Initial Reaction to Libra

I was really excited at the opportunity to read about one of the defining events of the 20th Century. John F. Kennedy's assassination has provoked numerous conspiracy theories as the country mourned the loss of a charismatic leader. Unfortunately, Libra disappointed me. While the subject and approach of the book is rather interesting, it was the delivery that fell flat. Libra starts out with Lee Oswald's childhood, showing the readers how Lee was like as a child, yet, it moved so slowly that I could barely stay awake.

In fact, to be honest, I started reading this book whenever I couldn't fall asleep. Just a few pages, and I was knocked out. Perhaps this has something to do with our waning attention spans, but I felt bored reading it and often questioning why many find this style of writing to be nuanced. I'll admit, the idea of having the two story lines interweaving seems appealing, having thoroughly enjoyed Slaughterhouse Five, but instead, it feels as if those two separate story lines should be two distinct books sold separately.

Finally, I found myself skimming over the conversations that come up in the novel. Apparently, these conversations are important and are the bulk of the novel. Oh boy! This is going to be a long novel.