Review: Warlight

Warlight by Michael Ondaatje
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I know I'm in for a rough road when the first sentence of the Goodreads summary is "In a narrative as mysterious as memory itself..." Um, yes, this book is a mystery alright. I love the concept--what the homefront of WW2 was like when the main character's mother is away being a spy for Britain. But it was just too literary for me and I wanted more action and less talking.

Perhaps it would be less mysterious in print format? I had a difficult time knowing what year it was, since the main character is always flashbacking to his childhood. I liked learning about the characters who took care of him when his mom was away, but I had a hard time connecting all of them.

I love BBC and Acorn TV and brooding characters on British mysteries so I can't believe I couldn't get into this audiobook. Very disappointing for me, although the narration was great.

Disk 2. I'm still completely lost. He's living with a guardian? His mom is in prison? What?
Later on Disk 2. I'm so bored. He's sneaking into houses? Having sex with lots of women? How old is he now and when did he grow up?
What is "The dotter?" (I had to google it--he's saying "The Darter")


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