that’s the promise with which the book opens. it had the exact opposite effect on me.

to martel’s defense, it is an incredibly well-written book, but it was seriously depressing. i trudged through the last 100 pages or so just so i could say i had finished it.

Booker Prize winner from 2002. I bought it to keep me occupied for at least part of my long flights to and from Korea, but it turns out that I’m only getting around to reading it now.