Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
I don't think I thought this was very good š¤·āāļø maybe if I had any familiarity with the Shakespeare it would have worked better, but the sexual abuse was a yikes surprise. I agree with the nytimes "feels well written but inert". I did like a lot of the actual writing! love me a list sentence.
Huge TW. How does this entire plot synopsis miss that this has major themes of sexual assault and incest? It was a major part of the plot and action. Needs to be better broadcast - it was surprising to me even though I was slightly prepared from the comments.
Not the authorās fault (or maybe it is? I donāt know). Still an impactful read although not a fun one.
Not the authorās fault (or maybe it is? I donāt know). Still an impactful read although not a fun one.
dark
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Maybe I'm just my father, and he's just his father, and on and on, all the way back to Adam, so no one has ever really died, and no has ever really lived.Henry "Hal" Lancaster is a posh 22-year-old druggie fag with daddy issues, living life. After a shooting accident, he embarks on a romantic stint with a childhood friend. As his faith, familial bonds, and life choices are being tested, Hal desperately tries to cling to his idea of 'self'.
To be fair, I haven't read the henriad so I cannot talk much about that parallel, but if it's as much fun as this novel, then I should get on it. Parts of this novel are cruel (spoilers: the childhood abuse and grooming exhibited by hal's father, e.g.) but serve the overline character study of Hal. Where, let's say, A Little Life centres its queer character in a trauma porno, this novel, while erotic in parts, clearly distinguishes the abuse hal suffers from as something that's literally ruined the trajectory of his life. Which i can appreciate.
I devoured this in one go. Loved.
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really beautiful writing, and I've never seen an author go to certain places the way Allen Bratton breached them, and the book was immensely readable, but it was just tougher to connect than I wished it would've been. Lots of coke, Catholicism and child abuse.
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-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:
Yes
first book of the year and what a book to start with for sure. if youāre a child desperate for your fatherās love and affection, u will grow into an adult desperate for your fatherās love and affection. whatever that looks like. cool ššš½
I have three major gripes with this book: 1. everyone is named Henry/Harry/something similar, 2. nothing happens, and 3. there are entirely too many characters. I appreciate what the author was trying to convey. The premise was compelling enough to make me finish the book, but as soon as I flipped the last page I went "huh." And that's how I sum up my feelings on this book. Huh.