Customer Reviews

A History of the World in Ten and a Half Chapters (Cambridge Literature)

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I liked most of this book, loved some and hated others. The book is interesting.
Julian Barnes has written a work of fiction, that is not really history in the strictest sense of the word. It is more an examination of Worldviews. The book is divided up into eleven sections, with the meditation on love being the half chapter in the title. The book opens with the perspective of a woodworm that slipped onto Noah's ark and gives the story from the animal's perspective. This story is quite humorous really. The second story is about a group of history tourists being hijacked by Arabs while on a cruise. This story is much more intense and sad than the first story. It is a radical shift in tone and feel of the book. The book does this over and over. There is the story of a nuclear attack that really is not. There is the story of 900 Jews on the St. Louis during the time of Hitler and the final solution. There is a reflection on the meaning of love that is not at all sappy and is perhaps the best part of the book. There a several other stories, all of which are good, but one. The one that I did not like at all was the one about Heaven. Heaven was almost Hell in Barnes' perspective. This ending weakened the whole book.

I don't even know what to say about this book, except that is is so awful, so inane, so disjointed and ridiculous that this book is a SKIP! I read it for my book club and it is one of the most disorganized group of short stories masquerading as a cohesive novel that have barely a thread to keep this whole thing from falling apart. Simply the worst book I can recall reading (and...well, finishing!)

I suppose the first chapter about Noah's Ark was interesting enough and funny in moments, but I just couldn't wait to turn a page because the pacing is so plodding. I finally just ended up skimming over the unimportant parts (of which there are many). And just to be jerked from one story that has nothing to do with another story and peddling it as a novel is misleading.

A terrible book. I am loathe to give it even one star, because it doesn't deserve a half a star. What a waste of paper. If you see it i a book store, run away! FAST!!!! (I guess I'm a little bitter since this is my book club selection and I have to finish it. At least here, I have a place to vent before the meeting next week.