Feathered Serpent

I love to read...pretty much anything. Well, don't give me a technical book on how to rig up my computer to open and close my garage door or something. I will just give you a blank stare. But, I love novels, fiction, epic books about awesome things, books that make me happy...you get my drift. Absolutely loved Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (and the movie)!!! Books written about ancient Chinese or Japanese culture or The Orient (is that PC to say anymore?) are fascinating to me. So, I was pleased to find Feathered Serpent by Xu Xiaobin at my local bookstore for a decent price. The cover was beautiful and the jacket read like an interesting short story.

If I thought I would be getting something similar to Memoirs of a Geisha, I was more than wrong. While Feathered Serpent was an interesting read; it was VERY confusing to follow. I prefer books that flow from chapter to chapter, and that are written in the same voice throughout, in either 1st or 3rd person. Feathered Serpent had a host of "narrators" of the story, and it took a few paragraphs into the new person's story to know who was even telling their story. It was an A-ha moment every few chapters. It also jumped from year to year. I know some books start in the present and do a flashback, but this book would go from the present to the past back to the present then to ancient times then head back to the past and come right back on in to the present. Confused? Yeah, welcome to my world. And sometimes, I couldn't even tell if an event had really happened, or if it had been a dream that someone had had. More confusion.

But, when it comes to reading, I am not a quitter. I told myself I would finish it, and I did. It wasn't the best of reads. I say this, simply because I only consider books that I can barely put down to be amazing. When I find myself reading before bed, on the couch, with my morning coffee, etc., then I know I've found a great book. Unfortunately, Feathered Serpent was not one of those books. So, does this book get my recommendation? No. However, if you want an interesting, yet confusing ride, then yes, by all means...go for it. I just know I won't be keeping it in my "Must Read Again" pile.