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Strangers At The Feast (2010)

by Jennifer Vanderbes(Favorite Author)

3.51 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

1439166951 (ISBN13: 9781439166956)

languge

English

genre

Fiction

publisher

Scribner

review 1: The format of the storytelling is rather unique. Initially I wasn't sure if I liked it, but it turned out to be a great way to tell the story. Each chapter is told from the perspective of one of the characters, and it may be about present day events or a memory of the past. To me the book examines both family and loneliness and family and togetherness. It's a good, quick read that isn't necessarily easy on the heart, however.
review 2: The first two thirds is back story. I thought it would never end. The last third livens up a bit thank goodness but this came very close to being unfinished business. It reads like a first novel, the one that doesn't get up but rids you of the demons of overwriting and verbosity. There are a lot of very fashionable feminist soft ... moreleft ideas and the requisite self loathing you come to expect from what publishers appear to think is literature. The author does bring it together sort of at the end but I couldn't help thinking this was an early manuscript that was dusted off and finished to satisfy a book deal. Most of the book is an absolute indulgence of information that progresses the story not one jot. Had a first timer submitted this I doubt the publisher would have read past chapter one. It's not badly written, it just makes so many of the mistakes publishers scream at writers to avoid. If you love the detail and exposition and useless information that is designed to show off the author's worldliness rather than move the story forward you'll love this. The dialogue was a problem for me as well. less

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