I was wrong about this book

[@upstatebookish]

It’s great that you took the time revisit this book, Eric. I can’t say I would’ve had the patience to do the same had I not responded to it so positively the first time. Many of the points you raise are things that also resonated with me. There is much to unpack, I found it quietly devastating and generative. You have inspired me to re-read it sooner than I had intended!

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Thanks Andrew! Yeah, I wouldn't normally give a book I initially felt so negatively about the time but I'm glad I did so I appreciate the encouragement. I'd be keen to hear your reaction if you do revisit it.

[@TheFilmAutopsy]

I absolutely enjoyed Study for Obedience, it is a multi layered minimalistic horror fable

[@EricKarlAnderson]

What a great way to describe it!

[@bmaei5]

I read study for obedience and 48 Clues Into the Disappearance of My Sister by Joyce Carol Oates back to back. Both books deal with the stories we tell about ourselves. Accuracy is not a requirement.

[@ReadingintheDriftless]

I am glad you gave this a second look. It really finished strong and brought together the concept of the writing and the story. I agree it is not a book to Love, but a book to really savor.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

😊📚

[@madeubook]

So glad you gave it a second chance! It’s always so hard to pump yourself up for something that you didn’t previously enjoy but sometimes taking a chance pays off. Great review and you have inspired me to look back at old reads that I wasn’t keen on to see if my opinions have changed. Also, thanks for the shout out! It means a lot for me, a new BookerTuber with a tiny little channel, to get noticed by not only a BookTube veteran, but a personal favorite content creator! 🙏😊

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Yeah, I like to think of reading as pure pleasure and this book definitely isn't that so it was hard to go back to, but it is definitely worth it so thank you! And that's very kind of you to say. 🤗📚

[@bibliosophie]

I love this! first of all, bc I really liked this book and so I'm biased. but most of all bc it's a wonderful encouragement to reread and reconsider books.

[@clancyconnolly495]

Honestly the title of this video made me so happy! I haven't read this book (yet) but I saw saw you discuss how this book originally just wasn't grabbing you, but since it was longlisted for the Booker Prize you gave it a second chance. I am so glad you shared your experience, and shared a really beautiful discussion on the book. I am definitely going to give it a read (maybe not all in one go- haha).

[@juliebeatty2351]

Study for Obedience ricocheted round my brain after reading it and is begging for a re-read. I'm powerless in Bernstein's incredible hands and thrilled by it.

[@katiegilley4772]

yay! So happy to hear that you gave this one another shot. I found this book so surreal and even funny in several places. Thanks for taking the time to talk about it -- I haven't read too much about it and your discussion deepened my appreciation for it. Happy reading!

[@NancyChen53]

Love how you give books another go. I’m going to check it out from the library. I love short books that pack a punch so hopefully this will be a good reading experience for me. Claire Keegan has become one of my favorite writers.

[@StephanieP1901]

I'm looking forward to this. It did just win the Giller Prize, and I'm beginning to wonder if it might be a surprise Booker winner.

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

I didn’t love this book. It wasn’t my choice for The Giller but I did say that a reread would allow me to explore the layers and complexity of it. You speak of it well. 😊💙

[@terileekline]

I’m so glad you revisited this outstanding book! My pick for the Booker! Cheers! 😊

[@EricKarlAnderson]

😊📚

[@colmflanagan5933]

Having recently had a week on a deserted beach I was able to read through 5 of the 6 Booker shortlisted novels. The exception being the Bernstein. Like you, I struggled to get started with it but went down to the coffee shop this afternoon and read it in one sitting. It is a gripping encounter as you say but I really enjoyed your analysis. As well as the powerful themes of exclusion which I think talked to the challenges of race, ethnicity, sexuality and class but also to the separation we all create in our internal worlds. I loved too the poetic and sparse language. Keep up the great work.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Thanks so much! I’m glad you came to appreciate it as well.

[@KierTheScrivener]

So happy you gave it another chance and loved it!

