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ariannatavaglione's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
3.0
adholmes3's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
savaging's review against another edition
4.0
Seeing me reading this, my friend recalled what her English teacher said about it:
Life's too short to read books that are only about good writing.
And I see what that teacher means -- how so much of the delight of this book is just the pleasure of words. The luxurious waste of time of sinking into writing about writers writing.
But I also believe this book is about something. I think it's saying some crucial things about possession -- owning things and others, and how everything and everyone can make themselves slip through other people's grasp. It's about gender, and the ambiguous nature of romance. It's about being possessed -- when the thing you 'own' actually owns you, about being driven by some kind of demon possession to behave in unusual ways.
Now that I'm done with the book I miss it, even though it was such a slow and literary slog much of the time.
Life's too short to read books that are only about good writing.
And I see what that teacher means -- how so much of the delight of this book is just the pleasure of words. The luxurious waste of time of sinking into writing about writers writing.
But I also believe this book is about something. I think it's saying some crucial things about possession -- owning things and others, and how everything and everyone can make themselves slip through other people's grasp. It's about gender, and the ambiguous nature of romance. It's about being possessed -- when the thing you 'own' actually owns you, about being driven by some kind of demon possession to behave in unusual ways.
Now that I'm done with the book I miss it, even though it was such a slow and literary slog much of the time.
chlo_23's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
allieoakesreads's review against another edition
Too long. I loved it so I’m going to try another time
muuske's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
2.5
moonpix's review against another edition
5.0
Made me cry
"There are things that happen and leave no discernible trace, are not spoken or written of, though it would be very wrong to say that subsequent events go on indifferently, all the same, as though such things had never been. Two people met, on a hot May day, and never later mentioned their meeting. This is how it was."
"There are things that happen and leave no discernible trace, are not spoken or written of, though it would be very wrong to say that subsequent events go on indifferently, all the same, as though such things had never been. Two people met, on a hot May day, and never later mentioned their meeting. This is how it was."
libbysbooks03's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.5
cerinr's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Skip the poetry. It adds nothing and is so so boring