The Tiger's Wife

I'm on the fence about "The Tiger's Wife" by Tea Obreht. I saw a couple of rave reviews about it, so when I saw it at the library, I checked it out. It's due back at the library on Sunday, but that doesn't seem to be enough motivation to make me read it faster.

I don't know how to categorize it -- high concept? Literary fiction? Whatever it is, I think the story meanders a little too much for me. I mean, the writing itself is well done, but the story is kind of confusing. She talks about present day then goes back in time for a while, so by the time your time and place changes again you've forgotten who some of the characters are.

I want to love it, because Obreht is a new, young writer who's done really well for herself. Then again, I want to hate her because she's only about 27 years old and she has a critically acclaimed novel and several published short stories. But I just don't love her book, at least not yet.

I'm about a third of the way in and I'm thinking of giving up on it. And at the rate I'm going, I don't know if I'll finish it before it's due at the library anyway. Frustrating ...