The Angel's Game review

[alobear]

I had seen Shadow Of The Wind around and got the impression that its author, Carlos Ruiz Zafon, was one of those Booker shortlist types that might be worth looking into.  I picked up The Angel's Game for £1, on a Smith's special offer months ago, and finally got around to reading it this week.  Imagine my surprise when I discovered not a worthy piece of high literature, but a gothic thriller!  Sadly, the surprise wore off quite quickly, as I didn't find the plot or the protagonist particularly engaging.  It was reasonably well written and I made it all the way through its 500 pages without too much pain, but it was all a bit wibbly for my tastes, and sorely lacking in any kind of explanation.  This doesn't always bother me but, in this case, I wanted a bit more substance amongst all the creepy mystery.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

So you found out you're just a stupid snob. Big deal.

[alobear.livejournal.com]

I have no idea who you are or why you would randomly post on my LJ in order to insult me when you don't even know me. I also don't know why I feel the need to engage with your comment, when it demonstrates that you've completely misunderstood my point.

I read an awful lot more thrillers and fantasy books than I do Booker-type books, and generally enjoy them more. The problem I had with The Angel's Game wasn't its genre, but rather (in my opinion) its lack of an engaging plot or a sympathetic protagonist. I was actually pleasantly surprised when I started reading it and it wasn't what I had expected - it was only when it failed to hold my interest that I went off it.

I would probably agree that I am a snob in some respects, but I would not agree that I'm a stupid one. And I never claimed that my opinion of a book was a big deal. I am sure there are plenty of people out there who really enjoy Zafon's writing, and they are perfectly entitled to their opinion - in fact I envy them, as I would always rather enjoy a book than not.