The Bookman’s Tale by Charlie Lovett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
When I began reading this story I had no idea what it would be about and what exactly would be in store for me. Therefore, it seemed that every page and every chapter was another puzzle piece in my journey to solve the mystery of the book as well as the story being told. Generally speaking I enjoyed reading this story; however, I have a few minor points worth discussing that could have been accomplished differently.
Characters: I understand that the protagonist is a grieving husband and therefore might not be as stable as a person/character that is not emotionally exhausted and frail, but that was only the tip of the iceberg with respect to my confusion of the author’s decision to create him in such a manner. Throughout the story it become quite evident that, even though this character is socially awkward, he has no hesitation considering himself better than most other people in the story. This, I found, takes away from the sympathetic nature the author is aiming to achieve, as well as the overall quality of the story. The wife, as described by the husband throughout the story, is portrayed as almost saint-like. Obviously, this is part of the grieving process the husband goes through. I just began to grow very tired of reading about this superwoman, who had neither fault nor real personality. It felt like the author took this opportunity to create his ideal woman within the pages of this story.
Plot: I enjoyed the plot, the mystery and the intrigue very much. I had my suspicion about a few details, but overall the plot creation surpassed the character creation by a landslide.
Narration: My comments with respect to the narration will closely tie in with those of the character comments. As the narration was given from the perspective of the husband, it is impossible not to mention the amount of cheesiness that were included in the flashbacks that center around his wife. I found these to be overly done and had me fight an eye-roll here and there, rather than feeling sympathy and delight at reading the description of a great relationship.
It is remarkable and very interesting to read a story that lacks in character development and narration, but makes up for it with the plot. It is still a very good story and I recommend it to book lovers and mystery enthusiasts.
