I wanted to love I am Charlotte Simmons. It was a birthday gift from ksl because she loved it. I love books and I adore getting them as presents. Except, I did not love I am Charlotte Simmons.
I found it laborious to read and actively disliked all the characters. A 752 novel that feels like homework about people I despise is not what I expected. I read Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test while in college and it blew my mind. Maybe my expectations were too high. If I had bought this for myself I would have stopped reading it by page 150. I finally got caught in some momentum around page 600.
Charlotte never transformed enough to like. She is annoying in the same way a friend's 13-year-old neighbor is. Her concerns are so trivial or self-focused that I mentally shoo her away like a fly. To focus on her too long makes me want to shake her by the shoulders to knock some sense into her. This is not a mental state I volunteer for.
The only redeemed character is Jojo. Still dumb as a box of rocks, but finally self-aware and taking hopeful actions. I guess I want more than just one positive when I spend that long reading a book.
I was also aware during all the Charlotte chapters that I was reading a teenage girl written by an old man. I've read many believable women characters written by men, but Mr. Wolfe kept me at arm's length throughout. I never really let go and disappeared into this book.
nooo : (
I loved the book. Not the character, though. I got completely swept up in the story and thought TW did a great job. Did you like Bonfire of the Vanities? Tons of people likes that one, and I couldn't get into it.
Posted by: Karen | Thursday, November 09, 2006 at 08:31 PM