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novabird's review against another edition
2.0
Need is primal and love is a need, so love too is primal. By primal, I don’t mean primitive. What I mean by primal is essential at its origins. This is not a book about obsession; instead, it is a book about ‘need.’ There is no obvious plot but rather the development of relationships.
Alcott’s very interesting debut novel charts dangerous territory by obliquely, yet carefully examining the taboo of ‘symbolic’ sibling incest, or ‘figurative,’ incest. Bloodlines are not crossed in relations between Ida and Jackson, allowing this uncomfortable subject to be addressed by a ‘young,’ author.
Alcott’s lively narrative style has some insight, primarily into the main character of Ida, who goes by “I,” which is telling in that the first person person pov is also that of Ida and the word “I” is very predominant throughout. The other characters although described, are told to us rather than shown.
For me the most mature insight that Alcott expresses is when she writes,
This conveys to me the awareness of self-centeredness that borders on narcissism, and the sense of belief in self that imposes its biases on the world.
Alcott neatly ties up her thematic material in the ending to convey what is ‘needed.’
Very few authors have tackled this subject of sibling incest. Some that have are:
McEwan, Ian, “Cement Garden.”
Irving, John, “The Hotel New Hampshire.”
Ellroy, James, “White Jazz.”
Byatt, A.S., “Angels and Insects.”
I will read these and then if I gather any insight into, “The Dangers of Proximal Alphabets,” I will edit this review or change its rating accordingly. As for now, it will be a 2.5 passable rating.
Alcott’s very interesting debut novel charts dangerous territory by obliquely, yet carefully examining the taboo of ‘symbolic’ sibling incest, or ‘figurative,’ incest. Bloodlines are not crossed in relations between Ida and Jackson, allowing this uncomfortable subject to be addressed by a ‘young,’ author.
Alcott’s lively narrative style has some insight, primarily into the main character of Ida, who goes by “I,” which is telling in that the first person person pov is also that of Ida and the word “I” is very predominant throughout. The other characters although described, are told to us rather than shown.
For me the most mature insight that Alcott expresses is when she writes,
“I was happy to believe it, and believing can feel dangerously close to knowing.”
This conveys to me the awareness of self-centeredness that borders on narcissism, and the sense of belief in self that imposes its biases on the world.
Alcott neatly ties up her thematic material in the ending to convey what is ‘needed.’
Very few authors have tackled this subject of sibling incest. Some that have are:
McEwan, Ian, “Cement Garden.”
Irving, John, “The Hotel New Hampshire.”
Ellroy, James, “White Jazz.”
Byatt, A.S., “Angels and Insects.”
I will read these and then if I gather any insight into, “The Dangers of Proximal Alphabets,” I will edit this review or change its rating accordingly. As for now, it will be a 2.5 passable rating.
michad's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nixieknox's review against another edition
3.0
I'm confused about my feelings for this book. I read the whole thing, and at no time did I want to stop reading. However, I really did not like Ida & Jackson at ALL - they wavered between precious, hipster, and pretentious. If anyone ever answered my "so how long have you been together" with "somewhere between addition and subtraction" I would have the serious urge to punch them right in the face. Also, there were two major plot flaws, which I won't reveal here but made the whole book seem less real to me.
And whose parents would allow the three of them to sleep together, and then for Ida & Jackson to sleep together? I mean really.
Three stars but could have been two.
And whose parents would allow the three of them to sleep together, and then for Ida & Jackson to sleep together? I mean really.
Three stars but could have been two.
manaledi's review against another edition
4.0
I wanted to like this more than I actually did in the end. I found the family/romance complications much more interesting and powerful than the somnambulist complications, which at times seemed too surreal and threatened the strength of the reality of the characters.
colinreedmoon's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
shannonmmay's review against another edition
1.0
2.5 stars
The main conflict feels so fake and it’s very distracting.
The main conflict feels so fake and it’s very distracting.
shelfimprovement's review against another edition
3.0
When I was really tiny – before school started and the concept of friends was clear – my mother used to babysit a neighbor my age, the son of a family friend. His name was Jason and because I was three, I thought that a “Jason” was a type of relation that everyone had. Kind of like a cousin, but more into Ninja Turtles.
