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Teresa's Reviews > One Good Turn
One Good Turn (Jackson Brodie, #2)
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(Probably more of a 3 and 1/2 stars rating)
Though I'm technically giving the two Brodie novels I've read the same amount of stars, I liked the first one (Case Histories) more, mostly (I think) for what seemed more like 'realism' than what's found in this sequel.
Atkinson's sly, ironic humor is still in full force, maybe even more so with her characters' commentaries on their own reality versus that of 'real' fiction. I was bothered by two events being concealed (perhaps this is one reason I don't generally read murder mysteries), though I thought the big, surprising reveal at the end was great. For me to disclose one of those two concealed events would be a spoiler, but the other (the existence of a third backed-up copy of a character's novel) seemed to serve no purpose.
The setting of Edinburgh in August was fun. I could envision my 1993 trip there -- unlike Brodie, I attended the Tattoo but none of the Fringe events; like Brodie, I felt I knew the Royal Mile after one day. The meandering, easygoing rendering of the characters' thoughts was extremely well-done; but the style of multiple, complete sentences being joined by just commas was distracting. For me, this novel could've been called the case of the missing semicolons.
Though I'm technically giving the two Brodie novels I've read the same amount of stars, I liked the first one (Case Histories) more, mostly (I think) for what seemed more like 'realism' than what's found in this sequel.
Atkinson's sly, ironic humor is still in full force, maybe even more so with her characters' commentaries on their own reality versus that of 'real' fiction. I was bothered by two events being concealed (perhaps this is one reason I don't generally read murder mysteries), though I thought the big, surprising reveal at the end was great. For me to disclose one of those two concealed events would be a spoiler, but the other (the existence of a third backed-up copy of a character's novel) seemed to serve no purpose.
The setting of Edinburgh in August was fun. I could envision my 1993 trip there -- unlike Brodie, I attended the Tattoo but none of the Fringe events; like Brodie, I felt I knew the Royal Mile after one day. The meandering, easygoing rendering of the characters' thoughts was extremely well-done; but the style of multiple, complete sentences being joined by just commas was distracting. For me, this novel could've been called the case of the missing semicolons.
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Reading Progress
March 11, 2014
– Shelved
March 11, 2014
–
2.55%
""The world inside his head was so much better than the world outside his head. Scones, homemade black-currant jam, clotted cream.""
page
11
Started Reading
March 15, 2014
–
Finished Reading
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Dolors
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Mar 16, 2014 03:02PM
Heh, maybe Atkinson read some poems by Dickinson before she started writing and got lost with punctuation! :)
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Ha! :) For Emily, it could be "the case of the multiple dashes."
The case of the missing semicolons, Teresa - that's funny!
I have not read this book yet, but think I will put it on my list. Loved your review! "The case of the missing semicolons" - HA.
Thanks, Fionnuala and Carol! I don't think there was one semicolon in the whole book: of course, that I noticed that says volumes about me. ;)
Terrific review, Teresa! (semicolons and all!)
Thanks, Barbara! Semicolons may not be aesthetically pleasing, but I love them. ;)
I appreciate your lukewarm response on this one. You say you "don't generally read murder mysteries", but I don't read these as such. All I can do is encourage you to read the next two, which somehow pulled 5 stars out of me.
Michael wrote: "All I can do is encourage you to read the next two, which somehow pulled 5 stars out of me."I definitely will, Michael. I remember your saying somewhere that they get even better as they go on and there was enough here for me not to give up on Brodie.
Atkinson's first novel and last novel were 5-star reads for me.
Now you are ready to read Saramago....
Kalliope wrote: "Now you are ready to read Saramago...."I've read him. :) Four of his books, so far, all pre-GR though. For some reason his use of punctuation (or should I say lack of) didn't bother me.
Teresa wrote: "Kalliope wrote: "Now you are ready to read Saramago...."I've read him. :) Four of his books, so far, all pre-GR though. For some reason his use of punctuation (or should I say lack of) didn't bo..."
True, one gets into a sort of rhythm in his writing, even with no punctuation.
