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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
challenging
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
I love Kazuos writing and although I enjoyed the pacing and the descriptiveness of the text I was bored and it was a slog
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Wow. This was one of the strangest, most disconcerting and disorienting books I've ever read. I'm not sure I loved it, but I think it is an amazing accomplishment and will think about it for a very, very long time. I don't want to say more....
DNF, got to page 377 and just couldn’t go any further
Felt like a fever dream and was bored. I might come back later.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Not entirely sure how I feel about it. I've gone from loving it to hating and vice versa several times over and now I'm just not sure
I enjoyed this very much, but it was perhaps not everything I had hoped it would be after reading so many positive reviews of both the book and the author. After all, The Unconsoled is often cited as being one of the strongest novels written anywhere in the last 20 years. Whilst I found it to be both accomplished and engaging, it felt a little too much - at times - like a technical exercise in creative writing. The story is well-written and you are kept in a state of intrigue throughout, but, for me at least, there were no moments of sublime beauty, nor of being truly transported, both of which are essential if I am going to feel that I have read a 'great book'.
I was very impressed even so with some of the dreamlike imagery (I hesitate to use the word surreal, because it was not), and the ability of the author to put the mechanics of our dreams into the ordinary character of day to day life was truly remarkable, but again, it was as if this novel had all the correct appearances, but lacked a certain element of soul.
So I give this three and a half stars, and I'm back to Dostoevsy.
I was very impressed even so with some of the dreamlike imagery (I hesitate to use the word surreal, because it was not), and the ability of the author to put the mechanics of our dreams into the ordinary character of day to day life was truly remarkable, but again, it was as if this novel had all the correct appearances, but lacked a certain element of soul.
So I give this three and a half stars, and I'm back to Dostoevsy.
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated