Mother

Rating:
Summary: underdeveloped characters
Review: Focusing on two characters, the author fails to develop either. They are neither likable nor compelling. Markedly similar, the two characters seem to more closely resemble two facets of the same person than individuals, leading the reader to wonder if the book is more autobiographical than fictional. Taking a superior attitude, the narrative suggests that the author is more interested in impressing the reader with his style and vocabulary than in telling his story.

Rating:
Summary: Coulda been worse...
Review: seems to me that we're not supposed to like these characters - so why are people complaining that they don't like them? The author has completed his mission by writing about two men with a lot on their minds, and they are both very honest about what and how they feel, which makes the book pretty dark sometimes, and if people don't like that then they should return to the ... that usually clutters bookstore shelves. This book was refreshing and made me think rather than just provide some sort of sappy escapism.

Rating:
Summary: Coulda been worse...
Review: seems to me that we're not supposed to like these characters - so why are people complaining that they don't like them? The author has completed his mission by writing about two men with a lot on their minds, and they are both very honest about what and how they feel, which makes the book pretty dark sometimes, and if people don't like that then they should return to the ... that usually clutters bookstore shelves. This book was refreshing and made me think rather than just provide some sort of sappy escapism.

Rating:
Summary: pedantic prose
Review: Unfortunately, what could have been a riviting excursion into the psyche of two characters whose mothers played overwhelming roles in their development, the book never seems to develop fully. The two men remain shadow figures, neither developed nor illuminated. The Mussolini's Ghost segment, while somewhat interesting, missed being funny. The heavy, pedantic approach to motherhood leaves one with the sense that both characters, and perhaps the author, are mysogynists.