Read it quick or not at all (Behind the Scenes at the Museum - Kate Atkinson)

Member Name: dhawkins

Product:	Behind the Scenes at the Museum - Kate Atkinson
Date:	18/11/00 (147 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A nice story

Disadvantages: Lacks in un-put-down-ability

I would be the first to admit that I am quite a slow reader. However, this book is not particularly long, yet it took me four months to finish it! The book was recommended to me by various friends with respected judgement of books. Given this, I was a little surprised that the book didn't really work for me.

My only suggestion for this is that it lacks somewhat in 'un-put-down-ability' that everyone looks for in a book. Why this is the case, I am not sure. The story is good. It tells the family history of the story teller, Ruby Lennox in a jumping-around-in- time format. One minute the reader might be learning about Ruby's mother, Bunty during WW2 and then the next minute reading about Ruby's great-grandmother fifty years previously. This is all intermixed with the developing story of Ruby's own troubled childhood. Although this format is hardly difficult for the average reader (and I have read books which are far harder to follow!), it can make the book less favourable to pick up every night, especially in the early stages.

Once the initial qualms are out of the way though and a fuller picture has been set, the story does become more enticing and I did find myself wanting to know more about the tragedies of Ruby's family by the end of the book. In fact, when I finished it recently, I did feel that I would miss it (but then again, I had been reading it for four months).

All in all, this book is certainly worth reading but don't take too long over it. If you aren't on page 100 by the end of the first month, give up, it won't change your life.

Summary: