( 4 reviews )
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Posted: Jan 6 2006
Having enjoyed some of the author's previous novels, I found Pure Poetry to be very disappointing. The story centers around the main character who is incredibly annoying and doesn't seem to ever get it. She is not likable, nor is she even interesting. When the reader does not care one whit about what happens to the main character in a character-driven novel lacking any cohesive plot, the result is a mess. I recommend A Disturbance in One Place instead; that is a much more enjoyable read.
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( 2 of 2 found this review helpful ) Posted: Dec 16 2001
I found Binnie Kirshenbaum's latest novel disappointing. Having read (and loved) her previous novels, I really wanted to like this one. Unfortunately that didn't happen. The main character, Lila, is annoying and unlikeable. It's hard to care about what happens to her because she's so immature. I actually found myself rooting for her family and was happy with the ending, even though I don't think that's the author's intention. A short story with an annoying main character can work, but in a novel it's excruciating. Lila is witty and somewhat interesting, but these qualities are overshadowed by her pettiness. I don't care how badly her family treats her. I agree with other reviewers in that the poetry seems to be slapped on. I found the definitions at the beginning of each chapter irrelevant. I felt the same way about the ghosts. They pulled me out of the narrative and detracted from the plot. Lila bares great resemblance to characters from Ms. Kirshenbaum's previous books, she's sexually charged and slightly raunchy. That in itself doesn't make an original, interesting character. The scene with the blood (slightly altered) appeared in a previous work. This makes me feel like I'm reading the same story over again, but with an unlikely plot and a disappointing character. That said, Ms. Kirshenbaum is skillful with dialogue, and the story is seriously funny in places. Laugh out loud funny. But in the end, that's not enough.
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( 2 of 4 found this review helpful ) Posted: Sep 24 2001
Disappointing.....the author desperately needs some Vitamin P (for Prozac) in her morning coffee....petty, mean-spirited, and not too bright....the heroine (??) screws up her life over and over....and does not seem to learn from the experience....what a downer.......
