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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
Don't think I've ever disliked a family more than this one. A beautifully written nightmare of a novel.
This book has one of my favorite lines of all time (pg. 33):
...a feminist theorist who’d become so enraged with the patriarchal system of accreditation and its phallometric yardsticks of achievement that she refused (or was unable) to finish her dissertation.
That's my excuse too.
Classic.
...a feminist theorist who’d become so enraged with the patriarchal system of accreditation and its phallometric yardsticks of achievement that she refused (or was unable) to finish her dissertation.
That's my excuse too.
Classic.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fantastically written book. I've been meaning to get to it for a while and I'm glad I did. The book focuses on the family dynamics of a Midwestern couple and their grown children. It gives an inside look into each family members' interior life. The book focuses on themes of Midwestern "family values" colliding with big city/coastal living, along with children's fulfillment/subversion of their parents' vision for them.
It also felt like a more expansive cultural study, a very specific White culture upper middle class culture. Overall, it was interesting, funny, and sad. At times it tipped into an almost magical realism/absurdity. It's a long, but not too dense, read that I would recommend.
It also felt like a more expansive cultural study, a very specific White culture upper middle class culture. Overall, it was interesting, funny, and sad. At times it tipped into an almost magical realism/absurdity. It's a long, but not too dense, read that I would recommend.
This was a tough book to get through. Almost every character is unlikeable and overall the story is really depressing. I thought that he portrayed dementia very well.
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars
In both of my libraries there is only the abridged version of the audiobook. Given that the abridged version is over 50% shorter than the unabridged version, I feel fairly confident that the jolting nature of this book is that I heard less than half of it. I probably heard the best parts, but still...feeling a bit short changed.
Even so, it's a gritty narrative about a Midwestern family and its ups and downs through the years (let's be honest, mostly downs). The proud father is in declining health, and as he fails his wife Enid gathers more strength. The three children fumble around in the world, like we all do. I enjoyed the metaphor to the financial markets.
In both of my libraries there is only the abridged version of the audiobook. Given that the abridged version is over 50% shorter than the unabridged version, I feel fairly confident that the jolting nature of this book is that I heard less than half of it. I probably heard the best parts, but still...feeling a bit short changed.
Even so, it's a gritty narrative about a Midwestern family and its ups and downs through the years (let's be honest, mostly downs). The proud father is in declining health, and as he fails his wife Enid gathers more strength. The three children fumble around in the world, like we all do. I enjoyed the metaphor to the financial markets.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
the brothers karamazov for the 21st century midwestern diaspora