Karen Does, Pam Rosenthal’s The Slightest Provocation
Monday, August 6, 2007Posted in: Pam Rosenthal, The Slightest Provocation
Blurb taken from the back of the book:
As the children of feuding Derbyshire land owners, Mary Penley, and Kit Stanswell were supposed to be enemies. Too willful to be bound by their families’ prejudices, they become secret friends instead – and then much more than friends. When they eloped, they thought they’d put rivalry and contention behind them. But neither ardor nor marriage could overpower their own restless natures.
Nine years later, Kit is a rising star in the military, while Mary has made her way in a raffish intellectualy society of poets and reformers. A chance meeting reignites their passion. But they live for very different values: Kit wants to maintain order in the land, Mary, to challenge the repressions of the day.
Their differences are put aside when Kit uncovers a political conspiracy that threatens all of England. Amid danger and disillusionment, Kit and Mary rediscover the bonds that are stronger than time, the selves who have never really parted – and the love that is their destiny.
Ahhhhh, doesn’t that sound just wunnerful…? Hmmmm…
My Verdict
Jesus. Effing. Christ.
I can’t tell you how much it irritates me to read historical books set in England, when the language is more or less incomprehensible.
That was my biggest problem with Pam Rosenthal’s, The Slightest Provocation. OK, that, and total boredom. I admit it, I got to page 56, and gave up. I just couldn’t carry on reading.
The writing was cumbersome, sluggish, and painful. The plot promised much, but delivered very little.
At first I thought the premise seemed really exciting, and I was looking forward to the redemption of Kit and Mary as a couple. Unfortunately for me, by the time I got to the last page( AKA page 56) I couldn’t give a monkeys what happened to them. I didn’t particularly warm to Kit, and I certainly didn’t think much of Mary. A death knell in any book, if you ask me.
If I hadn’t spent the majority of the time trying to figure out what the hell was going on, and what the fuck the characters were saying, I might have enjoyed the book better, but unfortunately, the book was trying to be too clever by half.
I know that as readers, we constantly crave for the writer who dare take a risk, writers who dare to be different, but you know, sometimes, less is considerably more.
The premise of the two lead characters in a book being involved in adulterous relationships is fairly ground-breaking I think, well certainly one that I haven’t come across before, and had it been executed better, it may have worked, unfortunately I just couldn’t get past the language thing, the non-existent pace of the book, and the incoherent and (sometimes) clumsy prose. Even the sex scenes were dry as a nun’s c*nt.
Who knows, maybe the book improves later on, but seeing as I’d virtually lost the will to live by page 20, and was wiping the blood from my eyes by page 40, I knew that this was one book that I wouldn’t be finishing anytime soon.
I wish there was a way I could get my £6.99 ($14) back. God I hate feeling cheated. Now, where did I put my beloved Anne of Green Gables…?
Gwen
August 6
9:15 pm
Such a pretty cover, too. What a shame.
What the bloody hell is a “quim”??
Jaye
August 6
11:08 pm
quim is c*nt.
Pam wrote a novella once, that I loved (the title might have been an address). I think I kept the anthology primarily because of her contribution. I have Almost a Gentleman in the tbr pile and I’ve been meaning to buy an BDSM erotica (CARRIE?)she wrote under anothe name after reading the first chapter somewhere. But… this particular novel was a DNF for me also because of the slow pacing and I never came to care about the H/h fast enough to impell me to read on. 😛
sybil
August 6
11:23 pm
LOLOLOL
Karen, how in the world can you say The plot promised much, but delivered very little. when you didn’t get past page 56?
I am guessing it is what… 230 to 250 page book? So really you have no clue if the plot delivered. I have it but haven’t read it. Someone loved it but I forget who. I will get to it one day.
Hope you like your next book better 😉
Eve Vaughn
August 7
12:35 am
I’m pouting because I’m still waiting for you to review Marshmallows in Bed by Dorothy Koomson. Pretty Pretty Please with sugar on top. I bought Her Best Friend’s Girl on your Recommendation and loved it and would love to hear what you think of the next book by this author. *VWG*
Rocio
August 7
2:43 am
A few years back the thought of leaving a book unfinished was unthinkable!! I used to have nightmare about dying without finishing a book and never finding out how it end.
But lately, lately I have come across the feeling you so greatly describe above. like I couldn’t care less what happen or how it ends!
I’m getting old because I’m too picky with books and movies lately!!
Karen Scott
August 7
4:51 am
when you didn’t get past page 56?
OK, perhaps what I should have said is, it promised so much, but didn’t look as if it was going to deliver, *g*.
I did skim though to see if it improved later, but I’m not sure that counts as reading. *g*
Angela
August 7
6:51 am
I really liked this book and loved the language so it was a B read for me. I’m guessing Rosenthal’s use of semi-stream of consciousness writing wasn’t working for you Karen, but I liked the meandering plot because I couldn’t predict what was going to happen–which is why I’ve cut back my historical romance reading to a strict few.
Karen Scott
August 7
8:08 am
Angela, I definitely didn’t appreciate the rambling tone of the book, but even worse than that, it bored me to tears, granted I only read 56 pages properly, but still, first impressions count for a lot in a book.
By the way Eve, I haven’t gotten round to reading the Koomson book, although if it’s as good as MBFG, I will probably review it.
Eve Vaughn
August 7
12:05 pm
YAY!!
Sherry Thomas
August 10
1:49 am
I know Janine @ DearAuthor loved it.
I’ve read the prologue. Kind of meandering. But I’ll be persevering for some pages yet.
That Angela has liked it too gives me hope.
Stacy~
August 12
12:36 am
I won this book in a contest. I didn’t like it, but I thought it was because I’m a superficial reader and the appeal when over my head. I actually finished the whole thing, but it didn’t get any better. Glad I’m not the only one who felt it wasn’t very good.