The Mookse and the Gripes discussion

Pod by Laline Paull

Has anyone read this? I liked both of Paull's previous books, and how different they were. This one sounds more like her The Bees.

No but I'm intrigued by the description, I've never tried any of her work. It sounds as if it's either completely marvellous or totally dire.

I have already written the first line of my review

Laline goes Saline

Haha!

Maybe her next book will be about cats and she will go feline.

I do feel her debut novel had more of a buzz about it than this one.

And the second was super-cool.

Wonderful.

Teamwork.

Or hive-mind.

I started with this book. I watched the Long list announcement with my daughters Arwen (7) and Drew (2). Arwen commented on cover art and Drew counted books (apparently there are 37).

This cover made them both say “Wow!”

I am therefore judging the book by its cover…

But I like the social commentary made so far.

It’s funny this is one of the longest WP a threads and yet no one has currently read the book.

Lisa wrote: "I started with this book. I watched the Long list announcement with my daughters Arwen (7) and Drew (2). Arwen commented on cover art and Drew counted books (apparently there are 37).

This cover made them both say “Wow!”"

I love this, Lisa. The Women's Prize does such an excellent job providing accessible content to get all of us excited about the books.

I love the idea behind this book.
So I found it on Scribd and gave it a try.

About 20 pages in, I decided to move on.
I struggled with her writing style for some reason. I still can’t pinpoint exactly what bothers me, but I’ll probably revisit it later.

The same thing happened with The Bees, so she may not be my type of writer.

I really hated her first novel - so much, in fact I felt terribly guilty dropping it off to the charity shop. This one can only be better in my opinion.

I'm partway through reading this one and enjoying it a lot so far. Didn't necessarily think I would for some reason, but I'm excited to see where else it goes.

I read it and while it started off really strong... I didn't like the story development . I think I will give "The Bees" a shot at some point though.

Def a fantastic cover love the purple and blue

Review
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

Sarah wrote: "I'm partway through reading this one and enjoying it a lot so far. Didn't necessarily think I would for some reason, but I'm excited to see where else it goes."

Have you read any of her prior books, Sarah? I'm curious how this one compares?

David wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I'm partway through reading this one and enjoying it a lot so far. Didn't necessarily think I would for some reason, but I'm excited to see where else it goes."

Have you read any of ..."

While I wait for my library copy of Pod, I have an itch to try The Bees on audio. Has anyone listened to it?

David wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I'm partway through reading this one and enjoying it a lot so far. Didn't necessarily think I would for some reason, but I'm excited to see where else it goes."

Have you read any of ..."

I have not! I hadn't heard of the author until the longlist dropped. But I think I'll have to check some of her other writing out at some point. I've never been super fascinated with marine life or dolphins but now I am much more curious about it, so she has a really great way of writing.

Have you read anything else by her?

I haven't either. I'm intrigued by what she's written on her goodreads profile:

POD is my latest novel, and I only now realise I have written a trilogy, because bees led me to pollinators led me to climate change led me to the Arctic led me to whaling led me to cetacean societies and the migration crisis in the ocean...

The books don't seem to be a traditional trilogy, in the sense that they need to be read sequentially, but it sounds like she's pursuing similar themes.

It’s like whole books of talking animals though

Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer wrote: "It’s like whole books of talking animals though"

Ha! Strictly speaking, though, The Bees doesn't anthropomorphise the hive, and they communicate non verbally rather than 'talk'. I thought it was a brilliant imagining of a completely different form of social existence. Looking forward to Pod.

Sounds encouraging. I will get to this one next I think.

Reading Dog of The North (which is impossible to say in my head not in a North English accent) currently

I read it and I think it's brilliant.

I love how almost all of the books on the longlist are finding fans in this group. Nice review of this, Elizabeth.

David wrote: "I love how almost all of the books on the longlist are finding fans in this group. Nice review of this, Elizabeth."

Thanks so much, David!

Grabbed this as a cover buy the week before the longlist was announced and decided to read it shortly after the announcement. Had never heard of it or the author before.

It's a lot more than I was expecting...I thought I was getting into a cute little book about dolphins but it was so much more.

I can totally understand what others mean about finding the writing off-putting - there is something about the writing that draws me in and repels me in equal parts.

While I didn't love the book, I think it's a book that I will be thinking about for a long time. My initial reaction is something like a 3 or 3.5 but this will probably inflate to a 4 after a few months have passed. It just seems like a book that is different enough to stick out in my mind even over books that I thought were better and that is usually a good sign.

I really did not like this one. I was excited to try it as something quite different (I have not read anything by Paull before), but I could barely get through it. I thought the prologue was lovely, actually, but as soon as we went back to the past, it quickly degenerated for me. I did not like the writing style, I found the story jumbled and chaotic and lacking in any real flow, and I just found nothing enjoyable about it. The first real disappointment of the longlist since Memphis for me.

I finished this about a week ago. I think I liked the idea of the book- a commentary of ocean life and effects of pollution as told by dolphins- far more than I enjoyed the execution.

I think it’s a clever book that will have its following.

I am keen to read Bees still.

I just finished this and processing my thoughts but I think closer to Dylan’s views - far from perfect execution but a book I think will stick with me.

My thoughts now processed

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

GY, that was a good dad joke review!

I really enjoyed this one. Loved the writing as well.
4*

I am struggling with this! I actually hated the first quarter and definitely would have not finished but it’s my 2nd last longlist read and I just couldn’t handle that! And by hated I maybe mean a strong unpleasant visceral reaction, not that I think it’s a bad book or badly written- in the contrary, probably, to elicit such a reaction from me. The next 2 quarters were an easier read (though I skipped some sections) and have the last quarter to read.

What in particular lead to that reaction Suzanne

I think it’s violence towards animals that I find tough - even apparently when it’s animals towards animals. Why I basically never watch nature shows! So I’m just skipping those sections in the book.

Suzanne wrote: "I think it’s violence towards animals that I find tough - even apparently when it’s animals towards animals. Why I basically never watch nature shows! So I’m just skipping those sections in the book."

Was there a different feel to the violence here, compared to Glory? I know Glory really worked for you.

I think because the animals in Glory were so anthropomorphic and allegorical that it wasn’t actually reading about animals.

The author just tweeted a quote from my review.

'at times the book feels like a cross between Reservoir Dogfish and Fifty Scales of Grey.'

Pretty great line, you have to admit.

Excellent :)

Love it! 😂😂😂

Haha - loved that line the first time I read it!

Clever, GY!

ha brilliant.

I have to say I am very impressed with the author on Instagram - she engages really constructively with the reviews of her book including (possibly even especially) the negative ones - thanking people for their comments and acknowledging any criticisms of the book while also appreciating the compliments.

That's how I got to know Laline Paull, when I reviewed her The Ice: I liked it, gave it 4 stars but had some niggles which we chatted about in, as you say GY, a constructive and open fashion. I must get round to Pod soon.

Chatting with authors is fun, but then I don’t feel like I could ever criticize their book knowing they will read my comments. I admire anyone who has the passion and discipline required to write a book and then the courage to send that work into the world where any one can say anything about it. I will honestly praise a book on Instagram, but if I don’t like it, I just won’t say much about it.