I am not quite sure what my overall opinion of this book is. By the end, I felt like I knew the characters intimately and had spent several decades working or living with them, but there is something missing. Much of the book reads like a history book, or perhaps a biography. There is some emotional element missing, leaving the reader a bit too detached. It was not one of those books "you can't put down", but I did find myself occasionally thinking about the characters now and then during my daily life, and wondering what would happen next.
I realize that Arthur Hailey was British and Canadian, but he neglected to create an authentic style of dialogue for his main characters, who are American. At first I chalked it up to the 1950's setting where the story begins (I was born in the 1960's, so that portion was before my time), but all of these American people were still using British expressions frequently ("I've a good idea", "we've several options", etc) by the 1980's in the story, which I found impossible to ignore. As a result, I felt removed from the conversation and annoyed at the distraction.
Some of the story takes place in England, and the dialogue among those characters flows beautifully.
When I finished the book, I thought, "So...?" I don't know what the point of the story was. I understand the lessons learned by the characters, but I feel like the book had no central plot.
I can't say, however, that I don't recommend the book. It was entertaining and, although it took a while to get to know the characters, I felt like I did get to know them well. Also, some of the characters experience transformations in personality or attitude over the years, which makes them seem true-to-life.
I realize that Arthur Hailey was British and Canadian, but he neglected to create an authentic style of dialogue for his main characters, who are American. At first I chalked it up to the 1950's setting where the story begins (I was born in the 1960's, so that portion was before my time), but all of these American people were still using British expressions frequently ("I've a good idea", "we've several options", etc) by the 1980's in the story, which I found impossible to ignore. As a result, I felt removed from the conversation and annoyed at the distraction.
Some of the story takes place in England, and the dialogue among those characters flows beautifully.
When I finished the book, I thought, "So...?" I don't know what the point of the story was. I understand the lessons learned by the characters, but I feel like the book had no central plot.
I can't say, however, that I don't recommend the book. It was entertaining and, although it took a while to get to know the characters, I felt like I did get to know them well. Also, some of the characters experience transformations in personality or attitude over the years, which makes them seem true-to-life.
