Alice's Reviews > Tom Lake

I don’t understand the rave reviews but so be it. For me this was boring, as in, put the book down and want to scream boring; as in grit my teeth because it’s still not finished boring. There was no edge, no humor, no slant.

None of the characters were developed into believable, living people. The daughters were distinguable only by their chosen vocations. The main character is someone I would feign illness to avoid at an office party for lack of personality. What is Joe like? I have not the faintest clue. And Duke? Just his vices and his teeth. And our Sebastian? Wtf? Please. I know nothing about these characters after slogging through the book for hundreds of pages.

The novel consists of the main character relaying a brief acting career and romance from her pre-married life to her daughters who are riveted for reasons I don’t understand. Who are these docile creatures? Why are they so lacking in fight, independence, mischief and rebellion at their age? Instead they wait with baited breath day after day for the least interesting pre-married life romance I’ve ever heard. The story telling within the novel is interrupted periodically by cherry picking and yes, I felt like I was there in the orchard plotlessly looking at cherries. I assumed something interesting would be revealed from her past life. Boy was I disappointed.