#28 The Lonely Hearts Hotel by Heather O'Neill

# 28 The Lonely Hearts Hotel by Heather O’Neill

Let me be honest, dear reader. I struggled with this book.  Like you, I read the synopsis on the cover; seek out reviews from reader friends and let reviews in magazines like Oprah guide my purchases. I thought this book was sure to be a winner and maybe for someone else it will be but alas, for me it was a hard slog.  

One thing that drew me to the novel was the setting. Occurring in Montreal at the turn of last century it gives wonderful insight into the time period and the harsh realities of the Depression.   The Lonely Hearts Hotel is the tale of two children who are abandoned in a Montreal orphanage during the harsh winter of 1914. As they grow, they are discovered to be child prodigies. Rose is a natural comic and dancer while Pierrot is a gifted pianist. To help raise funds for the orphanage, the children travel around the city giving concerts for the rich.  As they grow, their connection to each other deepens as their performances expand and they fall madly in love.  Torn apart as teenagers, they each must find their own way in the unforgiving city pursuing dreams they once shared. After years apart they are reunited and must re-discover each other while they conspire to make their childhood dreams a reality.   

While I liked the idea of the story I had a hard time getting hooked and realized that I was struggling with the style of writing.  I can’t say that I’ve experienced this all that often.  The Hobbit is one of the few books that come to mind where I’ve had a similar experience. Every few years I try reading it again because it’s a classic and I feel honor bound to keep trying. I still haven’t managed to finish it so sadly there is no way I could even try the other books in the Ring series. If you are a die-hard Tolkien fan, please accept my sincere apology. All I can say is that I’ll keep trying!  

Through this experience I’ve learned a lesson about book buying: check multiple sources. I admittedly got sucked in by the hype that surrounded this book and the over-the-top reviews on the jacket that elevated the novel into the realms of new classic creating expectations that were, for me, not realized. I failed to have personal conversations with others that have read it and as a result it took me too long to read and even longer to write this blog.  Again, dear reader, I offer my apologies.  I’m sure there are readers who will undoubtedly love this book and think me mad.  To those people I can only say “happy reading!” To those who choose to bypass this book, please consider adding my own novel “Erosion” to your must-read list. 

Once again, I apologize for this lack lustre review but I cannot in good conscience say I enjoyed a book when I did not.  Gotta love free speech! Until next time…have you read a book today?

Julie