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savaging's review against another edition
4.0
Doris Lessing is always hanging out the Left's dirty laundry. This time she does it with young London IRA-aligned communists in the 80s. It can be hard to read a book where everyone is awful to each other and there is nothing to hope for. But Lessing also has this delicious insight, this genius for the tiny 'tells' of interpersonal dynamics. And though she maybe doesn't have the whole truth about the Left, she has enough of the truth that you recognize these characters from a squat or some self-important cadre of Marxist-Leninists.
The truth is I could read this all day.
The truth is I could read this all day.
mairhannahjones's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Just thought the character writing was amazing!
A lot of quite subtle things she does towards the end (small gaps in the story, briefly taking the focus away from Alice's perspective) are genuinely disorientating to read in a way I found really impressive.
A lot of quite subtle things she does towards the end (small gaps in the story, briefly taking the focus away from Alice's perspective) are genuinely disorientating to read in a way I found really impressive.
elliehamilton38's review
challenging
dark
informative
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
cemoses's review against another edition
3.0
My rating is 3.5. The book does go into some issues in about modern terrorists. Also the book was able to combine both some horrors of terrorism with humor.
However, I had some problems with the heroine. I found it hard to believe that Alice could be thirty-six and not know certain things; She seems like a very young girl not an almost middle age woman. Even if she were not very bright I think she would have obtained more wisdom. Also she is shown as being older than most of the other radicals. The author failed to explain why she was so much older than the others and why she stayed with Jasper so long.
However, I had some problems with the heroine. I found it hard to believe that Alice could be thirty-six and not know certain things; She seems like a very young girl not an almost middle age woman. Even if she were not very bright I think she would have obtained more wisdom. Also she is shown as being older than most of the other radicals. The author failed to explain why she was so much older than the others and why she stayed with Jasper so long.
izzy_reads7's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
everyonespal's review against another edition
challenging
slow-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? Yes
2.25
Kinda of drag tbh.
jon288's review against another edition
2.0
Leant to me by Naomi. I wanted to like it more, but found it a bit dull. I don't know what point it was trying to make exactly, but it didn't hit home for me
hasegawataizo's review against another edition
3.0
One of my favorite parts of reading novels is seeing how someone else, someone different see the world. It was a satisfactory reading.
magsphil's review
2.0
This book was well written but I’m confused about the point of it.
First of all- not a single chapter break in the entire book, just a long stream of consciousness from the main character, Alice. I definitely missed physical breaks separating parts of the book, but not having the breaks reinforced the non-stop nature of her life, fixing one thing and then moving on to the next.
One of the major takeaways was how the revolutionaries ignore their own needs and their communities for the sake of their greater ideological goals. I was hoping the story would show how Alice’s efforts to care for her comrades would pay off somehow, but that never happens. And what motivates her to put in this effort? She seems to be a judgmental person who doesn’t care for most people, but isn’t 100% behind the ideological goals of the group either.
The revolutionaries don’t succeed in their mission either, and it fails (probably because they don’t consider one another, only the end goal). None of the characters are employed, and a lot of them sorta sit around all day. I feel like this isn’t a great depiction of revolutionary groups, though I’m sure there is truth to this from lessing’s own experiences.
First of all- not a single chapter break in the entire book, just a long stream of consciousness from the main character, Alice. I definitely missed physical breaks separating parts of the book, but not having the breaks reinforced the non-stop nature of her life, fixing one thing and then moving on to the next.
One of the major takeaways was how the revolutionaries ignore their own needs and their communities for the sake of their greater ideological goals. I was hoping the story would show how Alice’s efforts to care for her comrades would pay off somehow, but that never happens. And what motivates her to put in this effort? She seems to be a judgmental person who doesn’t care for most people, but isn’t 100% behind the ideological goals of the group either.
The revolutionaries don’t succeed in their mission either, and it fails (probably because they don’t consider one another, only the end goal). None of the characters are employed, and a lot of them sorta sit around all day. I feel like this isn’t a great depiction of revolutionary groups, though I’m sure there is truth to this from lessing’s own experiences.