I think I'm having trouble putting my thoughts into words because the book didn't make an impression on me one way or another.

I was talking to my mum about the fact that I couldn't write anything because the book really did nothing for me (but I don't think it was a bad book). My mum suggested I write that! So I have.

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~ I've never known any trouble that an hour's reading didn't assuage ~ Charles de Secondat

Although it's more than 300 pages long, I thought The Lieutenant needed a bit more 'filling out' throughout the book, but especially the first third.

Another light let down was the antagonistic pairing of Rooke and Silk.

Better was the science aspect that was well written, and the passages of the study of the language. I didn't find those dry or repetitive at all and were one of my favourite parts, sounding out loud the words as I read them.

I've not read The Secret River (and The Lieutenant doesn't make want to rush and out and get it) and so I can't compare the two.

I guess that's another way of telling what I thought of the. I have not yet read The Secret River but it is sitting on my TBR shelf and I have less inclination to read it now than I did before! The Lieutenant has put me off it to say the least.

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~ I've never known any trouble that an hour's reading didn't assuage ~ Charles de Secondat

The Lieutenant encouraged me to read The Secret River and I'm glad that I did...

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Médecins Sans Frontières

Yes, I do think The Secret River is worth read, even if you didn't really like The Lieutenant - it's the better of the two books. Better still is Grenville's earlier Orange Prize-winner, The Idea of Perfection.

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2009 reading list

I will read it sometime, it just isn't on my priority list. Maybe it should be

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~ I've never known any trouble that an hour's reading didn't assuage ~ Charles de Secondat

I enjoyed reading 'The Lieutenant' and found it to be quite an original piece of writing. Like Adrian I liked the scientific aspect and was particularly interested in how Grenville dealt with the language issues, especially her description of how people from two different language and cultural backgrounds, with little in common except their humanity, succeeded in overcoming their isolation from each other. My only criticism was that I felt that the story jumped rather clumsily from Rooke's experiences in Australia to his later work, about which I should like to have read more.

'The Lieutenant' has encouraged me to read 'The Secret River' which is one of my current reads.

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Currently reading:
'The Secret History' by Donna Tartt