A Book Review by Dianne Bynum
I’m struggling with the rating for this book. It was fun and I enjoyed the characters but the writing really got it the way. I’ve read the expression, “This book could have used a good editor.” and I’ve never understood it until now. The plot was imaginative and interesting, the characters – quirky and fun, but I caught myself wishing that the book had ended long before it did. So many elements of the plot were spelled out so literally that I wanted to scream, “I get it!” Dante is the important but never present character in the book and it is obvious he’s revered by the author, Matthew Pearl. He didn’t miss a chance to glorify the man and his writing until the reader begins to tire of hearing his name. There are too many incidental characters that aren’t important to the story and they muddle the fun. I’ve been curious about Dante ever since reading Dan Brown’s Inferno but they’re both 3-star books. So “Abandon hope” if you enter this book, it’s not worth the trip.
Crooked Creek by Sue Mattingly 
I’ve found books like that and wish I could sit down with the writer and say, “Let’s cut out half these details; they’re slowing everything down.”
In fact, I started a book about a lady who inherits a property in Scotand from some long-lost relative she didn’t know existed. I abandoned it once, then decided I’ll just start where she gets to Scotland. Chapter NINE and she’s finally getting on the plane…sigh. Thinking of all the property description and relational details ahead, I gave up again.
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Poorly edited books tend to be unnecessarily distracting.
Stay safe!
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