Margaret Drabble

Seven Sisters seemed like an interesting book when I bought it, several months ago, but reading it was a slow and plodding process. The book is written as if it’s someone’s journal, at least for the first half, but Candida (the main character) suffers from Joyce Syndrome - sentences that go on Forever in a stream-of-consciousness sort of way.

The second half is (first) in journal style, but third person, (next) from another character’s pov, and (last) back in journal style again. None of this would be bad if the six other women in the book felt like distinct characters, but while they have names, and descriptions, there’s no sense of substance to any of them.

I know I’ve read other of Drabble’s work before, and thought I’d liked it, but reading this, I find it difficult to believe.

Marcelle Clements

On the surface Midsummer is the perfect summer read, the ideal beach book, a novel about a group of eccentric friends sharing a mansion for the summer.

Sadly, the characters are flat, and there is no reason for their friendship ever to have begun, let along continued. Their quirks seem interchangeable, their problems lack depth.

There are novels where a strong plot isn’t necessary because the characters are so vivid and real that spending time with them is a joy. This was NOT one of those novels.

Storm Front

Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden is a detective named after three magicians, which is appropriate, since he’s a wizard. Storm Front, the first novel in The Dresden Files, introduces us to Harry, who is a little bit snarky, a little bit romantic, and more than a little bit of a gentleman, despite his lack of finances.

The mystery is interesting, with a good balance of action and exposition, and the world - an alternative Chicago - is just enough like our own that it’s believable.

The overall tone? Sara Paretsky meets the Supernatural. I’m eager to read the rest of the series.