Review by Wally1327 -- Cooperative Lives by Patrick Finegan
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Review by Wally1327 -- Cooperative Lives by Patrick Finegan
[Following is a volunteer review of "Cooperative Lives" by Patrick Finegan.]
Cooperative Lives by Patrick T. Finegan
Beginning with a cooperative building in New York City, Cooperative Lives by Patrick T. Finegan delves into the lives of some of the residents. There are hundreds of owners living there, Doctors, Lawyers, even staff and relatives. The reader is given to understand the residents neither have the motivation or desire to know each other, yet somehow they are connected.
I liked best the vivid descriptions of the squalor and deprivation the residents suffered by living in this building. Also liked, was the author’s knowledge of things we take for granted such as electrical power, sources of water and financial institutions. I disliked the author’s method of consistently reiterating facts about grids, financial information, etc., to the degree of making reading laborious. Pages and pages of such information did not capture my interest.
Each chapter detailed the lives of individual residents. Their lives appeared to be entwined in a variety of events from malpractice to insurgents. Without any sense of normalcy in their lives it was a stretch of the imagination to make me feel these people were believable. It would have been more plausible if some of the characters were the variety of people one actually has as a neighbor. I am sure the author is well qualified in his research on finance and law; however, from a reader’s point of view, it would have made me happier to be entertained rather than receive a forced learning period.
Although the residents did in fact have connections, often in obtuse ways, I found no real depth to the story. Circumstances and characters failed to hold my involvement. There were so many characters introduced, who then suffered tortuous surgery I lost track. Some of the main residents such as Jack and Susan were near death and then were fit again and ready for their next situation. It became necessary to re-read some sections of the book to keep the characters in mind. Wallace and Hanni involved with computers, drugs and Iran were more difficult to follow as were the young daughter who died and Andrew as building manager. The premise of the story was good, lots of people residing in one building. A handle of these residents involved in an underhanded event would have been great. For this reason, I gave Cooperative Lives by Patrick T. Finegan 2 out of 4 stars. The audience for this novel would most likely be in the 20-30 yr. range. Some profanity was found beginning in Chapter 4, Page 27, 2nd paragraph. Graphic sexual language begins in Chapter 19, Page 13, 2nd paragraph.
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Cooperative Lives
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Cooperative Lives by Patrick T. Finegan
Beginning with a cooperative building in New York City, Cooperative Lives by Patrick T. Finegan delves into the lives of some of the residents. There are hundreds of owners living there, Doctors, Lawyers, even staff and relatives. The reader is given to understand the residents neither have the motivation or desire to know each other, yet somehow they are connected.
I liked best the vivid descriptions of the squalor and deprivation the residents suffered by living in this building. Also liked, was the author’s knowledge of things we take for granted such as electrical power, sources of water and financial institutions. I disliked the author’s method of consistently reiterating facts about grids, financial information, etc., to the degree of making reading laborious. Pages and pages of such information did not capture my interest.
Each chapter detailed the lives of individual residents. Their lives appeared to be entwined in a variety of events from malpractice to insurgents. Without any sense of normalcy in their lives it was a stretch of the imagination to make me feel these people were believable. It would have been more plausible if some of the characters were the variety of people one actually has as a neighbor. I am sure the author is well qualified in his research on finance and law; however, from a reader’s point of view, it would have made me happier to be entertained rather than receive a forced learning period.
Although the residents did in fact have connections, often in obtuse ways, I found no real depth to the story. Circumstances and characters failed to hold my involvement. There were so many characters introduced, who then suffered tortuous surgery I lost track. Some of the main residents such as Jack and Susan were near death and then were fit again and ready for their next situation. It became necessary to re-read some sections of the book to keep the characters in mind. Wallace and Hanni involved with computers, drugs and Iran were more difficult to follow as were the young daughter who died and Andrew as building manager. The premise of the story was good, lots of people residing in one building. A handle of these residents involved in an underhanded event would have been great. For this reason, I gave Cooperative Lives by Patrick T. Finegan 2 out of 4 stars. The audience for this novel would most likely be in the 20-30 yr. range. Some profanity was found beginning in Chapter 4, Page 27, 2nd paragraph. Graphic sexual language begins in Chapter 19, Page 13, 2nd paragraph.
******
Cooperative Lives
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Yesterday by Samyann
