Review of Fondly, Bob
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Bethel Saint Bright
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Review of Fondly, Bob
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Fondly, Bob" by Susan Dorabelle Stephenson.]
"Fondly, Bob" by Susan Dorabelle Stephenson takes readers through the narrator's experiences. The narrator begins by introducing Bob as an honest pal. She also introduces her erstwhile husband, Bogus (a name she gave him). Readers follow the narrator as she journeys through homelessness, loss, and other ordeals in an attempt to escape a marriage (or a husband) that has become a thorn in her side. When she thinks she has found an escape, she has to face Bogus again in a court trial orchestrated by Bogus. Are all these experiences real or mere projections and figments of her imagination?
This book is not your everyday read. You have to pay rapt attention to every line to understand the narrative (even if it is to a small extent). I had no idea what I was up against until I was about 20 pages in. It was then that I realized the unconventionality of this book. I had to go back to the top to restart the reading. I stayed on this book all night.
I was intrigued by the narrator's mind and the way she thinks. Her writing was poetic at some points and psychological at other times. You need an above-average comprehension ability to understand this book. Here's an example: "Long-awaited, these were nuanced gems. My simple task was to seat my wits at his robe's hem and glean each hidden, phantom fact. I knew never to say the "O" word because a counterpoint would slash the cloth of conception and silence the muse and the mood." The flow of those sentences is both poetic and psychological. There are many examples of this narrative structure throughout the book.
One of the things that might make some readers like me stay on the book from start to finish is that there are not many opportunities to take a break. The book is divided into three parts, and there are no other subdivisions, like chapters. Other readers might find it tiring. However, the section separators provide a window to take a break. Also, there are in-text images and side notes that serve as icebreakers. Nonetheless, breaking up the narrative further into chapters can help readers who dislike long reads with no definitive break points.
There is a conflict about the religious disposition of this book. Let me explain. On the one hand, this book is about the narrator's marriage and life ordeals. This is something anyone, regardless of religious inclination, can relate to. On the other hand, the narrator referred to many verses from the Bible and lines from Christian hymnals. This might raise some concerns, especially for people who do not believe in the Bible. I conclude that an aspect of the book projects a particular religion. However, it does not take away from the book's central theme.
The book is unique, and there is no serious fault I can find in it. However, the editing needs to be better to eliminate some of the grammar and spelling errors. Considering the number of errors, I rate the book a four out of five.
******
Fondly, Bob
View: on Bookshelves
"Fondly, Bob" by Susan Dorabelle Stephenson takes readers through the narrator's experiences. The narrator begins by introducing Bob as an honest pal. She also introduces her erstwhile husband, Bogus (a name she gave him). Readers follow the narrator as she journeys through homelessness, loss, and other ordeals in an attempt to escape a marriage (or a husband) that has become a thorn in her side. When she thinks she has found an escape, she has to face Bogus again in a court trial orchestrated by Bogus. Are all these experiences real or mere projections and figments of her imagination?
This book is not your everyday read. You have to pay rapt attention to every line to understand the narrative (even if it is to a small extent). I had no idea what I was up against until I was about 20 pages in. It was then that I realized the unconventionality of this book. I had to go back to the top to restart the reading. I stayed on this book all night.
I was intrigued by the narrator's mind and the way she thinks. Her writing was poetic at some points and psychological at other times. You need an above-average comprehension ability to understand this book. Here's an example: "Long-awaited, these were nuanced gems. My simple task was to seat my wits at his robe's hem and glean each hidden, phantom fact. I knew never to say the "O" word because a counterpoint would slash the cloth of conception and silence the muse and the mood." The flow of those sentences is both poetic and psychological. There are many examples of this narrative structure throughout the book.
One of the things that might make some readers like me stay on the book from start to finish is that there are not many opportunities to take a break. The book is divided into three parts, and there are no other subdivisions, like chapters. Other readers might find it tiring. However, the section separators provide a window to take a break. Also, there are in-text images and side notes that serve as icebreakers. Nonetheless, breaking up the narrative further into chapters can help readers who dislike long reads with no definitive break points.
There is a conflict about the religious disposition of this book. Let me explain. On the one hand, this book is about the narrator's marriage and life ordeals. This is something anyone, regardless of religious inclination, can relate to. On the other hand, the narrator referred to many verses from the Bible and lines from Christian hymnals. This might raise some concerns, especially for people who do not believe in the Bible. I conclude that an aspect of the book projects a particular religion. However, it does not take away from the book's central theme.
The book is unique, and there is no serious fault I can find in it. However, the editing needs to be better to eliminate some of the grammar and spelling errors. Considering the number of errors, I rate the book a four out of five.
******
Fondly, Bob
View: on Bookshelves
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patricia MGBEMENA
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I would love to know how Susan deals with all she went through which includes loss, homelessness and many more in attempt to escape her marriage with Bogus.
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