One More Attempt

I keep trying to write a post about finishing Case Histories, Kate Atkinson's new novel (I'm not even going to put the link in, because I have no faith that this will work). First I had conceptual difficulties. Then I finally actually wrote something and Blogger ate it. If this doesn't work, then I am not meant to write about this book. Which is too bad, because it's a great book.

Basically, the one Blogger ate said that Case Histories is a great book, but I don't particularly like mysteries. The connection was that Case Histories is basically a mystery, even though it is being marketed as literary fiction, and even though it is literary fiction. Ayelet Waldman commented (again, not going to link) that it was too bad we don't seem able to consider literary fiction and mystery together, and I'm not surprised she would say that, given that she writes mysteries and is attempting to make the switch to literary fiction.

But the thing is, even though I loved Case Histories, which has beautiful writing, dazzling plotting, and lots of great themes like love, loss, mental illness, and family (I said it better in the Blogger-eaten post), the mysteries are kind of lame. Basically, as in all mysteries, either someone really obvious or someone really random did it, and neither are particularly satisfying solutions, though then again I can't really imagine what a satisfying solution to a mystery would be. Which may be why I'm not much of a mystery reader.

Still, I highly recommend Case Histories. And now I'm going to stop and see if this works, because I have other things to do. Still, I'm sad I lost the last post, because it was a lot better, but I'm too frustrated to attempt to recreate it.