That’s what I thought of while starting this book: Ida and Jackson were bonding before they had teeth, with no concept that their relationship could be defined as something as unextraordinary as friendship. They grew up – Ida the daughter of a single father, Jackson (and James) the sons of a single mother – so constantly in each other’s presence that it seemed inevitable that their connection had to evolve into something “more than” friends. This special relationship is best quantified by the fact that Jackson has always referred to Ida simply as “I” – a self-identifying pronoun attached to another person.
Of course, the course of true love never did run smooth. Jackson is a somnambulist – he not only walks in his sleep, but creates works of art and sometimes even behaves violently. This causes problems, first with his relationship with James and eventually with Ida.
At first, I was put off because I didn’t quite understand the rationale behind Ida and Jackson’s behavior; I felt like the characters weren’t quite developed enough for me to understand why Ida pushes Jackson into something he doesn’t want and he subsequently rejects their relationship. I let the book simmer a bit in my thoughts, trying to sort out how to write a coherent review, and it eventually dawned on me: sometimes we are misled into believing our relationships are more secure, more meaningful, even more two-way than they really are. Whether it’s a romantic relationship, a familial one, or a close friendship, the other person often means more to us than we mean to them. It’s not necessarily a malicious thing; it’s just the way life goes sometimes. A failure to recognize it, though, can be devastating. Ida felt as though her lifelong history with Jackson meant their relationship transcended onto a new plane – they were more connected because of their constant presence in each other’s lives. In pushing Jackson beyond his comfort zone, Ida demonstrates that the connection may be something she wants more than something that is.
In the end, this was a thought-provoking book. I just kind of wish that the writing had been strong enough to get me there sooner. Alcott has a way with prose, but her construction is often a series of scenes strung together (a style I’ve never care for, though I know some people prefer that ultra-postmodernism in their writing), and I never really got a sense of the characters. Jackson, in particular, never truly came to life. I hope to keep an eye on Alcott in the future, even though this book ultimately fell a little short.
That’s what I thought of while starting this book: Ida and Jackson were bonding before they had teeth, with no concept that their relationship could be defined as something as unextraordinary as friendship. They grew up – Ida the daughter of a single father, Jackson (and James) the sons of a single mother – so constantly in each other’s presence that it seemed inevitable that their connection had to evolve into something “more than” friends. This special relationship is best quantified by the fact that Jackson has always referred to Ida simply as “I” – a self-identifying pronoun attached to another person.
Of course, the course of true love never did run smooth. Jackson is a somnambulist – he not only walks in his sleep, but creates works of art and sometimes even behaves violently. This causes problems, first with his relationship with James and eventually with Ida.
At first, I was put off because I didn’t quite understand the rationale behind Ida and Jackson’s behavior; I felt like the characters weren’t quite developed enough for me to understand why Ida pushes Jackson into something he doesn’t want and he subsequently rejects their relationship. I let the book simmer a bit in my thoughts, trying to sort out how to write a coherent review, and it eventually dawned on me: sometimes we are misled into believing our relationships are more secure, more meaningful, even more two-way than they really are. Whether it’s a romantic relationship, a familial one, or a close friendship, the other person often means more to us than we mean to them. It’s not necessarily a malicious thing; it’s just the way life goes sometimes. A failure to recognize it, though, can be devastating. Ida felt as though her lifelong history with Jackson meant their relationship transcended onto a new plane – they were more connected because of their constant presence in each other’s lives. In pushing Jackson beyond his comfort zone, Ida demonstrates that the connection may be something she wants more than something that is.
In the end, this was a thought-provoking book. I just kind of wish that the writing had been strong enough to get me there sooner. Alcott has a way with prose, but her construction is often a series of scenes strung together (a style I’ve never care for, though I know some people prefer that ultra-postmodernism in their writing), and I never really got a sense of the characters. Jackson, in particular, never truly came to life. I hope to keep an eye on Alcott in the future, even though this book ultimately fell a little short.
stefaniacg's review against another edition
4.0
"(...) she would look at her body and watch the light coming through, then behind her at strange shadows she cast."
eu não sei como, mas eu juro que essa mulher desenha com palavras.
eu não sei como, mas eu juro que essa mulher desenha com palavras.