I’ve never (yup, I think never) written a novel review in my entire life -not because I can’t- because I don’t want to. I feel really bad to comment on the masterpiece(s) of fellow writers no matter how unimpressive their work is. Why? Simple. I knooooow the behind story. The long late hours spent to write a 200-something page novel. The screaming of lacking of ideas. The feeling of being suck at something you are passionate about. The fear of being a bad writer. I know. And that’s why I always keep my opinion about a novel, for myself. Until now. Until I read this recently famous novel and #1 New York Times Bestseller and I. Just. Need. To. Get. This. Out. Of. My. System.
Warning: a few spoilers and a lot of heartbreaking comments.
So, a friend literally forced me to read Me Before You novel because she was sooooo moved by it. At the same time, the movie was a big hit here. To be honest, I wasn’t so much into this novel. I was never interested enough in picking up the novel from the bookshelf at the bookstore and was not even close to watch the movie. I read the synopsis once and decided I’d rather buy Jenny Han‘s 😛 . But my friend was really persistent to hear my comments for the novel. So, okay, I was at the airport on my way to I-don’t-even-remember-where-anymore and out of habit, I bought the book for those long hours of waiting and flight. I read a couple of pages but decided that I was more interested in sleeping than reading through. So weird of me.
When I continued reading the first chapters, I was like ‘Okay. Intriguing. Could be something’ but again I kept putting it down. The introduction about Louisa Clark was not that impressive after a few chapters. And then the next chapters made my eyebrows raised. I flipped back to earlier chapters trying to figure out how in the world a girl named Louisa Clark can become the girl who melt a rich man’s cold heart while her own sister herself calls her idiot? After that, throughout the next chapters I was hoping the answer to my question would be on the next page. I was wrong.
So, here is my disappointment with the novel.
I like the storyline -I think it is an interesting storyline! I do!
I like the male character, Will Treynor. He gives more than enough opportunities for the story to build up drama. I even love the male character. I think it is a brilliant choice by the writer to give this background, this story, this personality, to this male character.
I am interested in the background characters: the family, the sister, the boyfriend. They are all amazing for background.
I didn’t mind the slightly predictable ending because the story could (!) offer surprises here and there.
Aaaand, I would like to fall for the female character. The heroine. Louisa Clark. I was waiting to fall for her. But…nothing.
With that storyline, this male character, that background, Louisa Clark has just provided me with consistently annoying character from the beginning -the clueless girl who can’t even show me why she deserves to be loved. She is not maturing. She is not developing enough to turn the story around!
So, I ended up being so irritated with the novel and stopped reading when I reached page 337. I told my friend that and…she was upset 😀 . After that time, my friend started to nag me to watch the movie to see if I could change my mind. Yeah. Right. But she was so insistent and annoying and she checked on me several times if I had watched the movie. So, I did it just to stop her nagging while secretly hoped the movie was better.
But, it wasn’t! 🙁 . It just looked nicer from all the nature and scenery in the movie.
So, what makes me change my habit of not commenting on a novel?
My annoyance that the story could be better IF THAT LOUISA CLARK COULD SHOW ME SHE DESERVES THE ROLE.
On another note, this novel is a learning tool for me. I got to reflect on how a character should mature throughout the novel. Or how a character should be developed. Or how a good story can be ruined by one not-convincing character. Or how -even in a fiction- you’ve got to work hard to deserve someone’s love.
