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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
Spoiler-free:
2 stars because the author writes beautiful prose. I initially wanted to give this book a solid 3 stars because my issues with it didn't arrive until around the 60-70% mark, but as I wrote this review and ranted about this book to my husband, I feel like that would be too generous based on how I typically rate. I really loved Jonas' descriptions and many of the frequently mentioned 1-2 liners that many other reviews mention. Many of them struck me and made me think, "I wish I thought of that."
This novel has good writing, and an interesting premise of an unnamed older professor grappling with what it means and feels like to be an aging woman meanwhile surrounded by youth, sex, and promise. Until about the 60% mark, my only complaint was that the paragraphs were too dense (I really prefer more dialogue-driven books) and that literally nothing had happened yet. I didn't hate it... But then it completely fell apart. I keep thinking that maybe I missed something. Maybe there's a nugget in the plot that would have made all of this make sense and I'm too dumb to see it. It's possible. But who cares, it's just a book, so here's how I really felt about Vladimir:
Other readers' reviews refer to the narrator's "obsession" with Vlad, but where is it??? I've had more obsession with musicians and animated characters than the narrator had with Vlad. Her fantasies felt just like that: fantasy. I felt for someone meant to be "obsessed" with this man, she didn't think about him, stalk him, prey on him, or feel seething loathing and jealousy of his wife enough to justify what happens at the "climax" (pun NOT intended because there was truly none of that going on). Just when it seemed like things were about to get spicy, any substance that the plot had completely crumpled. The ending felt absolutely bat-shit and random as if the author didn't know how to wrap it up and thought a little shock value would help.
Spoilers below:
This is mainly regarding the book from the moment they got to the cabin.
I didn't feel any sort of reverse-Lolita-esque obsession was going on through this novel. The narrator's "affair" with Vlad felt pitiful and sad. This woman is more obsessed with her aging self than she is with this man... and I get that that's an interesting topic!!!! Older women are not seen as sexual beings and worthy of sex. I freaking get it!!! But then, when it's her time to shine, she turns into a PSYCHO!?!?! How does a smart, successful, and seemingly sane (this is proven several times as she practices WAY more self-control over things her students, husband, and fellow professors say to her than I would have had) think it's a good idea to roofie this man who is already showing interest in her? She then ZIP TIES and CHAINS the poor man who loves his mentally ill wife and young daughter to a chair and GOES TO SLEEP? She somehow then convinces him it was his drunken idea, and when he gives into wanting to sleep with her, she suddenly shrivels up and turns into EXACTLY what the media portrays older women as being: maternal. ARE YOU KIDDING ME
I sit strongly in the camp that books are not meant to be looked at as guides for right vs. wrong. They are meant to tell stories, entertain, and get you to see viewpoints you both disagree with and maybe don't even want to see. I loved [b:All the Ugly and Wonderful Things|26114135|All the Ugly and Wonderful Things|Bryn Greenwood|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1500552983l/26114135._SY75_.jpg|46061078] for this reason. It's sick, twisted, confusing, and like a train wreck you can't look away from. So even though the narrator turning down Vlad (after kidnapping, drugging, and chaining him up...) was surely the right thing to do, it's not what I wanted to happen. Because that's boring. It's laughable that what got her to "sober up" to the situation wasn't, uh, the drugging, the chaining, and the r*pe fantasy, but the fact that Vlad's attempt at dirty talk by calling a spade a spade (ie: saying something like "I've been a bad student, professor") is what shut her down. Her own insecurity about her role as the cougar. Come on now. I wanted her to have a win. To feel good, to feel hot (because it's mentioned at least 20 times in this book how people think she's still hot - ugh), to pull one over her shitty husband, who she for some reason still defends, thus making her very shitty too. The whole thing felt pathetic and like a disservice to the theme that older women can be desired just as older men can.
The ending with the fire was just fucking bizarre. I'm sure there's meant to be some poetic justice with that, but I am too frustrated to care. The narrator and her disgusting husband got what they deserved.
2 stars because the author writes beautiful prose. I initially wanted to give this book a solid 3 stars because my issues with it didn't arrive until around the 60-70% mark, but as I wrote this review and ranted about this book to my husband, I feel like that would be too generous based on how I typically rate. I really loved Jonas' descriptions and many of the frequently mentioned 1-2 liners that many other reviews mention. Many of them struck me and made me think, "I wish I thought of that."
