Talk Talk (original 2006; édition 2006)

there is more than one way to talk a life ......

I liked this better than most of the T.C. Boyle books I've read. This was fun - full of action from the get-go. And I thought the characters were wonderfully drawn. (I especially liked the bad guy, with his obsession about cooking.) The most interesting thing was the focus on language, both of the hearing and non-hearing variety. ( )

I don't love all of T.C Boyle's book, but I always like them. A novelist of great range, Boyle keeps me engaged. ( )

A compelling enough read but one that never really transcends the genre in the way you can feel the author trying to. The protagonists are frustrating in ways that I imagine were meant to feel realistic, but instead seemed jarring. The idea of exploring the ways in which deaf people experience the world within a thriller was a promising one, but in the end Boyle falls a bit short on both counts. A shame, because it has the kernel of something wonderful in it. ( )

When this started I was looking forward to seeing how Dana and Bridger were going to overcome both their relationship and overcome differences with her being deaf. More courtroom mystery and contemporary romance. Um...not this.

While there is a bit of those elements, this is the thrill of the chase. Bridger is determined to catch the person who stole Dana's identity, leaving her in a heap of trouble. But getting involved just digs his own grave deeper. This book was fast paced, and while not what I expected I mostly enjoyed it.

I do think the author would do better at writing a more regulated contemporary though. WHile fast, it seemed too unrealistic and a bit chaotic at times. But the writing is rich and has a touch of eloquence. So it made on odd mix, keeping me tearing through the book, but feeling distant the whole time since I could not connect right. It did not help that I didn't feel our couples relationship. it seemed off for a lot of the book

Mild spoiler alert coming next!


I did not like the ending. More than anything that is what turned this book from at least interesting to wishing I never started. Some might be okay with the ending but I was less than satisfied. ( )