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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Meticulous, beautiful, and deeply upsetting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault
this was sad (raunchy too *cough*) but the ending was So Sudden
this book tried very hard to be literate, it tries very hard to be dark and gruesome yet also humorous, and it’s just so awful to get through. every single important character is named henry.
3.25/ There were things I really enjoyed about this novel and things that left me disengaged.. The writing is good, especially when it comes to voice and interiority-- Hal's POV is very well defined and he is funny in a depressed kind of way. There were stretches of writing that didn't really connect for me and I found myself distracted and questioning character motivations in the latter half. Pretty readable, and I think if it had a stronger structure and MC arc (it just kind of ends), I would've rated higher. On a positive note, the romance subplot was well done and complex and I wish it hadn't kind of tapered off.
this is like if ottessa moshfegh wrote a brandon taylor book.
and also shakespeare is somehow involved, i guess. i (like many people who dare to call themselves bookworms) have not read any of shakespeare's history monarch-y plays, so much of the henriad retelling was lost on me even though i very bravely read the wikipedia.
like moshfegh (more so than melissa broder), it delights in being crass and gross-out without being cheerful about it. i thought it was very good, if a little shallow in places, which is a critique i have of moshfegh and not at all of taylor.
if anything with taylor it's the opposite. please stop being so deep about everything. i'm haunted by a description of an underenjoyed potluck submission i read 3 years ago.
anyway.
my only other real thought about this is that no one on earth could possibly eat as much lamb as these people do. is that how you have to be rich in britain? maybe i'm ok with being a middle class american after all.
anyway again.
bottom line: i read this 2 months ago but it still stands out for me. even if a lot of that is lamb.
-------------------
tbr review
if brandon taylor calls it "one of the finest novels I’ve ever read," i'm reading it
(3.5 / thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
and also shakespeare is somehow involved, i guess. i (like many people who dare to call themselves bookworms) have not read any of shakespeare's history monarch-y plays, so much of the henriad retelling was lost on me even though i very bravely read the wikipedia.
like moshfegh (more so than melissa broder), it delights in being crass and gross-out without being cheerful about it. i thought it was very good, if a little shallow in places, which is a critique i have of moshfegh and not at all of taylor.
if anything with taylor it's the opposite. please stop being so deep about everything. i'm haunted by a description of an underenjoyed potluck submission i read 3 years ago.
anyway.
my only other real thought about this is that no one on earth could possibly eat as much lamb as these people do. is that how you have to be rich in britain? maybe i'm ok with being a middle class american after all.
anyway again.
bottom line: i read this 2 months ago but it still stands out for me. even if a lot of that is lamb.
-------------------
tbr review
if brandon taylor calls it "one of the finest novels I’ve ever read," i'm reading it
(3.5 / thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Rape
Initially liked but ultimately was a bit full. Too many Henry/Harrys
2.75 stars
It’s bold and messy and thats great. But it falls flat with development of the family and I’m not quite seeing the shakespearean retelling of it all. I’m left feeling very unsatisfied. Wishing there was a more satisfying conclusion to not only the book but Hal and Percy’s relationship.
However the writing was good and I would definitely pick up whatever Allen Bratton writes in the future.
It’s bold and messy and thats great. But it falls flat with development of the family and I’m not quite seeing the shakespearean retelling of it all. I’m left feeling very unsatisfied. Wishing there was a more satisfying conclusion to not only the book but Hal and Percy’s relationship.
However the writing was good and I would definitely pick up whatever Allen Bratton writes in the future.
This was an entertaining read that kept me engaged with its witty and darkly humorous take on modern aristocratic life. The story of Hal Lancaster navigating his family's oppressive legacy and his own personal dilemmas was well-crafted and often amusing. However, I didn't find it resonating with me as deeply as I had hoped. Perhaps my lack of familiarity with the Shakespearean plays it draws inspiration from made it harder for me to fully appreciate the narrative's nuances. Nonetheless, it's a solid read with sharp prose and vivid characters that I'm sure many will enjoy.