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natyourusual_'s review against another edition
challenging
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-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? It's complicated
3.5
I loved the experience of reading this knowing absolutely nothing beforehand. There’s some questionable content in the middle like a weird obsession with male characters wanting to either rape or have sex with every woman they encounter or some of the weird parody of feminism done through Lotaria’s character but even with all of that, I still thought it a worthwhile read with lots of lines that make you truly reflect on things
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Rape and Violence
novelideea's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
2.25
Graphic: Sexual content
kutreen's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
This was a very unusual book. I never expected to enjoy a novel made up of disjointed, often rambling and very confusing stories. But it was so fun to start to find the connections between the characters the further along I went! I also love when an author talks directly to the reader and comments on the magical journey of reading! Italo is a ruminating weirdo but he really grew on me and I'll be checking out his other books.
Only negative are some unnecessary and painfully male-centric sex scenes. (~3 or so, and thankfully very short)
Only negative are some unnecessary and painfully male-centric sex scenes. (~3 or so, and thankfully very short)
Minor: Sexual content
withlivjones's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I can honestly say that I have never read anything quite like this before. This is a clever, genre-crossing, self-aware piece of literature that truly understands what it means to be a reader, and I overall really enjoyed it. The beginning was fantastic, the ending was outstanding, the middle was a tad muddy, and I definitely preferred returning to the Reader’s story over the little snippets of other novels (sorry but some of the stories were flops and I was rather glad the Reader was interrupted). That said, I’m so glad I picked up this book as it’s a super ingenious way of telling a story, or rather, multiple stories.
Graphic: Sexual content
boomsplode_kat's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Moderate: Sexual content
persimmon_lover's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I started out loving this book, then hated it, then loved it again. I think that it sometimes feels dated with postmodern tropes from the 70s/80s -- the world is a text, how can we know which text is authentic, what is an author, bla bla bla, it gets kind of tiring and annoying and feels too "on the nose". However, it is saved by the very intuitive and genuine feeling that Calvino brings. Also, the philosophical themes are indeed pretty interesting and deep, but it is just that they sometimes feel a bit overbearing or stereotypical, which I think is more due to the dating of the book and isn't the author's fault. The way that all of this convoluted nonsense gets built up just gets to the point of feeling overbearing and useless, but then it sort of wraps up nicely. Also too many stupid useless creepy sex scenes.
Graphic: Sexual content and Sexual harassment
conbeeni's review against another edition
challenging
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Sexual assault
melitrophium's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content
jakobvongunten's review against another edition
3.5
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Incest, Racism, and Sexism
kstein's review against another edition
challenging
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content