Gingerbread (Unabridged)
-
-
3.0 • 2 Ratings
-
-
- $18.99
-
- $18.99
Publisher Description
A bewitching and inventive novel about motherhood, family legacy and ... gingerbread.
Perdita Lee may appear your average British schoolgirl; Harriet Lee may seem just a working mother trying to penetrate the school social hierarchy; but there are signs that they might not be as normal as they think they are. For one thing, they share a gold-painted, seventh-floor flat with some surprisingly verbal vegetation. And then there’s the gingerbread they make. Londoners may find themselves able to take or leave it, but it’s very popular in Druhástrana, the far-away (and, according to Wikipedia, non-existent) land of Harriet Lee’s early youth. In fact, the world’s truest lover of the Lee family gingerbread is Harriet’s charismatic childhood friend, Gretel Kercheval – a figure who seems to have had a hand in everything (good or bad) that has happened to Harriet since they met.
Years later, when teenaged Perdita sets out to find her mother’s long-lost friend, it prompts a new telling of Harriet’s story, as well as a reunion or two. As the book follows the Lees through encounters with jealousy, ambition, family grudges, work, wealth, and real estate, gingerbread seems to be the one thing that reliably holds a constant value.
Influenced by the mysterious place gingerbread holds in classic children’s stories – equal parts wholesome and uncanny; from the tantalising witch’s house in Hansel and Gretel to the man-shaped confection who one day decides to run as fast as he can – beloved novelist Helen Oyeyemi invites readers into a delightful tale of a surprising family legacy, in which the inheritance is a recipe. Endlessly surprising and satisfying, written with Helen Oyeyemi’s inimitable style and imagination, Gingerbread is a true feast for the listener.
Customer Reviews
Hates this book tbh
I didn’t like a single thing about this book.
Every detail that was described was irrelevant to the actually story being portrayed. It feels as though a child had all these ideas and splashed them onto a page and tried to connect the ides together (but failed).
The characters were basic level (no depth) and the way the story was portrayed was both confusing and boring. There was so many ideas that could’ve been elaborated on that felt half resolved. Many characters and points that were so vividly (yet still boringly) described were completely irrelevant and added nothing to the story. This book was all icing and no cake. There was far too much going on, with not enough attention focused on the important themes. I also felt no connection to the characters as you never get to know them on a deeper level, and simply hear about them in stories. Additionally, in the printed book, there are no speech marks to indicated the start or end of a person speaking which adds to the painfully difficult read. There was no coherent flow and connection with the constant time jumps and no connection of the many ideas. It was hard to understand what was even happening for most of the book, and just when you think you understand, a whole new time jump or storyline appears to mess it up. The narrative style felt inconsistent throughout the book and made for an all up unenjoyable read.