skip to main content
Get Ideas
Discussions
Houzz TV
Houzz Research
Sign In
Join as a Pro
Houzz Pro: One simple solution for contractors and design pros
Join as a Pro
Houzz Logo Print
Explore Discussions
Reader's Paradise
christinmk

Gilgamesh- Joan London

17 years ago

I thought this was a beautiful book. Not a powerful enough book to remember for years after, but very good. I finished it last night. Have any of you read it?

I picked this book up a few weeks ago at a library sale. The cover of this book caught my eye, and the title looked promising, so I got it. After posting a list of the books I got at the sale, Kay (kkay_md) notified me that it was a picture of her on the front cover! Isn't that neat? Appearantly there are two other book covers. Her's is a black and white photo at a train station.

Don't worry, I will not spoil anything!

We all know of those books that end too abruptly. This was one of those rare books that began abruptly. This was rather jarring, especially since the characters we were so breifly intoduced to in this part soon took a back seat in it all. But I soon saw why it had to be this way.

From there the plot and pace lurches uncerimoniusly forward before settling into a nice, steady rythem that will continue on that way for the rest of the book.

Some might say this monochromatic pace dull, but I thought it was lovely and refreshingly different.

There were certain points in this book that were getting dangerously close to seeming 'contrived'. But the author seemed to predict this and steered her book away just in time. There were still a few areas that seemed peculiar, but nothing too major. The underlying plot (young unwed mother on her own) could have become trite quite quickly, but the approach London used made everything seem new and original.

Overall, I liked this book quite a bit. I think the first third of the book was the best because the author so poetically described Australia then. I couldn't put this book down, which I haven't been able to say of any other books in a long while.

-Kay, there was a lot of train travel in this book, which is probably the reason they picked your photo for the cover. There was one sentence in particular, in the begining of the book, that I thought perfectly fit with the picture: "She saw her own profile at a train window, looking out at some darkening unknown landscape".

If you ever get a chance to read it let me know if you liked it too.

CMK

Comments (23)

Related Stories
LANDSCAPE DESIGNStars and Myths Inspire a Contemporary London Garden
By Annie Thornton
A sinuously snaking path, tiles like dragon skin and a triad of stone apples give a British garden an air of enchantment
Full Story
58
VINTAGE STYLEHouzz Tour: Farmhouse Meets Victorian in Los Angeles
By Becky Harris
Fanciful scrolls and sweet botanical prints join playful vintage touches for a home that’s altogether charming
Full Story
132
COLOR PALETTESSummer Color Combo: Pink and Orange
By Becky Harris
10 ways to put this color pair to work in all sorts of rooms and with all sorts of styles
Full Story
38
LIFEHouzz Call: Where (and What) Are You Reading This Summer?
By Stacy Briscoe
Whether you favor contemporary, classic or beach reads, do the long and lazy days of summer bring out the lit lover in you?
Full Story
132
LIFESimple Pleasures: Get a Book Club Going
By Laura Gaskill
Kick back with friends and a thought-provoking read for an event that’s entertaining and educational all at once
Full Story
43
FUN HOUZZ31 True Tales of Remodeling Gone Wild
By Mitchell Parker
Drugs, sex, excess — the home design industry is rife with stories that will blow your mind, or at least leave you scratching your head
Full Story
257
GREEN BUILDINGHouzz Call: What Have You Salvaged for Home Use?
By Becky Harris
If your floors, furniture, exterior materials or other home elements have a past life, we'd like to hear the story
Full Story
166
HOUZZ TOURSMy Houzz: Fairy-Tale Charm in a Historic Hollywood Landmark
By Carolyn Reyes
Just a stone’s throw away from Hollywood Boulevard, vine-covered walls hide a magical courtyard and a couple’s condo
Full Story
79
HISTORIC HOMESHamilton, the House!
By Peter Fish
In Upper Manhattan, explore the gracious home of Alexander Hamilton, the founding father turned Broadway star
Full Story
33
LANDSCAPE DESIGN24 Garden Paths to Inspire Memorable Journeys
By Annie Thornton
Winding or straight, narrow or wide, densely or sparsely planted — there’s more than one way to design a walk
Full Story
29
Sponsored
Whisler Home Improvement
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars9 Reviews
Franklin County's Committed Home Improvement Professionals
More Discussions
Hot Days and August Games
98
Dog days of August .....what book did you choose ?
83
OT........this will never pass my lips !
22
The September Game for Early Autumn
103
September books in cozy nooks !
69