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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
This book in word: meandering. While a lot happens, it feels like the protagonist is being dragged along unhappily with the reader in tow. Tedious to read. A decent sprinkling of racist stereotypes (specifically about Chinese people). Not worth the read. Giving it two stars because I refuse to say I read 480 pages of a 1 star book.
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed this for the most part, and I'm a big fan of Homes' writing. It was a 4 star novel for the first half but it quickly ran out of steam which was a shame.
Another 3.5 but not quite 4 star rating. I really enjoyed certain aspects but some of it was a little out there.
Another weird read. I liked it, but it was intensely complicated. In terms of plot, sub plot, individual characters, number of characters. It was wild. I'm not sure it was great but it certainly kept me guessing. Intriguing.
An everything-and-the-kitchen-sink novel - it doesn't seem to let-up for 480 pages. Even the Nixon bits end up being interesting. Homes somehow manages to tell a tale that's gritty and raw as well as entertaining, thought-provoking and, ultimately, heartwarming. This one will stay with me for a while.
This book made me very grateful for the paper on postmodernism that I did for my undergrad back in 2016. I tend to expect bleakness from postmodern literature, but to my surprise, this really wasn't bleak at all; instead, I found it rather wholesome and hopeful. Although we get off to a shocking start, this really doesn't set the tone for the rest of the novel in any way other than letting us know to expect the unexpected. What we see unfold is a kind and fulfilling relationship blossom between protagonist Harold and his young, passionate, brave niece and nephew after their mother is murdered and their father is jailed for the crime. We see how meaning can be found in the smallest of moments and interactions, how the innocence and intensity of childhood can reignite our zest for life, and how many absolutely ridiculous things can happen to someone without destroying their spirit. There are some completely nonsensical moments in this book that leave you wondering what the fuck could happen next and how the fuck the characters will continue on from this. Yet they do; they continue on into the random, incongruous, illogical unknown, and although that seems like resilience, it's really not, is it? It's just life, random, incongruous, illogical life, that we keep going and keep making connections and keep charging or meandering forward into a world that will not wait behind for us. I truly did not think I had this much passion in me about this book, and to be honest, I still wouldn't rate it higher than maybe 3.5 stars, because as much as I did appreciate it, I also felt it could have been significantly shorter in order to bring the abstract absurdity down to a more comprehensible level. That being said, I liked this more than I thought I would, and it was certainly an intriguing winner to come out of 2013's Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist.
Rating purely for the ending. Hated the main character for the first 2/3rds
First 100 pages—good 4-star read... and then the stars started chipping off until there were none left... should be 1 star, but I really liked the first 100 pages.