This book was my second Book of the Month pick (January). I was disappointed in my options for January, and thought this one was my best bet. It was not. After December’s pick/review, I wondered if I generally rated all of my books too high, because there’s rarely a book I can’t find at least something good in. Then, alas, Red Clocks did the unimaginable, and it’s one redeeming quality was simply that I made it all the way through a book that was 100% a challenge for me.
Book 4
Red Clocks
by Leni Zumas
Genre:
Literary Fiction
Published:
January 2018
Synopsis According to Mandi:
Without spoilers, Red Clocks is about five women in different stages of life who are, in some way, affected by newly formed government regulations relating to pregnancy, adoption and parenthood.
Favorite Quote:
Acceptance, thinks the biographer, is the ability to see what is. But also to see what is possible.
― Leni Zumas, Red Clocks
Awards (based upon my brief research):
A New York Times Editor’s Choice
An Amazon Best Book of the Month
An Indie Next Pick
One of Wall Street Journal’s Twelve Books to Read This Winter
An Esquire most anticipated book of 2018
An Elle Best Book of Winter
A Popsugar most anticipated book of Fall
A Ploughshares most anticipated book of Fall
A Nylon Best Book of the Month
One of Publishers Weekly’s most anticipated titles of Fall 2017
Pages:
356
My Overall Rating:
1 – On a scale of 1 to 5, I would only give less than a one if I didn’t finish a book, so… at least I finished. I chose this book because it said “dystopian” and it was related to pregnancy/adoption laws. I knew it would be a challenge for me. My fear before reading it was that it would be similar to The Handmaid’s Tale, which is a phenomenal book, and that it wouldn’t be as good, so I would therefore be disappointed. However, it was nothing like The Handmaid’s Tale. Instead, it was 351 pages of vulgarity and confusion. I felt uncomfortable with the repetitively, freely used anatomical language and I struggled to see a plot until I was a little over half way through. In my opinion, that’s not ok.
That being said, I would not recommend this book. I realize people love it (it’s only been out for a month and it’s won several awards and has very high ratings), but I’m apparently not on the same page as most critics. This book is for the literary adventurous, a group I would claim to be a part of, but a group who’s willing to read books they will hate for the sake of a new experience.
I feel slightly guilty for talking you into this one. That being said, I am glad I did not pick that one. 🙂
Lol – not your fault. It was a learning experience. What did I learn? That next time I’ll use my skip. Hahahaha