August Book Club - 'The China Garden' by Kristina Olsson

If it feels like I've been away for quite some time and news has been scarce, then you'd be right. Many apologies book clubbers for my absence, but it is for good reason. My eldest daughter Jocelyn recently married her sweetheart Chris, and as everyone knows, weddings are extremely busy times. Certain priorities must change in order for things to happen, and in this case, I took a short vacation from blogging to experience the joy of family and this wonderful occasion. So, I am sure you will all understand and forgive me.

Our August meeting saw us discuss the book, 'The China Garden' by Brisbane author, Kristina Olsson. Whilst most members agreed there were a couple of positives about the book, it was not a favourite amongst us. Many found the writing a little annoying in many places throughout, although occasionally, the author managed to pull off some eloquent and well constructed sentences, which were a pleasure to read.

Some members thought the going tough and tedious, so they decided to call it a day and weren't able to finish the book. Personally I'm glad I finished the book, however, there was little joy in this because it did not feel like it went anywhere and a lot of things were left unexplained. There were a number of places where the text was predictable and quite uninteresting. Many said they could not connect with the characters and so were not able to engage in the story at a deep level.

Overall, book club members felt disappointed by the book because it lacked certain entertaining qualities. There were places within the text when it was obvious that the author tried too hard to show off their writing prowess.