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a8bhatia's review against another edition
3.0
This is not really the type of book I read, but I randomly selected it and when I read the synopsis it felt interesting enough to give it a go. The story started off a bit slowly and it took me a moment to get hooked to the tale. But this was a really fun audiobook experience (though at times annoying). The story played out like a proper tv drama especially because the audiobook utilized sounds and a bit more of a flair for drama. Overall, I was thourgly surprised the experience and it was a solid listen.
adrose18's review against another edition
4.0
My first foray into Thomas Wolfe. An excellent storyteller and how he kept so many different voices and threads straight all at once is very impressive. I really liked all the back story and want to know what happens next ...
the_naptime_reader's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
Wolfe shows how masterful he is at weaving a story of diverse characters and plots and bringing all the different threads together in a meaningful and interesting way. Stylistically his writing is different and took some getting used to, like his ::: offsetting character’s interior monologues. He touches on a lot as he looks at this slice of modern American life, at times a little crass and bleak and depressing, but that felt intentional. His characters and their individual plights held my interest.
Wolfe shows how masterful he is at weaving a story of diverse characters and plots and bringing all the different threads together in a meaningful and interesting way. Stylistically his writing is different and took some getting used to, like his ::: offsetting character’s interior monologues. He touches on a lot as he looks at this slice of modern American life, at times a little crass and bleak and depressing, but that felt intentional. His characters and their individual plights held my interest.
lisabee's review
I just got bored. The people were so very predictable and I have no interest in the glitzy social scene of Miami. Everything over drawn, purely heart-string pullers.
querciola's review against another edition
2.0
Come primo approccio alla scrittura di Wolfe non sono per niente soddisfatta di ciò che ho trovato: i personaggi sono sì il fulcro della storia, sono loro che effettivamente permettono il susseguirsi degli eventi ma ciò non ha aiutato minimamente la storia in sé ma in particolar modo la scrittura pesante, prolissa e noiosa, come di un flusso di coscienza primordiale che non sviluppa il suo potenziale ma lo uccide con le proprie mani.
Proverò a leggere altro dell'autore ma questo libro mi ha proprio lasciata con l'amaro in bocca.
Proverò a leggere altro dell'autore ma questo libro mi ha proprio lasciata con l'amaro in bocca.
ruthiella's review against another edition
3.0
I read Wolfe’s Bonfire of the Vanities about 25 years ago and thought it was brilliant. But I believe I have changed as a reader since then and Wolfe, who is primarily a satirist I think, had moved on from pillorying NYC 1980s society excesses to pillorying early 21st century Miami multi-cultural society’s excesses in Back to Blood. I don’t know if the weaknesses that I detected in Back to Blood are also to be found in Bonfire of the Vanities or if they were the result of a best-selling author whose output his publisher is reluctant to edit.
I did like it, however. Tom Wolfe does know where our weakness are and he gleefully exploits them and takes no prisoners: Russians, Cubans, Haitians and of course, his favorite target, WASPs. I laughed a few times and admired his writing often: “seated in the luxurious oxblood-leather-and mahogany maw of this mammoth swivel chair”. But I did find much of the writing to be repetitive, not just in words (if I ever hear “mons pubis” and “mons veneris” again in a work of fiction, it will be too soon and he uses “hypnopompic" at least TWICE…really? Who uses these words who is not a medical professional?) but also in descriptions of characters and situations. And speaking of descriptions, his depictions of female anatomy and the male gaze came off as icky most of the time.
I listened to about three quarters of the book on audio and I think it really improved the experience. The book was narrated by Lou Diamond Phillips and he did a fantastic job. I read this book because a work colleague loaned it to me three…possibly as many as three years ago! My friends IRL, do not loan me books (or DVDs for that matter) if you ever expect to get them back.
I did like it, however. Tom Wolfe does know where our weakness are and he gleefully exploits them and takes no prisoners: Russians, Cubans, Haitians and of course, his favorite target, WASPs. I laughed a few times and admired his writing often: “seated in the luxurious oxblood-leather-and mahogany maw of this mammoth swivel chair”. But I did find much of the writing to be repetitive, not just in words (if I ever hear “mons pubis” and “mons veneris” again in a work of fiction, it will be too soon and he uses “hypnopompic" at least TWICE…really? Who uses these words who is not a medical professional?) but also in descriptions of characters and situations. And speaking of descriptions, his depictions of female anatomy and the male gaze came off as icky most of the time.
I listened to about three quarters of the book on audio and I think it really improved the experience. The book was narrated by Lou Diamond Phillips and he did a fantastic job. I read this book because a work colleague loaned it to me three…possibly as many as three years ago! My friends IRL, do not loan me books (or DVDs for that matter) if you ever expect to get them back.
tdeshler's review against another edition
3.0
This book is a bit of a mess. The characterizations and descriptions are vintage Wolfe, but the plot felt rather aimless. The ending was a little abrupt and loose ended.
mrmuleman's review against another edition
3.0
Another social critique / satire from the white suited professor emeritus of New York's literary world. Overall, this novel examines some fascinating aspects of the cultural and ethnic divides that criss cross this unique American metropolis, exploring the inter-relations of the Cuban, African-American, WASP, and Russian populations that dominate the Miami social structure. But while Wolfe once again exercises his powers of minutia detail (the particular brand of sunglasses that Miami Cuban cops all wear as an example), in this book, at times, he appears to be more of an observing outsider than usual. At times the characters, their motivations and interests, feel like they are being described by an anthropologist, someone so removed from their existence that his descriptions read more like an academic treatise, and less like the connected story that Wolfe is capable of.
Overall, an interesting book, especially if you're interested in the city and culture of Miami, but not one of Wolfe's classic works.
Overall, an interesting book, especially if you're interested in the city and culture of Miami, but not one of Wolfe's classic works.
cr91958's review
3.0
interesting narrative about the melting pot that refuses to melt in Miami. I love Wolfe and his style and have read everything he has written but although I did enjoy things one as well, it was my least favorite of his work. Didn't have the same kinetic energy as usual