Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Never have I ever read a book from the point of view of a unborn fetus, let alone one that has a wider vocabulary than myself. Definitely one of the weirdest books I've ever read. Personally I didn't like it, but it was a very well written, weird book.
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:
No
A very creative take on narration.
This book is more accessible than many of Ian McEwan's others, but is equally beautifully written. With strong echoes of Hamlet, this book is written from the unique vantage point of a fetus. Highly recommended
lighthearted
fast-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:
Yes
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-paced
dark
funny
mysterious
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:
Yes
a modernised retelling of hamlet—if hamlet was an unborn baby, narrating from his pregnant mother’s belly. I had a hard time reading this at first bc the narratorial perspective felt rlly kitschy… but Ian McEwan is such a fantastic author that it somehow ended up being quite enjoyable—the baby was so very philosophical ! definitely a weird read, one that probably didn’t need to have so many sex scenes….
and—uncomfortably, by nature of its premise, it had implicitly pro life overtones??? even so, it was an interesting experiment in morality—to have someone lacking agency be privy to a murder plot, and be entirely dependent on the murderer. weird weird weird read that ended up being pretty good. also baby hamlet definitely has FAS.
and—uncomfortably, by nature of its premise, it had implicitly pro life overtones??? even so, it was an interesting experiment in morality—to have someone lacking agency be privy to a murder plot, and be entirely dependent on the murderer. weird weird weird read that ended up being pretty good. also baby hamlet definitely has FAS.
I've meant to read more Ian McEwan since Atonement and I finally picked another one up. Nutshell was super inventive and beautifully written. A domestic murder told from the point of view of an 8 month old in utero was so clever and engaging.