Take a photo of a barcode or cover
swimlaurie's review
1.0
I liked the other book I read by Schlink, The Reader, but this one was NOT of the same caliber. True, I read it in a day, but it was too cold to leave the house and I didn't have anything better to do! No likable, or really even believable, characters, kind of boring. Some good scenery descriptions. One female character and 3 men, and a couple bit parts to round it out. Love triangle +1 (the patsy narrator who needs to get a life - or maybe live the one he's too stiff to realize he has). Ugh.
sdecoste's review against another edition
2.0
A painting of a lovely woman, completely naked, descending a staircase, completely entrances a young lawyer, who is even more entranced when he is asked to render his services (legal) to said (fully clothed) woman. He dreams of a life with her, but she has other ideas and disappears, along with the painting. Fast forward some twenty years and, lo and behold, the painting turns up in a museum in Australia. The woman must be found! Billed as a novel of love, desire, longing and mystery, it nonetheless falls fatally flat in both story and characterization. Written by the author of The Reader, I had expected so very much more. So sorry, I was so sadly disappointed.
geeky_erin's review against another edition
2.0
This book's cover caught my eye and I decided to read it since The Reader stuck with me for such a long time. Unfortunately, this one was disappointing to me. The story is rife with regrets, but my hearty dislike of all the characters kept it from being poignant or memorable.
librosamo's review against another edition
3.0
It had a lot of potential in the first part of the book - a missing painting, a mysterious woman involved with three different men for varying reasons...but it never reached its full potential. Once into the second and third parts, I struggled to see the point of continuing the book.
sabine4242's review against another edition
2.0
I almost gave this one star because I actually couldn't finish it... which says a lot given how short it is and how close I got to the end. In theory I should put it on my abandoned shelf, but I read enough that I feel the need to rate it in my bookshelves. I don't think I even realized until after I gave up on it that it is the same author as "The Reader," which I really liked.
Maybe it was the narrator, but while the middle was interesting, much of the book was the kind of men philosophizing on the meaning and art and life in a pompous and ponderous manner that turns me off, and the narrator was in general arrogant and unlikeable. The three men treated the central woman as an object of acquisition, and she was only half fleshed out all the way through. There was a sweet and imaginative streak in the third part, but even that couldn't keep me going and I rarely give up on books that far in. I'm sure it has an audience, but it definitely isn't me.
Maybe it was the narrator, but while the middle was interesting, much of the book was the kind of men philosophizing on the meaning and art and life in a pompous and ponderous manner that turns me off, and the narrator was in general arrogant and unlikeable. The three men treated the central woman as an object of acquisition, and she was only half fleshed out all the way through. There was a sweet and imaginative streak in the third part, but even that couldn't keep me going and I rarely give up on books that far in. I'm sure it has an audience, but it definitely isn't me.
stinedudda's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
columba_livia's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
agmaynard's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Looks at possessiveness and would-be possessiveness of Irene by three different men, as well as ownership of the painting of which she was a model. The young lawyer once was fascinated by her, and many years later finds her again and helps at the end, despite his many years of remoteness and detachment with all others, whether family or associates. Perhaps he will find forgiveness for himself. I found it moving and beautiful.
decoachwife's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25