On Reading Winman

Recently, I finished reading When God was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman. That she was an actress too, was something that we found out when we featured a quote from the book on Boohkad’s 100 Quotes from 100 Books. That the first half was thoroughly engaging was expressed in my Sprinkled Sentiments post. That I toiled to finish the second half, is something that no one knows, so this post will be testimony to that.

Why that Part 2, I ask? Why, at all? Why do I need to know anything about what happened when Elly grew up if she was going to be that unprepared for being herself. I must admit we’re all unprepared for being ourselves, but Elly darling you were such a fantastic kid! Why did Winman make the second half of the book such a tiresome read is beyond me. All she needed to do was publish Part 1, and we could compare Elly with Scout. After that Part 2, sorry, not happening!

Also, the book – in one word – is fragmented. There are more loose ends in this book than open shoelaces on children’s feet. It’s a hyperbole, but you get the drift. The book needed to dive, and plummet into the depths of the enigmatic woman that that wonderful child became. Alas! Nothing of that sort happened. I shall vent more of my displeasure on the Bookhad book review, so i will quickly say what I came here to say.

After a point, there is no purpose for reading the book, and the fact that it ends in staggered closure is more of an apology than anything else. The innate need for closure is so compelling that there is frustration when endings are not sewn up together, but with this book, I hurried to get done with it. So, here’s what I have to say – If you’re not James Joyce, you won’t know how to leave endings as if you didn’t care a hoot about the reader. Even life can’t do open endings the way Joyce can. So, don’t even try.

P.S.:
1. Part 1 is fantastic. Let’s not take away all her glory.
2. Must go and read some Joyce.