BLACKWOOD FARM CHAPTER 25

This chapter begins on page 351. This story ends on page 626. Meaning, I'm a little more than halfway through the book, and while I would not say nothing has happened, I think it's dragging it's feet. I feel like more should have happened by now. One of the reviews on the back says that Quinn's story is "like a curiosity shop, filled with lovely things" and I think that's accurate---there's a lot of beauty in her prose and descriptions, and certainly some interesting ideas, but it's not a STORY. Well, that's not right. There is a story, but it takes a backseat to the "curiosity shop" aspect. Admittedly, I do think a focus on aesthetic over story can be done well but, as I've only said about a dozen times, that doesn't so much work when it's "guy telling a story to another guy" and also Rice clearly WANTS there to be a story---the ghosts, Goblin, the mysterious stranger on the island, and so on. I can tell she is TRYING to move the plot along but she gets incredibly bogged down in boring stuff. That's the real problem, not the beautiful stuff but the BORING stuff. I think I could tolerate the pace a lot better if the diversions were at least more engaging. Especially because she's so TALENTED at beautiful decadent Gothic descriptions. I truly think if she changed the framing device and focused on her strengths over her weaknesses, there might be less substance to the story but it would be a more enjoyable read. It wouldn't be some great novel, but Gothic novels were never meant to be "great" they were meant to be sensationalist and romantic and bizarre and focused far more on emotion and scenery than on making sense and SHE'S SUPER GOOD AT THAT. I realize that sort of sounds like an insult with that last part, but still.

And there is a good deal of that in Blackwood Farm. It's not like the whole thing is bad. A lot of it is not. I just feel like it's not as good as it COULD be. Basically, one more reason she should go back to using an editor.

But yeah, I feel like the story is really NOT progressing at a decent pace, it's the middle of the book and the stage is still being set.

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