The Grave Maurice

I rarely, very rarely, allow myself to not finish a book that I've started, but The Grave Maurice is one of those times. On the one hand, the characters were intriguing and the setting was good. However, on the other hand, I found the dialogue often confusing and the early hints of preaching animal rights made me wary. I gave up when I reached the point where it was no longer possible to wonder if the book was going to turn into a Message. Grimes obviously had an agenda with this one. It's not that I don't agree or that I don't want to hear what's being said, it's that I get enough of reality all day, every day. I don't need to be confronted by it and preached at in my down time as well. I read fiction because I want non-reality and simple enjoyment. If I want to read about animal rights or watch programs dedicated to it, I do so with intent. I don't want to have it force fed me in books I'm reading for pleasure. That just sort of defeats the point of reading for pleasure as far as I'm concerned. Thus, after reading a good half of the book, I closed it and won't pick it up again. Sad, but true.