Eleanor and Park
May. 23rd, 2015 02:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alobearEleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell is a bit of a departure for me, in terms of audiobooks. I usually go for action/adventure for my listening choices, as they are more fun on the commute or at the gym, but I'm reading so little at the moment in terms of actual text that I've been adding new recommendations to my listening schedule rather than my book pile, as it's more likely I'll actually get round to them.
So, Eleanor and Park tells the story of two teenagers who meet on the school bus in the mid-1980s and gradually develop what becomes a rather intense relationship over the course of the school year. Very little actually happens in the book, but the characterisation is excellent, and the portrayal of teenage sensibilities very realistic. The narrative alternates in POV between Eleanor and Park, which is a neat device that allows the reader to gain insight into both sides of the relationship and see the characters both as they see themselves and as they see each other. It adds a great deal of depth and interest to the narrative, and works really well.
I think the book was initially recommended to me by John Green, so my experience of it was marred slightly by the continual expectation of incredible doom. The ending is actually a bit ambiguous and a bit nebulous, so I was left feeling rather as if the book tailed off without a proper conclusion. However, overall, I really enjoyed it, and I think Eleanor and Park are some of the most well-rounded characters I've come across in a while.
So, Eleanor and Park tells the story of two teenagers who meet on the school bus in the mid-1980s and gradually develop what becomes a rather intense relationship over the course of the school year. Very little actually happens in the book, but the characterisation is excellent, and the portrayal of teenage sensibilities very realistic. The narrative alternates in POV between Eleanor and Park, which is a neat device that allows the reader to gain insight into both sides of the relationship and see the characters both as they see themselves and as they see each other. It adds a great deal of depth and interest to the narrative, and works really well.
I think the book was initially recommended to me by John Green, so my experience of it was marred slightly by the continual expectation of incredible doom. The ending is actually a bit ambiguous and a bit nebulous, so I was left feeling rather as if the book tailed off without a proper conclusion. However, overall, I really enjoyed it, and I think Eleanor and Park are some of the most well-rounded characters I've come across in a while.
