Negative Positive
Title: The worst book I ever managed to finish
Review: Let me say first that the story itself was interesting enough to keep me reading. But it was so badly written that I was able to skim pages of drivel -- long, rambling descriptions that did nothing to advance the story. One example in particular that stands out in my mind was several pages describing the clocks in the house, all the clocks, and how much Marianne loved the clocks and the various sounds they made. Whatever symbolic significance those clocks had could have been expressed in a paragraph instead of 2-3 pages of rambling.I thought the made-for-TV movie starring Beau Bridges and Blythe Danner was much better than the book.This is the first Oates book I've read. I won't be eager to read any more of her novels.
Is the review positive or negative? 