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Thanks for the encouragement!

[@OMG21ization]

Great review, I'm glad you gave it another go. This novel really speaks to me. 🙂

[@MMjones6459]

If it's any consolation I thought of you immediately when I saw notice of the prize award 😂 Glad to see you're giving it another opportunity

[@user-yg6ft1iu1i]

When this was long listed by the Booker I was intrigued but after hearing your review. I lost my sense of urgency but I still plan on giving it a chance

[@mikejordan4337]

I appreciate this perspective so much! I read almost halfway through and realized I just wasn't 'getting' it so I read a couple of enlightening reviews that pointed me to some of the larger context I was missing. I got way more out of the second half and I'm really glad I didn't force my way through it and actually took some time to find some guidance.

[@CharlieBrookReads]

Yeah Eric!!! So pleased you enjoyed it so much more this time. So interesting to hear your thoughts too as always. It’s one of my top 3 from the Booker this year, I just loved it.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

I'm glad you feel that way. I'm still not sure how I'll rank the shortlist - they're such different kinds of books!

[@GregHarness]

Good timing, as I just finished this book today. I found a lot to think about in the "otherness" our narrator experienced. I also found myself comparing it to Shirley Jackson's "We Have Always Lived In The Castle" which had some similar themes. Thank you for this wonderful review.

[@janethansen9612]

I approached it as a dark fairy tale with occult meaning beneath the parts we can see. I liked it.

[@GunpowderFictionPlot]

I really love this arc. It's one of my favourite things when a book I hated proves me wrong. Maybe I need to read this again too, I loved your analysis of the themes and ideas.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Thanks! Yeah, to be honest, I wasnt expecting my opinion to change so it was a nice surprise.

[@andreluissoriano]

Ohhhhh. Now I really want to read this.

[@SelinaAllinson]

Even though this novel is relatively slight it's very dense and so it took me more than one sitting to get through on both my first and second attempt. I'm also a slow reader, it's reassuring to know others exist. I love that you made this video Eric because I think it's encouraging to see that books can elicit completely different feelings at different times and that what we once felt, whether it's positive or negative can be questioned. We don't have to stay fixed with our orginal feelings. We change and so our reading experiences change with us. Thank you. Have a good day ☺️

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Yes, absolutely! I know there are some readers who get fixed in their opinions but I think it's good to be open to seeing books from a different point of view or re-experiencing them to see if a reaction changes. But I also sympathise with some readers who would rather focus on books they hope to more immediately appreciate more.

[@lindysmagpiereads]

Yay! I loved this book. I’m glad you read that passage about taking the path of least resistance.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

😊📚

[@dqan7372]

I started it then got distracted by something else. I do remember I was enjoying the experience. Not a straight forward read, for sure, but I like a challenge. (I also enjoy being a serial book starter.) Always interesting when different readers have such different responses, almost as if they're reading a completely different book. Glad your second go at it was rewarding.

[@TheEmzies]

I want to read this because it has been either loved or hated. Its my last from the shortlist so hopefully can get to it before the announcement.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

I'll be really keen to hear what you think!

[@mrl9418]

I liked it too! She is so ambivalent and undecypherable: is she self-denying or is she simply trying to keep the controlling streak she shows at the end in check?

[@danadanabrown]

I absolutely love this book. Maybe it’s not for everybody but what book is?

[@letahogge9776]

I can't help suggesting the honey cake and tea made the difference. 😀

[@Elizabeth-Reads]

There’s nothing better than a reading vlog! And this was fun to watch. So glad you found so much to like in this book, you’re making me want to try it again. I felt like I should like it, the themes and main character and town interested me, I just had such a hard time with the writing. I think I maybe need to be more awake to stay engaged than I was when I first tried. Unrelated nosiness, but can you explain the pictures in your room? Is one a quote? And who are those girls? (Feel free to ignore me if you’d rather not say. 😄 )

[@garylevine5698]

You make me want to go back and give " The Waves" a 2nd çhance. On 2nd thought, nah .I don't think so.😊

[@judybrown1624]

I have similar feelings about this book. Have you by any chance read J by Howard Jacobson. Another book I didn't always understand, but really stuck with me.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

I've not read that. I tried reading The Finkler Question and did not finish it because I wasn't enjoying it at all so I can definitely see how he'd be an author who might require more dedication to appreciate.

