Here's the thing, when I picked this book as a possibility for my "Classic Set in a Place You've Lived," I read a couple of summaries. They all talked about how the book follows this kid Augie around. He lives in Chicago. And there's this girl who tries to train an eagle to catch lizards. I was so down for an eagle that hunts lizards.
I missed, or perhaps ignored the whole bit about it being a picaresque novel.
Guys, this book didn't just make me not want to read it... it made me not want to read at all. Usually, when I don't enjoy a book, I'll take a break and read other things. In this case, I just couldn't bring myself to even pick up another book. Three chapters of Augie March has sucked all the joy of reading out and away. On the plus side, I've watched a season and a half of Bones! Perhaps that's not a plus side. It's the latter seasons where they get a case of the stupids.
Anyway. What didn't I like about this book? I think it was the picaresque storytelling. I'm OK with relatively plotless books provided there's something worthwhile in the pages. But this was just a day in the life of this guy. Which I'm sure for someone else is great, but for me, I needed something more. I was hoping there would be some sort of character development, but when I finally looked up some reviews and found a definition of picaresque, I realized I would end up throwing this book against a wall if I kept it up. It's the "lovable rascal" trope. Guys will be guys. I just... no. Maybe if I was in school with some guidance, but this was really rough.
I'm still reeling from just how much I didn't like this book. I keep picking up other books that I'm excited about, or that I know make me feel better, and nothing is sticking. I go to work tomorrow, so I'll browse through the stacks after our staff meeting and see if something catches my fancy. I'm also on the hunt for another book set in Chicago.
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