Title: Wanted to Like It
Product review: I really gave this a strong shot. I wanted to like it. I liked the idea of it -- and I thought the way she layered stories was terrific. Movie people telling plots of other movies, recounting their own tales, discussing possible film scripts. And I also think Jane Smiley gave herself a real challenge of basing a book on 90 percent conversation. Also on the plus side were some vivid and excellent discussions on the war in Iraq and the Council on Foreign Affairs. However, it just drags. There is no mounting sense of tension or arc to the characters' lives. Some characters are well drawn and very 3D; some seemed flat and thin. Only for Jane Smiley completists, I would say.
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