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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-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
A fantastically different read - bizarre and fun and wonderful. I loved it.
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
funny
fast-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
challenging
funny
medium-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
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was initially enchanted by the charming sarcasm of Brás Cubas, our posthumous narrator, until his literary devices began to proliferate and obscure the story. Machado's story and style revolve around social rebellion -- Brás Cubas simultaneously flaunts and flouts his life of class and privilege by exploiting and ridiculing his status. For the most part, style takes precedence over morality and convention; in life, and apparently in death as well. But the very short chapters and the parade of variations starts to wear on the reader. In fact, I was about to give up on the book altogether when Brás Cubas himself interrupted me:
The Defect of this Book
I'm beginning to regret this book. Not that it bores me, I have nothing to do and, really, putting together a few meagre chapters for that other world is always a task that distracts me from eternity a little. But the book is tedious, it has the smell of the grave about it; it has a certain cadaveric contraction about it, a serious fault, insignificant to boot because the main defect of this book is you, reader. You're in a hurry to grow old and the book moves slowly. You love direct and continuous narration, a regular and fluid style, and this book and my style are like drunkards, they stagger left and right, they walk and stop, mumble, yell, cackle, shake their fists at the sky, stumble, and fall...
And it occurs to me that I need not continue to review a book that provides its own review, honestly and accurately, except to add one thing: it is very funny.
The Defect of this Book
I'm beginning to regret this book. Not that it bores me, I have nothing to do and, really, putting together a few meagre chapters for that other world is always a task that distracts me from eternity a little. But the book is tedious, it has the smell of the grave about it; it has a certain cadaveric contraction about it, a serious fault, insignificant to boot because the main defect of this book is you, reader. You're in a hurry to grow old and the book moves slowly. You love direct and continuous narration, a regular and fluid style, and this book and my style are like drunkards, they stagger left and right, they walk and stop, mumble, yell, cackle, shake their fists at the sky, stumble, and fall...
And it occurs to me that I need not continue to review a book that provides its own review, honestly and accurately, except to add one thing: it is very funny.