Review: How should a person be?

Hardback: £ 16.99

Publisher: Harvill Secker

The whole book infuriates me! Half of the book I despised and half of it absorbed me, totally entranced me. WHAT THE HELL IS IT WITH THIS BOOK? I found the narrative parts to be detestable, it made me feel sorry for the author, she has no life, no sense of identity, no sense of independence, no sense of self worth. It made me angry at her for being so self obsessed and thinking the reader would care. Yet, when it came to the script/transcription/play like passages I was enthralled. The construction of what appeared a play about women within a book which is basically bitching about Heti's inability to write a play about women is wonderful. Her struggle to find out who she is and why she should be like it is far more acceptable, understandable and believable in the play passages. I wish the whole book had been like that.

The narrative passages seem gratuitous. They feel contrived and staged and scripted like some poor drama that is about nothing at all. It is how arty people speak and discuss when you see a caricature on the TV. Yet, when the transcribed passages come around, I can imagine the scene and the staging and the people, it should be a play. I would see that play. It all seems far more genuine and more real. It is crazy how the entire thing evokes such different emotions from me. It is like two books in one! One that I don't want to read and on I can't wait to read. The Judaism section with Solomon was particularly wonderful to read! So real!

The one overall feature that made me mad was Israel. I hate him...I actually hate that man!

I want to know what other people think about this book....not real critics, not people who 'have' to like it, just normal people who read it. I also want people to read it as I want to see how it makes them feel. I am glad I have read this book as I didn't realise I could feel this torn. I really don't know if I loved this or hated it!

ARRRRRRRGH!!!
Book Geek
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