Oooooohkay, so the response to If on a Winter's Night hasn't been quite what I hoped. Let me ask this: How many of you read it? How many of you started and gave up? How many of you kept at it and hated every minute of it? How many, if any, liked it?
Fo those of you who hated it (cough, Marydell, cough) -- why? Did you not like the concept or the execution? The style didn't grab you? You resent being addressed as "you" when the Reader is a guy, and therefore not you?
For those who gave up -- why? Couldn't follow the story? Couldn't see the point? Couldn't care less?
For those of you (ok, apparently "for those of me") who liked it -- why? What did you like about it?
Here's what I liked -- that he managed to thread a plot through all the stopped and started stories of the books, that he had such a vast love of reading and respect for readers, and that he had a great time poking fun at the literary conventions of the day. Also, like I said, this was the first book that really engaged me in a non-linear, what-the-hell-is-going-on story, and I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for it because of that.
If you like the idea of the book, but not the execution, who do you think does it better? I agree with Diane, that Jeanette Winterson is another one who does amazing twisting things with books that you hardly knew could happen. Who else?
