Reviews for Patron Saint of Liars

The average rating for Patron Saint of Liars based on 2 reviews is 2 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2007-05-25 00:00:00 George Higgins The story of Rose, a habitual abandoner, who finds herself in a home for unwed mothers in the 1960s. The story is about the place almost as much as the people--a place where people come for a brief, but life-altering, time and then move on. It is also the story of the people who stay there--Rose, with all her secrets, her daughter, the nuns and the groundskeeper. I loved the story of the place and I thought the writing was quite good. It held my interest and there were a few really lovely moments where a theme would repeat itself through time and generations, recalling other beautiful moments. I think, however, that I would have enjoyed the book a lot more if it was not for the main character whom I just didn't like. I didn't understand her at all. She seems to act with no motivation or thought. I didn't understand why she did things, and I don't think she did either, but the author seems entirely sympathetic to her, which frustrated me. I loved all the other characters, but Rose, on whom everything hinges, annoyed me.

Review # 2 was written on 2008-12-02 00:00:00 Gggfg Ffgfdffdctgc I have mixed feelings about this particular Patchett novel. I didn't want to put it down but I wasn't happy when I finished. I was totally sucked in by the story's opening but then the tone changed and the character depth faded a bit. The turmoil the main character feels is never discussed once she finds her way to St. Elizabeth's, yet it drives the remainder of the novel. Just as the story picks up steam again, it's over. Given the story line and the characters I thought the story could have been much deeper. It's almost like an editor came in and paired things down. I think it's worth reading and I'll likely give it a second go. Was I just missing something? I hate finishing a book and feeling like I might have just missed the whole point.