Donna Tartt's The Little Friend is doing the trick for me right now. The writing isn't great but the world she creates - the Deep South - is abosrbing, and the story keeps on going well enough. A good read if you're feeling shitty and just wish the world would leave you alone. I think i'll leave Cloud Atlas for when my brain's feeling a bit more receptive to a challenge.

Sammy, lots of people I know seem to have hated TLF, but I thought it was absolutely brilliant. She manages to write in quite an understated but horrifying way, and some passages (about the local snakes and so on) made my skin crawl so effectively! I also loved The Secret History all those years ago. For some reason I rarely seem to come across someone else who loved both. Donna Tartt rocks, as far as I am concerned. Hope you enjoy the rest.

The Secret History is one of my all time, top five favourite books. I couldn't even finish The Little Friend. I was so disappointed - especially as it was ten years between books.

Perhaps I should give it another go though. I hate giving up on books.

I agree, Cea - I loved The Secret History, but really couldn't get through even a third of The Little Friend. But then again, I don't like children, so having a child's point of view was already a point against it - maybe several points.

That said, I love the one about the Asperger's boy and the dog - can't remember the title, darn it! - and I'm enjoying The Secret Life of Bees so far, so there's no telling really.

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A
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