Thursday, August 10, 2006


I have read two of Gregory Maguire’s other books, Wicked and Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. Both were great stories that had vibrant characters and rich detail. I imagined nothing less of Lost.

The book opens with the lead character, Winnie Rudge, witnessing a car accident. It’s compelling and interesting…and has nothing to do with anything else that happens in the book. Winnie then travels to London to work on a book she’s writing, intending to stay with her cousin, John. Upon arrival, it appears as though her cousin has disappeared. None of his neighbors or co-workers is willing to talk to Winnie, either. Strewn throughout the novels are random nursery rhymes and references to Peter Pan, Ebenezer Scrooge, and Jack the Ripper. It takes a pretty long time before the reader begins to understand what lies beneath the quotes and references.

The title could be used to describe the reader after finishing this book. I felt lost. I thought, “What was the point of this book?” The main character was obviously a candidate for therapy. She continues to spiral into depression and obsession. Oh, and she gets possessed by the spirit of a 12th century French woman who was burned to death.

I wondered if I was too harsh on the book, so I checked to see what reviewers on Amazon gave it. I felt pretty justified when I saw the average review was 2.5 stars. But because I like Maguire’s other books, and there were some great lines in Lost, my final judgment is for 3 stars.

3 comments:

i i eee said...

Hmph. That's disappointing. I'll have to try the Wicked Stepsister one. Haven't read anything by Maguire.

April said...

Wicked Stepsister! hahahahaha
Er...it's either Wicked OR Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister.

Althought I DO have a wicked stepsister. But that's a different story.

i i eee said...

Ha ha! Well...I had some of the words right. See this is why it's so wonderful that you have a blog now, so I can go back and check!