I finished The Strain yesterday, and to be honest, I am not looking forward to The Fall.
I think for a 14 hour round trip to Annapolis, this was a good book on tape. I didn't have to think too much about what was going on in the story, but it kept me engaged. I am not sure that reading The Fall will do it for me, I don't feel invested in any of the characters (I don't care what happens).
Fellow bloggers, please let me know what I am missing (or just tell me to realign my expectations).
My guess is that your indifference has more to do with expectations - it's unlikely you are missing anything.
ReplyDeleteIf you really aren't feeling the Strain, there is nothing about the Fall - specifically - that is going to entice you. It's the continuation of a story in which you already don't appear interested.
I guess, what might be worth trying to sell you on, is reading the Fall instead of listening to it. I'm not sure this will persuade you, but, what's nice about reading (as opposed to listening to) the continuation of this story is that a) reading is faster than listening, and b) because it's not terribly complicated, you can still read and enjoy in small pieces.
If I recall correctly, listening to the Strain took somewhere between 9 and 13 or so hours. Though you may not complete the book in a couple of days, like during your drive, ultimately reading the Fall will take less time. So, you know, for a busy guy with a family who has to travel a lot, the Fall might actually be a decent read: you'll be able to read it in small installments and still finish it relatively quickly.
The Fall is not, and doesn't try to be anything other than entertaining. What it may lack in academic literary value though, it makes up for in readability and entertainment value. Let's get it under our belt, let's discuss it - which should be fun and amusing - and let's move on to book 2.
I argue that this straightforward book is a great starting point for our book review and discussion. Then, we take into consideration for the next book, our impressions and opinions of the book we've just completed. Perhaps after the Fall, we'll all be ready for something a but more nuanced.
Incidentally, I'll be ready for the next book by tomorrow. I've got 90% left of the Fall... Chris, if you really aren't felling this, prepare to recommend the next book. I am ready for it. Max, where are you at?
It's not great literature. There's very little character development. These zombie and vampire books are interesting as pulp, but also as an interesting commentary, in some cases, on culture and society. I don't remember how good a job The Strain did on the latter count, but the vampires were pretty cool. Ultimately, I suppose that if you're not into vampires, these may not be books for you.
ReplyDeleteI finished Hornet's Nest last night, so my comprehensive review of the three Stieg Larsson books is forthcoming.
I am into True Blood Vampires...I know the fall deals more with the Vampires, the Strain seemed like a zombie book (I like Vampires not Zombies)
ReplyDeleteI will give it a shot.
What do you guys think about reading the new jonathan franzen, Oprah recommends!