I made the mistake of starting The Expats on audiobook. Some people are great fans of the format, but at the best of times my mind tends to wander away from the story. The Expats is a particularly difficult book for the format as it jumps from past to present, so I just couldn't follow—even when I was paying attention. I finally checked out a paper copy to read the last half of the book, so I don’t feel very qualified to write a review.
But I’ll still try.
I’ve never read spy novels before, but I think The Expats tries to fit into the genre. As I read, I could feel its desire to be turned into a summer film in the vein of the Bourne saga. I picked up this book because of the reviews and was definitely disappointed that it was neither a fast, exciting beach read nor an especially well-written piece of literary fiction. I was particularly disappointed with Kate, the main character. She didn’t feel authentic, and I always wonder about writers who try to write from the perspective of the opposite sex because so often it doesn’t ring true.
The book was an adequate read, but certainly not a summer blockbuster to tell all your friends about.
But I’ll still try.
I’ve never read spy novels before, but I think The Expats tries to fit into the genre. As I read, I could feel its desire to be turned into a summer film in the vein of the Bourne saga. I picked up this book because of the reviews and was definitely disappointed that it was neither a fast, exciting beach read nor an especially well-written piece of literary fiction. I was particularly disappointed with Kate, the main character. She didn’t feel authentic, and I always wonder about writers who try to write from the perspective of the opposite sex because so often it doesn’t ring true.
The book was an adequate read, but certainly not a summer blockbuster to tell all your friends about.
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