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Title: much ado about little
Review: Two people whose opinions I respect recommended this book to me - one even said it was the best book she had ever read, and she is a mature, intelligent and serious reader. So I approached the book with great anticipation. Sadly, after an interesting beginning, the book became quite tedious. Ultimately I finished it just so I could get it done with, not because I was enjoying it . Some prior reviewers have blamed the translation but the problem lies in the story itself. There is a very linear simple and obvious plot which is made overly complicated by a plethora of ancillary inessential characters and confusing twists and turns which are impossible to keep straight. In addition there is no character development - the characters are drawn once (very simply and always sentimentally) and never change, and are drawn with thick crayon at that. The depiction of WWI was well done, but other than that it is not a book I would recommend.
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