Yann Martel

[jaybe]

Having really enjoyed 'Life of Pi' I've just read his second book 'Beatrice and Virgil.'

I loved it (except for small moments) it's original, quirky and thoroughly memorable. Yet it's had the most dreadful reviews in the history of publishing I would think.

Why Yann Martel’s Beatrice and Virgil is the Worst Book of the Decade

Any of you have any thoughts?

 

[beer good]

I haven't read it, but that's not the only bad review he's gotten.

This bit, especially, puts me off wanting to read it:

In the book, the Canadian author of the highly successful second novel about animals is called Henry, and he plans his follow-up as a flip-book, one of those back-to-back reversible volumes which contains two books in one. They would comprise a fictional allegory of the Holocaust, and an essay on the subject. He has many good reasons for doing this - it's a clever idea - but we are told how Henry's publishers balk at the idea, send him off to rework it, or get rid of it. As a reader with a good deal of interest in writing about writing (and writing about publishing), I liked this introduction. However here we also get the first doubtful use of the Holocaust in Beatrice and Virgil. We are told that fewer than two per cent of Holocaust survivors ever tell of their ordeal. And so:

For his part, Henry now joined the vast majority of those who had been shut up by the Holocaust.

Oh really? This author of a "fundamentally misconceived" idea he couldn't let go of, being given sage advice by his publishers - save yourself, save your reputation, the book is terrible - is now comparing himself to those who suffered in the Final Solution?

What was it you liked about it, since everything I've heard of it is that it's awful?