all comes together.

With an amazing cake.

So why can't writers do this? Have an idea, a concept, a theme, and stick to it. The above mentioned book was a bit out of my usual reading style, BUT the blurb caught me. I was intrigued. I wanted to know how this would work. It takes a good writer to move back and forth in time successfully...but to also travel horizontally if you will, into other universes I think needed a very skilled writer.

Yet still I was willing to take a gamble and read on. Hoping that things would become clear. But when it came to thing ?  and thing ? and place ? , I became totally lost and had no idea what was happening. Let alone what they were, where they were, and more importantly how it all related.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for authors experimenting and trying new styles and mixing genres and traditional structure with out there scenarios. But you have to take me with you.

Isn't that a writer's job? Take the reader somewhere they hadn't expected? Show them something new, not necessarily exciting, but to show the world in a way they hadn't seen before?

I'm afraid I was totally lost. And after reading half way through the book I couldn't go on. Maybe I should have persevered but there are always more books ready to be read.

I'll end with a photo of my gorgeous girl, looking forward to what the 30's will throw her way.

Vicki