This novel has good writing, and an interesting premise of an unnamed older professor grappling with what it means and feels like to be an aging woman meanwhile surrounded by youth, sex, and promise. Until about the 60% mark, my only complaint was that the paragraphs were too dense (I really prefer more dialogue-driven books) and that literally nothing had happened yet. I didn't hate it... But then it completely fell apart. I keep thinking that maybe I missed something. Maybe there's a nugget in the plot that would have made all of this make sense and I'm too dumb to see it. It's possible. But who cares, it's just a book, so here's how I really felt about Vladimir:
Other readers' reviews refer to the narrator's "obsession" with Vlad, but where is it??? I've had more obsession with musicians and animated characters than the narrator had with Vlad. Her fantasies felt just like that: fantasy. I felt for someone meant to be "obsessed" with this man, she didn't think about him, stalk him, prey on him, or feel seething loathing and jealousy of his wife enough to justify what happens at the "climax" (pun NOT intended because there was truly none of that going on). Just when it seemed like things were about to get spicy, any substance that the plot had completely crumpled. The ending felt absolutely bat-shit and random as if the author didn't know how to wrap it up and thought a little shock value would help.
Spoilers below:
This is mainly regarding the book from the moment they got to the cabin.
I didn't feel any sort of reverse-Lolita-esque obsession was going on through this novel. The narrator's "affair" with Vlad felt pitiful and sad. This woman is more obsessed with her aging self than she is with this man... and I get that that's an interesting topic!!!! Older women are not seen as sexual beings and worthy of sex. I freaking get it!!! But then, when it's her time to shine, she turns into a PSYCHO!?!?! How does a smart, successful, and seemingly sane (this is proven several times as she practices WAY more self-control over things her students, husband, and fellow professors say to her than I would have had) think it's a good idea to roofie this man who is already showing interest in her? She then ZIP TIES and CHAINS the poor man who loves his mentally ill wife and young daughter to a chair and GOES TO SLEEP? She somehow then convinces him it was his drunken idea, and when he gives into wanting to sleep with her, she suddenly shrivels up and turns into EXACTLY what the media portrays older women as being: maternal. ARE YOU KIDDING ME
I sit strongly in the camp that books are not meant to be looked at as guides for right vs. wrong. They are meant to tell stories, entertain, and get you to see viewpoints you both disagree with and maybe don't even want to see. I loved [b:All the Ugly and Wonderful Things|26114135|All the Ugly and Wonderful Things|Bryn Greenwood|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1500552983l/26114135._SY75_.jpg|46061078] for this reason. It's sick, twisted, confusing, and like a train wreck you can't look away from. So even though the narrator turning down Vlad (after kidnapping, drugging, and chaining him up...) was surely the right thing to do, it's not what I wanted to happen. Because that's boring. It's laughable that what got her to "sober up" to the situation wasn't, uh, the drugging, the chaining, and the r*pe fantasy, but the fact that Vlad's attempt at dirty talk by calling a spade a spade (ie: saying something like "I've been a bad student, professor") is what shut her down. Her own insecurity about her role as the cougar. Come on now. I wanted her to have a win. To feel good, to feel hot (because it's mentioned at least 20 times in this book how people think she's still hot - ugh), to pull one over her shitty husband, who she for some reason still defends, thus making her very shitty too. The whole thing felt pathetic and like a disservice to the theme that older women can be desired just as older men can.
The ending with the fire was just fucking bizarre. I'm sure there's meant to be some poetic justice with that, but I am too frustrated to care. The narrator and her disgusting husband got what they deserved.
This book is very hard to rate. It is a somewhat psychological story about an older female professor who becomes obsessed with a younger colleague, and then does something that is truly unhinged. It was interesting and engaging, but I never really liked her (which is fine, that’s not the point). I also didn’t really understand her, though. In the end, I didn’t love it, didn’t hate it (except that horrible horrible Harlequin-romance style cover), and am mostly kind of scratching my head.
I didn’t know where this book was going most of my time reading it but I thought it had something interesting to say about the power dynamics of older men. Then in the third act it took such a psychotic left turn that I think the message kind of just got lost for me? I’m not entirely sure really. Either way it was nothing I expected from what seemed like it was going to be a book about a spicy affair.
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
tense
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
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Setting: Rural Northeast US. DNF. Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. So dislike this type of book- uppity pretentious language, and crude content. Plus, am embarrassed to have this cover on my feed.
That was fun. Definitely my cup of tea. There were moments of suspense and times I was surprised at what happened next. I can’t help it I love the cray cray female narrator.
Definitely also an intellectual novel which sometimes pmo but it was done to my liking here
Definitely also an intellectual novel which sometimes pmo but it was done to my liking here
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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