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Thursday, January 26, 2012

Kind of a DNF

...sort of...

Have you ever run into this problem? I have a book here I couldn't wait to dive into. The book is:
In this wry take on the post-apocalyptic horror novel, a pandemic has devastated the planet. The plague has sorted humanity into two types: the uninfected and the infected, the living and the living dead.

Now the plague is receding, and Americans are busy rebuild­ing civilization under orders from the provisional govern­ment based in Buffalo. Their top mission: the resettlement of Manhattan. Armed forces have successfully reclaimed the island south of Canal Street—aka Zone One—but pockets of plague-ridden squatters remain. While the army has eliminated the most dangerous of the infected, teams of civilian volunteers are tasked with clearing out a more innocuous variety—the “malfunctioning” stragglers, who exist in a catatonic state, transfixed by their former lives.

Mark Spitz is a member of one of the civilian teams work­ing in lower Manhattan. Alternating between flashbacks of Spitz’s desperate fight for survival during the worst of the outbreak and his present narrative, the novel unfolds over three surreal days, as it depicts the mundane mission of straggler removal, the rigors of Post-Apocalyptic Stress Disorder, and the impossible job of coming to grips with the fallen world.

And then things start to go wrong.

Both spine chilling and playfully cerebral, Zone One bril­liantly subverts the genre’s conventions and deconstructs the zombie myth for the twenty-first century.
I wasn't going to do a post about this one, but I just know I'm not going to get back to this one any time soon if I put it off. I am calling this one a DNF but I am determined to get back to it at a later date (probably a long time from now). I decided to write up a bit about the book because I think after only reading a few pages, I'd have to say it is beautifully written. The descriptions are stunning and his voice is very lyrical. Unfortunately, it is also quite a bit slow in the beginning and despite the lyrical quality, it is hard to immediately connect to the main character.

I am still recommending it to those that love a well written book and do not mind the slowness in the way it starts. Others who just love horror books, I just want to caution you that even though it is a zombie book, it does not have that fast paced running feeling that a lot of those books have. Well, at least in the beginning. Oh and if you do a review of this book, definitely let me know how you feel about it. I want to know if I should have just stuck to it.

I think I just need to be in a mood for it. *sigh* I admit, I just didn't have the patience for it right now. Don't blame the book, blame the reader. Hopefully a better review will come later this year.
I received this book from the publisher and no compensation for my opinion was given.

Ever have a book strike you this way? Wonderfully written but hard to read?

Edit: It looks like a lot of us feel the same way. Sometimes I struggle through and sometimes not. I love that we all feel bad about it. Well... not about feeling bad about it, but that I'm not the only one! ;) ❤

26 comments:

  1. Yes, actually, this has happened to me before. There was Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness which had such a nice concept and was written quite well, but it was all just a bit flat to me somehow. I could never finish it...

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  2. Yes actually this happened to me about 2 weeks ago. I didn't post about the book because I know there are people out there that loved it from the beginning. I just put it away (actually I am giving it away but shhhhhh)

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  3. Yep, I had the same feeling with "Dust" by Joan Francis which I had to guest review for a friend of mine. Very slow, very gorey, but I managed to read it only to fall into a book slump. Hope your next book is better, Melissa!

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  4. Yes I have had a couple of them.. One of them was a hot mess of confusion so I stopped for my sanity.

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  5. Hm. Zombies are not my thing at all, they freak me out. So zombies + slow pace = Jenny Fail. This actually just happened to me with the same book Felicia is talking about. It wasn't bad my any means, I just couldn't get into it to save my life:)

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  6. I have had those and sometimes I just can't make it through at all, and then sometimes I just skim

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  7. Well, at least you are able to recognize when a book just isn't working for you. I can't tell you how many time I've forced myself through a book that just wasn't working for me. And Zombies... I like to watch them in movies or tv, but I have a hard time reading about them.

    P.S. That is one sexy lady holding the hammer!

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    1. Well, that's me!

      Okay, the part where I'm sucking my thumb after hammering something is the only part, but still... ;D

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  8. A bit slow on the up-take today, I'm still trying to figure out DNF.

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  9. MEL! I completely felt the same way about this one! I passed it on to Johnny to read for me!!! It was too... *something* for me. I don't know...

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  10. I'm sorry it didn't work for you. I always try to read a full book because I hope it'll improve. But I confess it happens for a whole series I had, it was well written too but maybe not for me.

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  11. It wasn't a DNF but because I forced myself to read it, I ended up disliking it quite a lot, which is a shame. It was Far North by Marcel Theroux.

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  12. Sometimes the book is just not what you think. I hate it when that happens.

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  13. Of course, the more lyrical, how much you might like it, the slower it reads, as it takes more time to understand it all.

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  14. Funniliy enough I just struggled to finish a book that I feel sure was worthy and original but I just never connect with it! I'm now trying to figure out what to write in the review as it really wasn't a book I enjoyed. But I felt like I should have!

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  15. I hate when this happens. I'll get a book that I really want to read but then I won't be able to get into it because I'm just now in the right mood for it. I hope that when you do go back to it, it will meet your expectations.

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  16. I have to say this is one of the nicest DNF reviews I've ever read. And I think many people should take tips from you on doing them. :) Thank you. It's not that the book is terrible, it's just not for you. Wonderfully done. :)

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  17. I just finished a book I was chomping at the bit to read...but it took me two months to finish because although it was different and unusual, it just wasn't that good. Well done, however, Melissa, in writing about your experience with this book.

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  18. I hate DNFing a book but since I started blogging I've gotten a bit better at it - as in, I will DNF the occasional book or two, which I basically never did before. There are just too many books I want to read to waste time on ones that aren't grabbing me. I think I've DNF two in the past year, one I have no interest in going back to, but the other I definitely plan on finishing... eventually. I just feel like such a failure if I DNF!

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  19. I know it is awful when that happens, you want to enjoy all your reads, but it's just not possible. Readers will respect you more for it, though - so don't worry too much. It can make you feel like a failiure, like Belle above says, but it's just part of the package of being a reviewer and to be honest, there will be others who like it... so chin up. Just like the authors, we cannot please everyone!

    Hugs

    Sassy
    x

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  20. I love zombie books, but they MUST be action-filled & very creepy. I like that running feeling. ;)

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  21. It sounds lovely, but I may have had a hard time with the slowness as well. And, don't feel bad, I have the same problem sometimes. I kind of feel like a failure, but there are just some books I can't finish and I'm so tired of trying to make myself. I just had to give up. We do the best we can. *sigh*

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  22. I used to not be able the DNF (oh dear, I almost wrote DTF.. curse you Jersey Shores). Once I started a book, I HAD to finish. But now, I realized that my mood often has a lot to do with how I feel while reading a book. This book does sound good though.

    Also, thanks for your comment on Missie's blog yesterday. I promise, my tarantula is a total sweetie :)

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  23. This sounds like a great read! I have felt the same way, with books beautifully written but had a hard time reading it. I hope you have the chance to finish this book, Melissa! :)

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  24. This sounds intriguing. Too bad you didn't like it much. I'm not one for slow pace either. Mood definitely affects how much you like a book. I've had a few DNFs the past few months too I always feel bad not finishing it. But why bother if you don't like it!?

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