Review: The Book That Wouldn’t Burn
The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
I always get super thrilled to dive into a fresh new book and uncover all the details of its plot, the complexity of its characters, and the sheer beauty of its writing. But not every reading experience lives up to my excitement. Recently, it happened with The Book That Wouldn’t Burn, by Mark Lawrence, which was a disappointment, as I really wanted to like this book.
At its core, the story revolves around a mysterious book that seems to hold unparalleled power—a book that refuses to burn, no matter what. Being a book lover, this idea caught my interest right away. The idea of a book having a life of its own is interesting, and Lawrence sets the stage for a discussion about what stories mean and how they affect our lives. Although the idea is great, the execution was weak, which made it hard for me to get into the story.
The author has a unique writing style, often filled with poetic language that is undeniably beautiful. But at times, this style felt overly elaborate, causing the pacing to slow down significantly. Rather of being carried away by the developing narrative, I discovered myself dragging over extended stretches that broke the general flow.
The protagonist, Caitlin, is meant to be a complex character with a troubled background, but I struggled to connect with her. Her reasons and her problems were sometimes disguised by the complex plot. Additionally, some supporting characters seemed one-dimensional, which made their interactions with Caitlin less impactful.
The story itself is very bold, combining ideas about power, knowledge, and the way stories work. Still, the tempo was erratic. Some sections were gripping, while others felt stagnant and drawn out. The basic storyline eluded me much of the time as it veered off into tangents that, although fascinating, did not greatly advance the main plot.
It was clear that some tighter editing could have done wonders for the narrative. Trimming about 200 pages would have given us a more concise and impactful reading experience.
Although this book suffers in execution, overall it offers an intriguing idea and some really well written passages. Unfortunately, my capacity to really interact with the plot was hampered by its dense language, slow pace, and lack of character depth.
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