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adrianasturalvarez's review against another edition
3.0
What this book has given me, over the past few days of reading, are innumerable scraps of paper: post-it notes, torn rectangles of printer paper, jagged sections of to-go bags. The one nearest me reads:
"I had in mind launching a three-pronged assault but the prongs wandered off seduced by fires and clowns. It was hell there in the furnace of my ambition. It was because, you said, I had read the wrong book. He reversed himself in his last years, you said, in the books no-one would publish. But his students remember, you said."- pg 53
The book does not provide much more context to appreciate that quote. Like most of Barthelme's short stories, the gems in Snow White work in plainspoken absurdity, like David Lynch at his most playful. He plays with the reader as a detached narrator and while it may be a critique born of our time, his lack of sincerity renders the project meaningless beyond an ice cold intellectual engagement.
I'm tired of postmodernism.
Snow White can barely sustain itself as a novel and I still prefer Barthelme's short stories, where lessons on writing and narrative are in abundance.
"I had in mind launching a three-pronged assault but the prongs wandered off seduced by fires and clowns. It was hell there in the furnace of my ambition. It was because, you said, I had read the wrong book. He reversed himself in his last years, you said, in the books no-one would publish. But his students remember, you said."- pg 53
The book does not provide much more context to appreciate that quote. Like most of Barthelme's short stories, the gems in Snow White work in plainspoken absurdity, like David Lynch at his most playful. He plays with the reader as a detached narrator and while it may be a critique born of our time, his lack of sincerity renders the project meaningless beyond an ice cold intellectual engagement.
I'm tired of postmodernism.
Snow White can barely sustain itself as a novel and I still prefer Barthelme's short stories, where lessons on writing and narrative are in abundance.
thosh's review against another edition
5.0
The first book I found by Barthelme while searching for books by Barthes. I was hooked by the first page. All over the map, it is a great introduction to Barthelme.
an_enthusiastic_reader's review against another edition
1.0
3/7/20: I'm trying to imagine a time when someone might have casually picked up this piece of writing and been moved/inspired/amused. There's nothing to grasp onto here other than an intellectual, jargon-filled exercise. The cover I chose pretty much tells you everything you need to know. And worst is that I feel like a kill-joy for not having been a good sport about it. (I hardly ever give a book one star. But anything else would have been a lie. And there are too many lies going around these days.)
3/5/20: Torturous.
3/3/20: For bookclub. Trying to get centered to follow the unplot.
3/5/20: Torturous.
3/3/20: For bookclub. Trying to get centered to follow the unplot.
snmrrw's review against another edition
3.0
Clearly written by someone that is more used to short stories, but it was OK.
meganmilks's review against another edition
3.0
'horsewife' - so funny! i don't find barthelme's sense of humor compelling. i think i don't like most postmodernism. but, i appreciate it.
schoolofholly's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
The only good thing about this book is that it was so bad to read that I became interested in the author and the idea of post-modern writing and researched it but the reading experience was horrendous!
rwalsh04's review against another edition
3.0
Wack. Intriguing. The character of Bill is particularly fascinating, as he is one of the dwarves who "can't bear to be touched" and is eventually hanged for crimes relating to his inability to conform to the society of the story. Snow White creates a warped version of the classic fairytale with counter parted characters highlighting things which are twisted about conceptions of the masculine and feminine.
cnidariar3x's review against another edition
challenging
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Took a lot of effort to mine anything of value from my two read-throughs.
Not unenjoyable, but a little too experimental, fragmented, and dated for me.
I haven't read any of the authors' short stories, but it feels appropriate that folks swear his shorter works are better.
Some interesting thematic and character trope subversions going on, but not enough to really recommend it. Unless highly active reading is your jam.
A lot of what-the-f*ck going on in this book.
Not unenjoyable, but a little too experimental, fragmented, and dated for me.
I haven't read any of the authors' short stories, but it feels appropriate that folks swear his shorter works are better.
Some interesting thematic and character trope subversions going on, but not enough to really recommend it. Unless highly active reading is your jam.
A lot of what-the-f*ck going on in this book.