So I’m at 70% mark and man I can take this book for not even a second more. Its just so god damn boring. The story could have been taken in so many interesting directions.
The potential was there but basically nothing of much excitement and engagement happens in the narrative as it unfolds.
The pages revolve around the mundane, day to day or moment to moment happenings and interactions between characters that tend to have little to no bearing to the main plot of this book.
Now if that particular element is present to a reasonable extent in a story to lend it some texture, imbue a sense that its characters behave in a manner that is - and therefore are - more human-like then it doesn’t feel bothersome.
But here for whatever reason you found overabundance of it. It became tedious and torturous.
The only good thing i can say about this book is that at times how its sentences are written feels good to read. The command of the English language of the author can most certainly never be brought in to question.
But in terms of the power of its story to captivate, enthrall and satisfy it resoundingly failed in my estimation.
imo the story does seem to lose it’s impetus after bunny’s funeral. the last third was bit of a slog. and imo richard alone was not enough to carry the story, and it was boring to read about his anxieties and drug binges. but i don’t do drugs so maybe the drug sections would resonate with somebody who does.
however, i still love the book because of the characters and the world they inhabit. it captures, i think, something ineffable about being young and being in love, not just with people but with the world and the mystery of the world.