Waiting for Columbus
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Review
'an engaging, evocative book' --The Herald
'I loved this elegantly written, utterly original story with its deeply moving conclusion.' --Richard Madeley, Woman's Own
'This is one of the most unusual and absorbing stories I've read, with a great tragedy and gentleness of heart.' --Judy Finnigan, Woman's Own
'I loved this elegantly written, utterly original story with its deeply moving conclusion.' --Richard Madeley, Woman's Own
'This is one of the most unusual and absorbing stories I've read, with a great tragedy and gentleness of heart.' --Judy Finnigan, Woman's Own
Product Description
In contemporary Spain, a man arrives at an insane asylum in Seville claiming to be the legendary navigator Christopher Columbus. Who he really is, and the events that lead him to break with reality, lie at the centre of this page-turning novel.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
When I read the blurb, I hoped I was in for a good read. I so wanted to like this novel. The premise was intriguing, the writing was intelligent and for a while I was immersed in it.
Only then, something happened. Or rather something didn't happen. That moment when the reader becomes absorbed int he world the writer has created. I just could not get to grips with it at all. This is probably totally my fault but I found irritation on every page. I didn't find the mental asylum scenes convincing; most nurses are far too stressed and busy to sit and listen to the ramblings of a man who may be mad. And to share the same swimming pool with a naked patient? Oh no. It would never happen.
Suspension of disbelief is essential in all fiction. It didn't happen.
At first, I was intrigued by the 'anachronisms' in 'Columbus's' stories but after a while I grew annoyed--angry even--because I felt the author was playing games with me. Perhaps I'm just not clever enough but I prefer authors who draw me in and include me in their world. What I hate are authors who somehow spend a book telling me just how clever they are.
Only then, something happened. Or rather something didn't happen. That moment when the reader becomes absorbed int he world the writer has created. I just could not get to grips with it at all. This is probably totally my fault but I found irritation on every page. I didn't find the mental asylum scenes convincing; most nurses are far too stressed and busy to sit and listen to the ramblings of a man who may be mad. And to share the same swimming pool with a naked patient? Oh no. It would never happen.
Suspension of disbelief is essential in all fiction. It didn't happen.
At first, I was intrigued by the 'anachronisms' in 'Columbus's' stories but after a while I grew annoyed--angry even--because I felt the author was playing games with me. Perhaps I'm just not clever enough but I prefer authors who draw me in and include me in their world. What I hate are authors who somehow spend a book telling me just how clever they are.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Can you imagine One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest meeting Mills and Boon? Well, it happened in this book. This terrible, mawkish sentimental story is set in an insane asylum where the nurse falls in love with the patient, who, if he wasn't insane, you would have to conclude is the most extravagant b.s. merchant on the face of the earth.
I blame the author. It is basically cheating to put a large part of the story into the mouth of a character who is insane because then you can abdicate all responsibility for the fact that it doesn't make any sense. It is ridiculous to suggest that a SPANISH doctor could not work out (from his accent alone) that his patient is CANADIAN. It is ridiculous to suggest that a female nurse would be swimming naked while her patient watched. It is ridiculous to suggest that a psychiatric nurse would be baffled by all the patient's mumbo-jumbo to the point where she seems to attribute some sort of magical powers to him. I mean, how did he manage to get Federica to make him a cup of coffee every day? Wow. Spooky.
Please, I beg you, don't read this book if you know ANYTHING about psychiatry. Or literature. Or, for that matter, reality. Because you will probably hate this book as much as I did.
I blame the author. It is basically cheating to put a large part of the story into the mouth of a character who is insane because then you can abdicate all responsibility for the fact that it doesn't make any sense. It is ridiculous to suggest that a SPANISH doctor could not work out (from his accent alone) that his patient is CANADIAN. It is ridiculous to suggest that a female nurse would be swimming naked while her patient watched. It is ridiculous to suggest that a psychiatric nurse would be baffled by all the patient's mumbo-jumbo to the point where she seems to attribute some sort of magical powers to him. I mean, how did he manage to get Federica to make him a cup of coffee every day? Wow. Spooky.
Please, I beg you, don't read this book if you know ANYTHING about psychiatry. Or literature. Or, for that matter, reality. Because you will probably hate this book as much as I did.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
The cover notes for "Waiting for Columbus" say that it is a book that will appeal to fans of "The Gargoyle" and the "Time Traveler's Wife"; having read and immensely enjoyed both of those books I'm afraid "Waiting for Columbus" isn't in the same league.
"The Gargoyle" and "The Time Traveler's Wife" require some effort on the part of the reader to persevere with the story over the initial chapters until the story becomes clear, however I found that I was nearly at the end of "Waiting for Columbus" and still had no idea what it was all about. The mixing of past and present events was very confusing, for example, Christopher Columbus finishes his audience requesting his ships with the King and Queen of Spain and then can't find his car in the car-park. Characters also appeared for a chapter and then either disappeared or re-appeared so much later than you had to go back in the book to find out who they were.
It didn't involve the reader in the way "The Gargoyle" and "Time Traveler's Wife" did and the ending when it came lacked the real emotion of those books.
I found it confusing and ultimately unsatisfying.
"The Gargoyle" and "The Time Traveler's Wife" require some effort on the part of the reader to persevere with the story over the initial chapters until the story becomes clear, however I found that I was nearly at the end of "Waiting for Columbus" and still had no idea what it was all about. The mixing of past and present events was very confusing, for example, Christopher Columbus finishes his audience requesting his ships with the King and Queen of Spain and then can't find his car in the car-park. Characters also appeared for a chapter and then either disappeared or re-appeared so much later than you had to go back in the book to find out who they were.
It didn't involve the reader in the way "The Gargoyle" and "Time Traveler's Wife" did and the ending when it came lacked the real emotion of those books.
I found it confusing and ultimately unsatisfying.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A struggle to finish it
This book was a struggle to finish. The story was totally unbelievable and it annoyed me in every page. Read more
Published 5 months ago by SLL (London)
A keeper for my book shelves
This is an odd story, certainly and probably aspects of it were unrealistic (as other reviewers have pointed out), but that didn't matter to me. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Hils T
waiting
I found this book interesting in parts and difficult in others especially the asylum scenes - an unused swiming pool come on. Read more
Published 7 months ago by few words
A well written novel
It took me a couple of chapters to get into this book but once I did I was hooked onto every word. I found myself wanting to know more about this Christopher Columbus character and... Read more
Published 8 months ago by S.Duncan
Clumsy, artless and inept.
So disappointed by this book. It was utter nonsense from start to finish and poorly executed at that. Read more
Published 10 months ago by C. Ramuz
DID NOT GRAB
Hard as I tried I could not really get into this book, I just found it a bit to convoluted. That's not to say that it isn't well written or that it's not interesting up to a... Read more
Published 13 months ago by A. Taylor
Waiting door Columbus
Much convoluted research and retrospective detail which went on for too long but the resulting solution was good, absorbing and worthwhile.
Published 16 months ago by Lorna
A Flat Earth Experience
The backcover blurb for this book intrigued me but from the second page I felt frustration. I realise that the man who claims to be Columbus is likely to be mentally ill, but the... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Antenna
Emotional, unforgettable and original
Wow!! I absolutely loved this book! It was chosen for our book club and what a read...it was unique with its style about Christopher Columbus set in the modern day. Read more
Published 17 months ago by littlewebby
A beautiful, moving love story with a twist
I cannot recommend this book enough. It is certainly one of my personal books of the year. Not only is it a very cleverly and beautifully written love story, it also interweaves... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Sevillana
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