Book: Admission
Author: Jean Hanff Korelitz
Grade: C-
Recommended to: I'm not sure, People who like long books.
I picked up Admission for 99 cents on Amazon. Of course. I feel like I don't even need to say this part now because I always get my books on Amazon, for dirt cheap. Obviously, I love it.
Things I do not love, including this book, but there were some parts that were okay and actually kept my attention. This book is about Portia and admissions counselor at Princeton and her relationships. There's this big secret in the book that they don't reveal until the last 50 pages or so, but there is some textbook foreshadowing throughout the entire novel. Plus, unfortunately the movie preview, the new one with Tina Fey, ruins the surprise early on without all of the detail.
I really enjoyed the parts about the admission process. It was interesting to read about how the admissions decisions were made (at least in this fictional account). But, the book was so long. At least 500 pages and I felt that much of the narrative could have been cut. There were long descriptions of particular applicants that I don't believe the reader was ever meant to remember or interact with. Plus, the book included long essays from the students that were just mod podged into the middle of the book. Booooring.
I didn't like the characters much. I hate when characters don't talk to one another. Maybe it is because I have very very few secrets (actually, I can't think of any major secrets), that it is so ridiculous when a character doesn't just say what they are thinking to the person they are thinking it about. Seriously, Portia leaves the house of this guy she really likes in the middle of the night and then never calls him. That is such strange behavior and I have no idea why a 40 year old woman would do something like that. Those parts of the main character irritated me.
This was a very average read. I'm not sure if the book convinced me to watch the movie, it just wasn't good enough to be compelling, even though I like Tina Fey.
So, perhaps watch the movie and take a pass on the book. The movie, at least, will be shorter!
Happy Reading!!
