sphinx reviewed on 12/26/2015 + 97 more book reviews

I didn't enjoy this nearly as much as Ms. Simmonds's later work, Tamara Drewe. I didn't find any of the characters to be likable or appealing, so I wasn't invested in any of their fates. I struggled to page 80 and then skimmed the rest.

The artwork and writing are skilful enough (very nice, in fact), but the story is shallow. The characters don't seem to have much insight into themselves and are just sort of flailing around helplessly trying to find moments of pleasure in a confusing world, and casually using one another as a result. They are the sort of people I would avoid if they were real. None of them really has a purpose in life, or a passion.

I think part of the problem was that this was an adaptation of a famous novel into a much shorter/simpler form, so whatever nuance there is in the original was lost in the transmogrification. I haven't read Madame Bovary, so I cannot say for sure.

Others may find this book enjoyable as a bit of very light/casual reading, but I didn't appreciate the lack of depth. 2.5 stars.

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