This book left me wanting and a bit disappointed. The story is interesting for sure, but the final product leaves a lot to be desired, especially as far as the writer’s style is concerned.
The book tells the story of the Grail, which has been recounted in many different ways. Labyrinth offers its own take and it is quite ingenious and original, almost plausible, so definitely a step up from like Raiders of the Lost Ark, which saw the Grail as what we all think of, the cup of Christ from the Last Supper, which gives eternal life to all who drink from it.
I won't spoil what the Grail is in Labyrinth of course but I will say that the story follows two heroines in two timelines.
I liked the events occurring in both and the unfolding of the plot is well laid out by the author, and yet, I was not a fan of all her literary flourishes. She clearly loves France and the towns described in the book, but she often gets lost in needless detailed descriptions of streets, lampposts, benches, storefronts, hats, clothes, trees, rivers, clouds, etc… I got the feeling that she strived to paint a picture for the reader as if we were there with the characters, but it is just too much and too long winded. So many times I was thinking, "Alright, I got it, now let's move on with the plot please."
I still remember a whole description of the area surrounding one character's apartment that must have been several pages long on paper (almost half a chapter it seemed) and was ultimately useless to the plot. That kind of detour is not really my thing in a book.
The other issue I had was with the (blessedly) few head-shaking moments when I would go, "Come on, how is she not seeing that!" or "Well, that would never happen in reality…"
Unfortunately, those negative aspects would bring down the level of any work and that is a pity because, like I said, the basic idea and the general construct are solid for sure, so much so that I started reading another book by Ms. Moss that I own.
Grade: 6
No comments:
Post a Comment