Marya rated The sparrow: 5 stars
The sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
The Sparrow is a novel about a remarkable man, a living saint, a life-long celibate and Jesuit priest, who undergoes …
This was my first Murakami and I understand it's an early work but:
--As science fiction, I found it rather ponderous.
--As a novel, it lacked characterization.
--I was immediately whacked over the head by the narrator's casual sexism (oh look, a fat girl who unexpectedly gives me a hard-on. Let's just call her "the chubby girl" for the rest of the book and pretend I'm chivalrous for not sleeping with her because she's 17.)
--the plot seemed like a big McGuffin.
Overall the writing was occasionally lovely but often unpolished (translator may be at fault here). Some nice descriptive passages and perceptions, but the dialog is like a parody, swinging between curt Chandleresque hard-boiledness (see title), information dumps, and speeches. There's a painful chapter where the narrator goes on a date and helpfully lists the full Italian name of every dish ordered, plus all the liquor brands, and lectures …
