by Erin Morgenstern
Much like a ship would struggle to navigate on a Starless Sea, this book failed to navigate a plot, a definitive antagonist, or meaningful character development...
While the intent seemed to pay homage to stories, fairy tales, and storytellers throughout history—a sentiment I appreciate—the main storyline was constantly interrupted by fragments of other tales, making it challenging to follow.
It also made it difficult to fully submerge into the fantasy world Morgenstern was creating. So many times, I almost gave up on this book, but I didn't. However, when I got to the end, I wished I had.
Morgenstern's poetic and descriptive writing style, undeniably beautiful, was both a saving grace and a contributing factor to the problem. When you compare how many paragraphs are spent describing rooms, antechambers, tunnels, ballrooms, etc., versus writing about an actual plot.
To be clear, I love BL stories. Unfortunately, the book allocated an excessive 50 pages to meticulously detail an underground library, while their fated connection received a mere one-line summary. ONE LINE!!
The only thing keeping me going through this amorphous poetic word discharge was the romance factor, and even that was entirely underwhelming. So, if you only want to read something aesthetically pleasing, this is your book.
The ironiest irony is that this IS a tribute to stories, their power, and their importance in our lives and human history. Yet, it lacks the traditional attributes of a cohesive narrative...you know, an actual storyline.
I can't wait to finish this post and return the book to the library. In fact, dropping it back into the returns slot will be the most satisfying part of my experience of The Starless Sea.
Comentarios