My Current Read: The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

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With summer in full swing and my kids on vacation, I haven't gotten much reading done lately. The book that I am currently trying to read is The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. I've been carrying it around with me for two weeks now in hopes for getting some reading done in my spare moments, but those moments have been rather infrequent.

Part of the problem is that the book is not drawing me in; it doesn't tempt me to hide in the bathroom to read just a few more pages before the kids find me. I'm a quarter of the way through so far but I don't really have a sense of the main character, Locke Lamora, other then the fact that he is a skilled thief, and has been one from a young age. I think the fact that the story jumps around chronologically makes it difficult to get to know Lamora. Most of the focus so far has been on the past and current events of Lamora's life and not enough attention is given to the development of Lamora as a person.

The book starts off when Lamora is a child and is being sold from one thief leader to another, due to his trouble-making antics. The story then jumps twenty years ahead to a full-grown Lamora who is taking part in one of the greatest schemes of his career. The story then continues to fluctuate back and forth between the young Lamora and his initiation into his new life as a Gentleman Bastard and the older Lamora and his current criminal activities. And although this is an interesting story-telling technique, I don't find myself liking or caring about the hero of the story too much, which lessens my general enjoyment of the book.

But since The Lies of Locke Lamora has received many rave reviews (the first three pages of the book are actually dedicated to it's praise) and I'm still only a third way through, I'm keeping an open mind and I'm going to try harder to make time to finish it. And then I'll determine if there is a basis for all those rave reviews.