There’s no accounting for taste of course. I read, or tried to read, the much hyped ‘Normal People’. I found it so so dull and dry that I soon gave up. Watched the TV adaptation and was completely gripped. What had I been missing, I wondered? Went back to the novel to try again and was just as bored as before. Another example from another media. The film ‘Hereditary’ with Toni Colette (who I really like). All the critics that I normally respect loved it. I saw it at the cinema and thought it was ludicrous and unconvincing. And one scene that had been pointed up by a critic as particularly spine chilling, but wasn’t, also had a couple of young women in the audience sniggering.A few days later I met up with some old friends and mentioned that I’d seen it and, without missing a beat, one of the friends said ‘Yes I saw it too, wasn’t it awful.’ It was as obvious to her as it was to me that it was feeble and yet all those critics had really rated it. I’ve not read the Thursday Murder Club so can’t comment on this.
Alastair Banton ● 2045d