Sample Saturday is when I wade through the eleventy billion samples I have downloaded on my Kindle. I’m slowly chipping away and deciding whether it’s buy or bye.
A Mother’s Trial by Nancy Wright
Why I have it: Spotted on a #6Degrees chain at Marelden.
Summary: True crime account of a woman who was diagnosed with Münchhausen Syndrome by Proxy and put on trial for the death of her adopted baby daughter.
I’m thinking: Maybe. I’m not much of a true crime reader but the opening chapters are compelling.
Mapping Manhattan by Becky Cooper
Why I have it: Spotted on Jenny’s #6Degrees chain.
Summary: Becky Cooper walked the city from end to end, asking strangers to fill in blank maps to illustrate ‘their Manhattan’.
I’m thinking: Yes. I basically can’t resist maps.
The Sea, the Sea by Iris Murdoch
Why I have it: No idea.
Summary: Theatre-great retires, plans to write a memoir, things go horribly wrong.
I’m thinking: No – despite all the praise (and a Booker prize), there is too much navel-gazing in the opening chapter.
Mapping Manhattan gets my vote – sounds amazing 🙂
The first chapter of The Sea The Sea is a pastiche, its deliberately overblown and self indulgent, so I would base any decision on the second chapter where the ‘real’ narrative voice starts – this could be flaw in the kindle sample system!
Definite flaw then – the sample included a very long intro and first chapter 🙁
I thought The Sea The Sea would be a slog because of that first chapter but I was surprised how much I enjoyed the book.
That seems to be the general consensus – might need to give it a go!
I have The Sea The Sea so I’d be interested to hear what you think!
If I get to it 😬 It’s good to get feedback from others on books I’m considering, particularly when the first chapter doesn’t thrill me – this is one that others are saying to give a go despite opening.
I like crime, I usually prefer it to be fictional (the crime reporting in the US is out of control, there’s no avoiding it) because there’s so much of it in life, but I do read it. I don’t know if I could read one where I thought the person my be responsible for killing their daughter…
That’s my hesitation too. There was an interesting essay in The Empathy Exams on true crime (it was about the making of a documentary) – really interesting, so I looked up the doco and found it on YouTube. Started watching and was SHOCKED by what was shown. Seriously scarred by what I saw. Quickly realised that clearly US censorship laws are very different to Aus (didn’t watch anymore of doco). All very interesting given that the US editions of so many books have language etc altered – priorities?!
I still haven’t read A Mother’s Trial. How about you read it and then let me know if I should move it up my pile? 🙂
I have ‘The Sea, The Sea’ and I’m actually really excited to read it. If I ever get to it I’ll let you know if it gets better past the first chapter 🙂
The general consensus is that the first chapter is totally misrepresentative of the rest of the book, so I’ll look forward to your thoughts!