It’s been a little while since I have shared a book report. I’ve only read a couple books in the past month. I ended up swamped with work and reading fell to the wayside, but I am happy to be back in the saddle again. I just finished The Paris Wife by Paula McLain and wanted to share my thoughts with you.
So, where to begin? I truly want to tell you that I loved this book from beginning to end but that would be a lie. It’s just over 300 pages, and I didn’t get into it until I was 200 pages in. Another reason I haven’t shared a report is that this one took me forever to get through. Finally, I ordered a book I was dying to read because I knew if it was waiting for me I would be motivated to finish; and it worked. What also worked was that I posted on facebook and asked my friends if anyone had read it and if I should stick with it. A resounding number of people told me to keep going and that they recalled it starting slow for them, too. So I trudged onward!
When I selected this book, I had no idea what it was even about, but my mom had passed it onto me and I had heard good things. I picked it up off the shelf without a second thought and just started reading. As I read on it became clear that it was a fictional account of Ernest Hemingway’s first wife, Hadley’s factual and eventful life while married to him, told from her perspective. Although I was an English major and love many American authors, Hemingway was never one that I read, so I had to wikipedia him to find out more about his life. 😉
McLain writes beautifully, but it wasn’t enough to draw me into the character of Hadley. I was often times frustrated by her, and upset by the amount of alcohol consumed in this book… no wonder so many poor decisions were made. Finally around page 200, the book takes a turn and the Hemingways’ marriage starts to crumble. Through the wreckage we finally see how strong Hadley actually is and what she is really made of. At that point, I started to rally for her and wish her the best, and I wanted to see the book through to the end so I could see what became of her.
So where does all of this leave me with this book? Well, I am not sure I can recommend it, but perhaps if you are interested in Hemingway’s life, you’d find it interesting. And if you absolutely loved it beginning to end, I want to hear and I want to know what I was missing! Do tell!
And now, let me introduce you to the book that motivated me to finish The Paris Wife. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes arrived just this past week and I am already enjoying it and reading every chance I have again!
I will be sure to let you know my thoughts on it in my next book report. 🙂 Have you read anything great lately? Spill!
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