Have you ever encountered a book that no matter how hard you try, you just can’t seem to get into? A book, not necessarily required reading (like for school or work) but you are really interested but you just can’t seem to get past the first few pages?
That’s how I felt with D.M. Cornish’s Foundling, the first book in his Monster Blood Tattoo series. Don’t get me wrong: it looks like it’s a good story, you can tell that he spent time world building and there have been generally good reviews. I’ve already started on this 3 years ago, and could only start reading a few pages then put it down again. But I somehow just can’t get hooked to his story. I know, I know, I’m only just at the first few pages but I really just couldn’t get into it.
In these first few pages, I felt that it assumed that I already know what sport they are doing. Like I should already know how it is played or at least an idea of what it is. All I got was it was a contact sport, but that’s it. I was not given an incentive to learn more about it because it was over too quickly. And the scene for me read too technical and verbose. Aside from that, there is also a Glossary and a few more appendices which makes for extra reading, but I am not yet inclined to read it. As I have mentioned before, if a book requires me to read a footnote that covers more than a page or a journal or an accompaniment, I am more likely to put it down, unless I am given an incentive or actually reading it makes it worth my while.
This is probably why this is still in my ‘books on-hold list’, because I keep starting but can’t force my self to finish it. Heaven knows how many times I have already picked up this book, only to put it down quickly. I know I should give it a try, probably skip the ‘boring’ ((boring for me at least, or not understandable)) parts and skim through to get to the more interesting parts. But right now, am still not in the zone to read a very thick book which can’t get me hooked the first time. Call me a lazy reader, but it’s just what it is.
This review from a fellow reader sums up my initial thoughts on this book.
