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brianreynolds
Jun 11, 2011brianreynolds rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
This certainly is a "likable" little tale. It seems to stutter quite a bit, trying to decide what exactly it's trying to say. It might be a complaint against authoritarian regimes, but it can't decide whether the characters are free to do whatever they want whenever they want or whether they are hard done by prisoners of a totalitarian dictator. It might be a touching story of first love or a train wreck of misjudged affection and misplaced trust. It might be about sophistication triumphing over ignorance or art over provincialism, but it just as easily could be trying to say that fancy underwear and a better accent can turn a sow's ear into a silk purse. Mercifully, it was short. What made it less than memorable for me was the sparseness of the prose. Not mincing words can add incredible power to significant plot lines. I usually appreciate that a great deal. Not giving the reader enough information to fall in love with the characters, however, is a recipe for the reader not being engaged in the story. I had a hard time staying awake.