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stuckinafictionaluniverse's review against another edition
2.0
Painfully long monologues of self-pity, particularly about the main character’s age. Vladimir says nothing about womanhood that hasn’t already been published in more subtle and impactful ways.
livyalusk's review against another edition
5.0
I love darkness in stories and I consider this a curse. Most writers fail to understand the care it takes to haunt the reader, overfilling their novel with things that they don't seem to truly understand. This is often true when authors describe crimes of a sexual nature, as the few in Vladimir are. I consider Ottessa Moshfegh's Lapvona to be an example of this, as well as the work of Stephen King. However, Julia May Jonas has avoided this with Vladimir and created something that I really like.
Before it was acknowledged/lampshaded by a character, I realised that a part of this was inspired by Stephen King's Misery. I sincerely hope that Jonas knows how much more effective this book is than what I've seen of King's drug-fuelled, thoughtless approach to his promising concepts.
The prologue of the book and the beginning of my review make the scarier aspects seem more prevalent, but there is a lot more to it. Aspects of the story reflect the Bill Clinton situation and how the public treated him, Monica, and Hillary. Several observations are made about society in general and, if you are open-minded, you will find yourself debating internally for a while.
As I have opened this review with negative comparisons, it may seem as though these five stars were awarded with a low standard. This is not the case, and there are many things I like about it. For example, this book does one of my favourite things: narrating from a unique perspective. I go on about it a lot, but the voice of a character can add so much and is something that is rarely captured on film and television. I especially like that it doesn't seem to matter whether or not the narrator is reliable because both interpretations are interesting when considering the characters' personalities. I also like how debatable her opinions are.
Though the narrator is neither reliable nor ethical, she provides some interesting insight on womanhood. This is true regardless of whether you believe her takes, as her more damaging (in my opinion at least) opinions just show the effect that her experiences have had on her.
This book provoked thoughts about generational differences, mental illness, parenthood, and many human relationships. I found all of this very interesting and could find places in my life to compare it to, but I also felt very different from both the writer and the narrator at times. I could not fully engage with it at first, but I appreciate it a lot more looking back. I still feel as though I ought to re-read this in 10, 20, or 30 years time.
Though the object of the narrator's desires, the titular character had depth of his own. I found the later chapters very interesting in terms of Vladimir, especially with my uncertainty towards the narrator.
I have seen both hate reviews and rave reviews of this book. I understand both sides but also believe some of each have painfully missed some aspects. For example, a man left a very nasty review which did not surprise me as this book is very woman-centred and spends a lot of time debating sexual agency and a broader change in politics. I also saw people who had a distaste for literary fiction and character studies. A number of negative reviews seemed to have been written by millentials, which makes sense due to the gen-x perspective of the narrator and how she describes the difference in mentality with gen z. However, a lot of rave reviews focus on the darkness or how smart they considered the pretentious weirdo protagonist.
After all of this, I feel as though this review does not accurately represent this book or my feelings towards it. I will think about it a lot going forward as there is so much to form opinions on. There is one thing I know for certain: this book is good. It is a shame that not everyone has met people who will enable them to understand or at least be open minded enough to see the beauty in its nuance. I understand that it is difficult to understand with the subject matter, but that only makes it more important. I am not an apologist for the actions of the characters, nor do I wish to preserve the society in which gen x grew up in, but every perspective in this book matters because it is beneficial to consider perspectives of all kinds of people.
Before it was acknowledged/lampshaded by a character, I realised that a part of this was inspired by Stephen King's Misery. I sincerely hope that Jonas knows how much more effective this book is than what I've seen of King's drug-fuelled, thoughtless approach to his promising concepts.
The prologue of the book and the beginning of my review make the scarier aspects seem more prevalent, but there is a lot more to it. Aspects of the story reflect the Bill Clinton situation and how the public treated him, Monica, and Hillary. Several observations are made about society in general and, if you are open-minded, you will find yourself debating internally for a while.
As I have opened this review with negative comparisons, it may seem as though these five stars were awarded with a low standard. This is not the case, and there are many things I like about it. For example, this book does one of my favourite things: narrating from a unique perspective. I go on about it a lot, but the voice of a character can add so much and is something that is rarely captured on film and television. I especially like that it doesn't seem to matter whether or not the narrator is reliable because both interpretations are interesting when considering the characters' personalities. I also like how debatable her opinions are.
Though the narrator is neither reliable nor ethical, she provides some interesting insight on womanhood. This is true regardless of whether you believe her takes, as her more damaging (in my opinion at least) opinions just show the effect that her experiences have had on her.
This book provoked thoughts about generational differences, mental illness, parenthood, and many human relationships. I found all of this very interesting and could find places in my life to compare it to, but I also felt very different from both the writer and the narrator at times. I could not fully engage with it at first, but I appreciate it a lot more looking back. I still feel as though I ought to re-read this in 10, 20, or 30 years time.
Though the object of the narrator's desires, the titular character had depth of his own. I found the later chapters very interesting in terms of Vladimir, especially with my uncertainty towards the narrator.
I have seen both hate reviews and rave reviews of this book. I understand both sides but also believe some of each have painfully missed some aspects. For example, a man left a very nasty review which did not surprise me as this book is very woman-centred and spends a lot of time debating sexual agency and a broader change in politics. I also saw people who had a distaste for literary fiction and character studies. A number of negative reviews seemed to have been written by millentials, which makes sense due to the gen-x perspective of the narrator and how she describes the difference in mentality with gen z. However, a lot of rave reviews focus on the darkness or how smart they considered the pretentious weirdo protagonist.
After all of this, I feel as though this review does not accurately represent this book or my feelings towards it. I will think about it a lot going forward as there is so much to form opinions on. There is one thing I know for certain: this book is good. It is a shame that not everyone has met people who will enable them to understand or at least be open minded enough to see the beauty in its nuance. I understand that it is difficult to understand with the subject matter, but that only makes it more important. I am not an apologist for the actions of the characters, nor do I wish to preserve the society in which gen x grew up in, but every perspective in this book matters because it is beneficial to consider perspectives of all kinds of people.
chaoticbibliophile's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Just as good on audio, but I’m so glad I read it in print first… and will do so again! This book is brilliant.
lillycano's review against another edition
4.0
Feeling very conflicted about this read. I really liked the first 200 pages and extremely disliked the last 30 pages. Very quick read that had a jaw dropping moment that I was not expecting. WHAT THE _ _ _ _ _ Martha? Also the cover had me embarrassed to read it while on a plane lol.
andrewsutton's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
abbydoris's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
sarahad's review against another edition
dark
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
1.0
Large paragraphs made it boring to read , dragged out. Ending was silly