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There are currently 38 member reviews
for The Resurrection of Joan Ashby
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Laura P. (Atlanta, GA)
Not My Favorite
This was not the book I expected based on the First Impression description. The Resurrection of Joan Ashby tries to do too much,employing too many stylistic devises. The writing is confusing, inconsistent, and wordy. Part 1: Joan of the title is a writer, author of two unique and successful short story collections, who is determined to focus on her craft - but instead (with a promise of support in her goal, which includes no kids) - marries, has children and loses her way as an author. Just as she is about to get back on track a significant bit of family treachery derails her. Part 2: We learn the story of the treachery. Part 3: We see Joan find her way back. In all three parts of the story, Joan's (and in part 2, son Daniel's) story is interlaced with samples of Joan's writing. The interweaving is incredibly awkward; the transitions between the third person story and the writing excerpts are flat and unimaginative ("and then he read." "the story continued"). And the writing samples serve mostly to lengthen the book -- it's over 500 pages -- rather than advance the story. The final section the resurrection story (which also contains some of Joan's work, with the same problems) struck me as a Eastern-spirituality-based version of books like The Shack and The Celestine Prophesy, both of which I despised. I guess you either love this one or you hate it. I finished the book only because I promised to review it.
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Virginia M. (San Antonio, TX)
It may be my own fault
When I read the description of this book on First Impressions in Book Browse.com, I thought it sounded interesting. Then when I received the book and skimmed through it I again thought I am going to enjoy reading this book; but then I started reading it.
The first 18 pages were not really part of the book. Instead I found out as I waded through those 18 pages (which I thought were depressing) these pages were portions of a book that Joan Ashby supposedly had written. Finally, I got to Page 1 of Chapter 1 of The Resurrection of Joan Ashby. I really feel quite confident that if I could have mustered the tenacity to continue, I might have gotten to the point of enjoying this book. I found out, however, that my 80 plus year old self decided that there were better ways for me to spend the next few days than going on with this struggle. So I did not finish the book.
I feel guilty about that. Let me tell you what my problem was. I discovered that I was having to read quite a few sentences a second time to make sure I understood them. The portion of the book that I read contained gigantic sentences. The champion in the length category (after I decided this was my problem) consisted of 280 words – in one sentence and it was quite easy to discover many runners up with 100 or more words. Heavens, surely the author could have achieved her purpose without making her reader’s struggle so much.
I read another review and discovered that this reader thought that possibly our author was the writer of a new classic. Trying to analyze why we had such divergent opinions, I concluded that the long sentences were the author’s method of making her readers actually experience how difficult and complex Joan Ashby’s own life was.
Anyway, this is my review. One day, when I am full of stamina I may attempt reading this book again. It really may be a classic. But right now, I am going to do something more exciting and liberating for me – like cleaning toilets or making my bed. Sorry.
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Nancy G. (Naples, FL)
911 Editor
This is not one book it's an amalgamate of seven or eight creative writing assignments! And while there is an interesting discussion of motherhood and some promising character development both suffer from an onslaught of intrusive italics rehashing Ashby's previous literary "triumphs". Far from highlighting her much touted genius they only illustrate that she is barely competent. My agreement to review this book is the singular reason I kept wading through it...certainly NOT the beautiful prose or the consistent pace or the subliminal content and I'm afraid that not even decent editing can "resurrect" Joan Ashby!!
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