Vinegar Hillby A. Manette Ansay
240 pages
First Sentence:
In the gray light of the kitchen, Ellen sets the table for supper, keeping the chipped plate back for herself before lowering the rest in turn.
After her husband becomes unemployed, Ellen's family of 4 moves in with her in-laws, a manipulative and abusive couple. There are secrets in this family that are chilling. These secrets have destroyed each member of the family either directly or indirectly. As the women in the story attempt to better their lot in life the church is always there to guilt them back into their dark, oppressive corners. How will they ever find solace?
I read the book, which had been sitting on my bookself, upon the review of Puss Reboots who says "I come away hating the book but loving the author's story telling". I hated the book and didn't find the writing worth the desent into this Midwestern Hell. I want the book out of my house ASAP. It's a definite do not recommend.
6 comments:
I'm glad you wrote "do not" recommend. It was sounding pretty interesting for a minute there.
Thanks for the link. Sorry you didn't like the book. At least now it will free up some shelf space for a better book. :D
I agree! I read this earlier in the year before I was blogging, so I don't have anything typed up about it, but I thought it was depressing and ultimately (and gratefully) forgettable. I don't know anyone else who has read it or heard of it (picked it up at a booksale at random), and I don't recommend it either. Blah!! :)
Kimmie-I didn't find it interesting at all, just mind-numbingly depressing with spurts of disgusting here and there.
Puss-I hope to replace it with The Princess Bride, a much better(and happier) story by far.
Trish-I'm glad you found it forgettable. Fortunately it was graphic. That would have put me over the edge.
I just found your blog listed at A Fondness For Reading. I started this book years ago, and quit pretty soon. Awful. It is so refreshing to read someone criticizing a book such as this. So often, I think, we readers are meant to think that the more disturbing the subject matter, the better the book. I love how you said you want to get it out of the house. That has happened to me a couple of times. I couldn't take it away soon enough. It was like it was polluting my life and space. Do you know the Beverly Cleary Ramona story where she is scared of a gorilla (?) book and has to hide it under a pillow?
Nan, I hate writing negative reviews because I'm don't want to offend people but I feel like I'm cheating some readers if I don't review it honestly. Some people may want to know that this book sucks. Your description of the more disturbing the subject matter, the better the book idea is what I have come to expect from Oprah books; but every once in a while I give them another try to see if things have changed. They haven't. LOL about Ramona. Actually I've never read a Ramona book, or even a Cleary book. Shocking huh? I appreciate your leaving a comment. Now I can visit your site too.
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