Interesting story, but narrative not working, 08 Oct 2008
What a disappointment! I really tried to like this book. Had seen it in the library and wanted to take it out for ages and when I finally did I thought it would be a treat. It wasn't. But it should be. The blurb, the cover and the short chapters with catchy titles ... everything was perfect. Plus I liked the characters and the situation:

Gest has 50 days to complete an art commission. Candy Girl is her model. While they meet they tell each other about their lives. Fantastic and interesting stories. But I can't feel any compassion for the characters ...

I think it has to do with the way the story is told. There's some kind of film camera perspective, but it's not consequent in what it's showing and not showing. The past and present merge and it's hard to find a function for some of the chapters.

I wanted to keep reading though. I just had to know what the darkness that surrounded Gest was all about. The characters don't have names. They're called things like the Reader and the Micro. It makes you feel even more distant towards the characters. And some parts really drag and I had to skim past all the details.

I think that 50 days could have become a brilliant book if it had been told in a more simple way. The narrative structure gets in the way of the story. Yet I'll remember the characters and their unusual circumstances.