What these two books have in common is that they are both about ghosts and have a storyline that seems cringe-worthy. Twenties Girl is about a woman in a dead-end job and emotional rut who is haunted by the ghost of her grand-aunt. The Lovely Bones is about a murdered girl watching her family and the man who murdered her from heaven. Thanks to the amazing talent of the authors, they actually work.
That’s where the similarity ends though. I won’t say
anything about Twenties Girl except to those Kinsella fans who read the blurb,
rolled your eyes and decided to give it a miss, read it. It’s fun and it works.
I sobbed through The Lovely Bones over the Christmas
weekend. V told me I shouldn’t be reading stuff that makes me cry; it’s bad for
the baby. I sniffled in response.
Because I feel things so keenly, I avoid picking books and
movies that I know will make me cry. But this one promised smiles through tears
and for once, I decided to take that chance. I’m glad I did. It’s a poignant
read but not morose.
I am convinced now more than ever that the death of a child
is the worst thing that can happen to a parent. There is no worse fate. How and
why do you go on in the face of it?
The book is about the effect of a murder on the entire
family. It is about growing up in the aftermath of tragedy, ironically told
through the eyes of a girl who never got to grow up. Because of the murder,
there’s an element of suspense. Although the identity of the murderer is known
to the reader right from the start, the suspense lies partly in whether the living
characters in the book will figure it out. But more than the suspense related
to the murder is the suspense about the family and those affected by the murder
– how will they live on? What shape will their lives take?
11 comments:
Brrrr...I wouldnt read that book...I dont watch scary or depressing movies as well..and no I am not pregnant! I get nightmares when I read such books...yes I do...I am weird na :)
I got Twenties Girl from the library recently but haven't been able to go beyond Pg 5 for some reason! Like you said, Sophie does a great job introducing the plot and the protagonist in each of her books but this one just didn't click with me! Moreover, if there is a ghost involved (I knew about it before I picked the book), it makes me even more reluctant to read it further.
I didn't even feel like watching The Lovely Bones for the exact reason as yours. I fear it will move me so much that I won't be myself for the next few days.
@RM - Eh? You some long lost soulmate or what?
EVen I cant read/watch such movies. Hubby still teases me because I couldnt sleep for many nights both times after watching 'Bhoot' and '6th sense'
Have heard about the Twenties Girl somewhere else too.Felt its too sad a story to read.
@R's Mom Neither book is scary (they're not ghost stories in the conventional sense), though The Lovely Bones can be sad. But although I was crying, it was not in a depressed way. Weirdly, it's an uplifting book.
@SS maybe I had really low expectations of it. But somehow I felt it worked. The Lovely Bones is worth reading ya, it's not depressing...though you probably will try. What you should do is read the first few pages to see what I mean.
@RS Both books aren't scary like Bhoot/Sixth Sense hahn. Even I can't watch those. Twenties Girl is not sad at all...it's very lighthearted, like all Sophie Kinsella's books. The Lovely Bones could be counted as bittersweet though.
I read the Lovely Bones when I was in uni and loved it then. I haven't seen the movie because most movies wreck the book for me lol.
I am pretty sure I have read Twenties Girl but for the life of me can't remember it!
I actually love ghost/horror stories and movies. Fave shows as a kid was The X Files and anything supernatural :D
I read the Lovely Bones and cried through it. But I didn't really care for the way it ended, and took away from the book for me.
If you want to cry your heart out, watch 'Grave of the Fireflies'. Its a Japanese anime movie about two children who lose their parents in the war and struggle to survive during war time in Japan. I sobbed through the movie, for hours after that, and for the next few nights. I could never completely get it out of my head. And I have never gathered the courage to go back and revisit the movie.
I sobbed like someone I had known had died, when I read Lovely Bones.
The movie TOTALLY ruined the book.
absolutely loved Lovely Bones. It is a tear jerker no doubt but it is hands down one of my favorite books.
Not read lovely bones, but twenties girl worked for me. Not nearly as fun as Kinsella's other books, but worked nevertheless.
If you like ghost stories, you should try Audrey Niffenegger's Her Fearful Symmetry. A lot of people did not like it but it is a rather unique and charming take on ghosts and addresses the question of identity rather well.
@Sig, Broom and Sukanya And yet, would you say it was depressing? I'm clearly having a hard time conveying how it can be sad but still uplifting. Yeah, I'm not enthused about watching the movie idea...I suspect they won't be able to get that tone that's in the book right.
@Ramya No no, I don't want to read anything that makes me cry. Point was that this one somehow did not leave me depressed even though I cried. Wasn't enthused about the end either but didn't ruin the whole thing for me.
@Bhargavi yeah, I wouldn't say it's my favourite but it surprisingly worked.
@DD Don't like ghost stories but yeah, Adrey Niffperson's one of those with a weird storyline that somehow just works. I read Time Traveller's Wife and loved it. Will keep the one you suggested in mind.
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