Learwife

DNF after 25%. This was just a diarrhea of words vomited up on a page. I found it utterly impenetrable. The whole thing meanders pointlessly without a real semblance of purpose. I get the concept - a retelling of a classic from the viewpoint of an absent (female) character. But this does not really do that. It's setting after the end of the a pretty apocalyptic play means it doesn't really have any retelling to do and what plot it could have generated it doesn't even attempt instead favouring an overly flowery style that screams pretentiousness without even attempting to explore the potential ideas it promises. The stuff it does add feel contrived. A first husband (named Michael of all things)? Banishment to an abbey without any real explanation as to why?

The antithesis of what I want in a book. I'm sure there are people who love this type of meandering explorations of descriptive prose, but i am not one. I just can't get behind the lack of purpose behind it, the lack of plot.