[@Mex.Libris]

I loved this entire arch.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

😊📚

[@hairylittlewombat]

I've just finished reading the Booker shortlist and rated this novel last. I thought it was pretentious and a little boring. I couldn't wait to finish it and move on. There's little doubt, the author is very talented but it just didn't resonate with me. The Bee Sting stands out for me.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Fair enough! I think The Bee Sting has a strong chance of winning.

[@jorgem71962]

I read this book and it was so memorable that I cannot remember what it was all about. I had to go check so that I could remember. Not a favorite!

[@douggordy]

I read it in 2 sessions, and gave it a 2.5 rating out of 5. I appreciated what the author was doing, but I just didn't enjoy it.

[@jamesduggan7200]

Yeah, there's something about land does things to people.

[@cindyhaiken5644]

I absolutely admire and applaud that you decided to give the book another chance. I read it slowly and carefully for the Booker and for me it simply did not work. I did not feel engaged in the story at all and also did not admire the protagonist or really anyone else. But I know that people love it.

[@EricKarlAnderson]

That's totally fair. I was dreading returning to it so I'm surprised it was more effective for me - even if it still wasn't enjoyable. Definitely not the sort of challenging book I'd like to casually return to like The Waves! 😅

[@cindyhaiken5644]

@@EricKarlAnderson Ha! But I see how rewarding it would be to return to The Waves every now and then to keep peeling back the onion layers. I don’t see that with this one.

[@paulolima6407]

WHAT? I'm shocked! Your reaction was so amusing. It felt like you hated the book.

[@KDbooks]

May - from this day forth - the title of ‘Booker Bozo’ be yours no longer

[@EricKarlAnderson]

😂😂😂 phew! 😅

[@terileekline]

Hahaha

[@barbarahelgaker390]

I tried it and did finish it, but ... yes it is claustrophobic and she had this awful upbringing, or as she saw it.... I was just so annoyed by her .....what should I call it, subservience? It has a special power ... yes, but is it a Great book? I didn`t think so. Am reading All the Little Bird Hearts at the moment and that is really much more affecting.

[@Marg_reads]

This is a book that merits a second look, a second read. I've been grappling with it too. First impression. It doesn't read like a conventional novel. I am struck not only at how the narrator has internalized a subservient role and mindset but her brother is oblivious seemingly to her practical enslavement. The narrator tells the reader very little. There are so many questions. Answers are shadows. It's almost suffocating. Dystopian. Very interesting read if not the most enjoyable. Not clear yet what the author is getting at. Mid point. I've been coming around to the idea that award-worthy novels may not be the most enjoyable reads, but their merits may rest in other criteria. Like creative use of language and plot line that may withhold as much as it reveals. I suspect that is what I am experiencing at very early stages of reading Sarah Bernstein's novel.

[@-zero.3354]

Eric I just read it over two dark, gloomy,and windy days here in Essouria, Morocco. I think you were spot on in your first reaction..This is 11th of last year's Booker list that I've read and the only one that i didnt like.Inshallah the remaining two will not be like this pretentious book.

[@laurakuhlmann1626]

This is what my friend, who is Jewish and hated the book, had to say when she recommended I read something else: "I get that the book is sort of tongue in cheek but could we stop with the anti-feminist keep- women-in-Check literature?" I'm sorry, but based on the description, I'm highly likely to dislike the book. I've always struggled with passive characters. And life's too short to read books that don't work for us. I've got a full TBR I'm super excited to get to so I'll pass on this one. But I'm glad you had a positive experience on your second try

[@binglamb2176]

Sounds dreadfully dull.