Ordinary Hazards by Anna Bruno
Some books either grab you or bore you. And this was one that I wanted so badly to like but unfortunately, I just wasn't hooked.
Ordinary Hazards by Anna Bruno | |
| |
Category: General Fiction | |
![]() | |
Reviewer: Stephen Leach | |
Summary: Too much telling and not nearly enough showing in this slow-moving reflection on guilt and grief. | |
Buy? No | Borrow? No |
Pages: 272 | Date: August 2020 |
Publisher: Scribner UK | |
External links: Author's website | |
ISBN: 978-1471184864 | |
|
Told over the course of one night, Ordinary Hazards is more like an extended series of musings rather than a complete story. Sat alone in her local bar, Emma reflects on her life and the tragic events leading to her divorce. Over the course of the novel a succession of characters are introduced via a lengthy interlude to flesh out their backstories. This rapidly became formulaic and the fact that few of them impact the story meaningfully meant that I became less and less interested in finding out about them. Despite some great lines and intense description, I couldn't get into it: there's too much telling and not enough showing.
I could enjoy a slow-burner if I had some idea where it was all going. But fifty pages in, I wasn't sure what the plot was. Fifty more pages, I felt like I was just starting to know. I was interested in Emma's relationship with Lucas, and what made them fall apart – but the story takes too long to get there, jumping from past to present constantly, and the eventual reveal feels like a rush of information.
What really sealed the deal, though, is that Emma isn't that engaging a character. She was difficult to like, I felt like I'd read what makes her different many times before (she likes to drink whiskey!), and nothing about her clued me in as to why I should care about her disintegrated relationship. Perhaps someone out there identified strongly with her, but I certainly didn't.
If you like purely character driven novels without much in the way of plot, then this might be the book for you. But it wasn't for me.
A slow-burner I can recommend is Black Dog Summer by Miranda Sherry.
Please share on: Facebook,
Twitter and
Instagram
You can read more book reviews or buy Ordinary Hazards by Anna Bruno at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You could get a free audio download of Ordinary Hazards by Anna Bruno with a 30-day Audible free trial at Amazon.co.uk.
You can read more book reviews or buy Ordinary Hazards by Anna Bruno at Amazon.com.
Check prices, read reviews or buy from Waterstones. Waterstones currently charges from £2.75 for orders under £20, over which delivery is free. You may also click and collect from a Waterstones bookshop at no charge.
Comments
Like to comment on this review?
Just send us an email and we'll put the best up on the site.