I haven't found a book I loved this much in quite a while! Firstly, here is the link to the GoodReads page for the book 'The End of Alice' by A.M. Homes for your perusal. I first came across this book when reading an interview of Lena Dunham who compared the book to 'Lolita' by Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov (hopefully I didn't butcher that!). Now, 'Lolita' is one of my favourite books/movies so whenever someone compares a book to 'Lolita' I drop everything and find that book! 'The End of Alice' was hard to track down; I visited 8 book stores and ended up having to order it in, which took a month as it had to come from the suppliers. Let me tell you, it was worth it! A. M. Homes is a literary genius! I am now reading 'May We Be Forgiven' by her and *sigh* it's just beautiful. Enough fan-girling…
I probably should haven mentioned this, (you would be aware of this if you know of/have read 'Lolita') but this book is definitely not for everyone!!! Here is the GoodReads explanation: "Only a work of such searing, meticulously controlled brilliance could provoke such a wide range of visceral responses. Here is the incredible story of an imprisoned pedophile who is drawn into an erotically charged correspondence with a nineteen-year-old suburban coed. As the two reveal -- and revel in -- their obsessive desires, Homes creates in The End of Alice a novel that is part romance, part horror story, at once unnerving and seductive." It was quite hard for me to get into the book through the first few chapters but I promise you, once you get past chapter 3 it's compelling. It's the kind of book that I couldn't put down. In fact, I read it twice (consecutively) because I wasn't ready to finish the book.
I became aware, when talking to friends in the Book-Blogging world, that this is quite a controversial read (as is 'Lolita'). This is because, on one hand the book is written absolutely beautifully and the construction of sentences and word placements are just enthralling however, the actual content of the novel is not beautiful. In fact, it is almost completely opposite and without giving too much away I can't really explore that more in depth.
This isn't necessarily a review but more a highly recommended suggestion. I don't feel I could review this book whilst doing it justice without giving the content of the novel away. My advice: read the book, decide your opinion of the novel and it's contents and then read the comments on the GoodRead page.
Happy Reading!!
- Emma xo
I probably should haven mentioned this, (you would be aware of this if you know of/have read 'Lolita') but this book is definitely not for everyone!!! Here is the GoodReads explanation: "Only a work of such searing, meticulously controlled brilliance could provoke such a wide range of visceral responses. Here is the incredible story of an imprisoned pedophile who is drawn into an erotically charged correspondence with a nineteen-year-old suburban coed. As the two reveal -- and revel in -- their obsessive desires, Homes creates in The End of Alice a novel that is part romance, part horror story, at once unnerving and seductive." It was quite hard for me to get into the book through the first few chapters but I promise you, once you get past chapter 3 it's compelling. It's the kind of book that I couldn't put down. In fact, I read it twice (consecutively) because I wasn't ready to finish the book.
I became aware, when talking to friends in the Book-Blogging world, that this is quite a controversial read (as is 'Lolita'). This is because, on one hand the book is written absolutely beautifully and the construction of sentences and word placements are just enthralling however, the actual content of the novel is not beautiful. In fact, it is almost completely opposite and without giving too much away I can't really explore that more in depth.
This isn't necessarily a review but more a highly recommended suggestion. I don't feel I could review this book whilst doing it justice without giving the content of the novel away. My advice: read the book, decide your opinion of the novel and it's contents and then read the comments on the GoodRead page.
Happy Reading!!
- Emma xo
