How to Buy a Love of Reading

Gibson, Tanya Egan. How to Buy a Love of Reading. New York: Penguin Group, 2009.

I was first intrigued by the title of this book. The thought of buying a person a love of reading; well, as an English teacher I often wished I could buy my some of my students a love of reading or writing or grammar or whatnot. The idea of commissioning an author to write a story specifically for one person, including exactly what that person wants included, is interesting. Like I said, I was intrigued.

Unfortunately, my hope in a good story was soon deflated. Similar to the characters in an Austen or Fitzgerald novel, the characters in this novel have far too much money, no jobs, and an overinflated sense of entitlement. I understand that Gibson, like Austen or Fitzgerald, has used these characters intentionally in an attempt to poke fun at the upper class, but unlike an Austen novel, where the dialogue at least can be interesting, this book failed to capture my attention.

The idea of a commission to write a novel still intrigues me, but the drug-smoking characters who seem intent on self-destruction wore on my nerves after maybe one chapter. I had great expectations for this novel, but they, unfortunately, were dashed by the time I reached the hundredth page.

This one isn't worth it, folks. Maybe I'll have better luck next time.