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phantomgecko's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
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
4.0
Not a novel exactly but not just a collection of short stories. Densely interconnected snippets of different lives. Each chapter is written in a unique style that tempts me to call it some sort of long form poetry. Styles that stuck out being the one with all (the parentheses), the one in second person, and the one that was a powerpoint.
I didn't really care for the people and what they were doing, but I enjoyed the circles and knots that wove them all together. Like, wow, all these terrible people really couldn't have done it by themselves. I need a bulletin board covered in pins and string to illustrate how wildly connected these stories all are. Especially the ones that seem out of place, like where the PR lady does business with a war criminal.
Again, not just short stories. Though some of the chapters could be interesting stand-alones, the effect of all of them together is just top notch.
Also, the peeking into the future was fascinating. A new baby boom. The devolution of language. Wild stuff.
So, in conclusion, I really really liked this book's structure and premise and details and styles. But I didn't care about the characters and what they did nor about the music/punk/art/drug scene prominent in most of the characters' lives.
I didn't really care for the people and what they were doing, but I enjoyed the circles and knots that wove them all together. Like, wow, all these terrible people really couldn't have done it by themselves. I need a bulletin board covered in pins and string to illustrate how wildly connected these stories all are. Especially the ones that seem out of place, like where the PR lady does business with a war criminal.
Again, not just short stories. Though some of the chapters could be interesting stand-alones, the effect of all of them together is just top notch.
Also, the peeking into the future was fascinating. A new baby boom. The devolution of language. Wild stuff.
So, in conclusion, I really really liked this book's structure and premise and details and styles. But I didn't care about the characters and what they did nor about the music/punk/art/drug scene prominent in most of the characters' lives.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Addiction, Alcohol, Genocide, Mental illness, Racism, and Toxic relationship
fraise's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Sexism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Homophobia, Alcohol, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Body shaming, Medical content, Misogyny, Racism, Suicide attempt, Genocide, Sexual assault, and Suicide
Minor: Eating disorder and Cancer
si0ban's review against another edition
reflective
slow-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
1.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, and Death
Minor: Suicide attempt
pirate's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Murder
Minor: Suicide attempt, War, and Sexual assault
meliemelo's review against another edition
challenging
tense
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
3.25
It took me a while to get into it, and had I stopped a few chapters in, my overall impression would be that I didn't like it. I did however come to admire at least the form, the effort in trying different styles and ideas (one chapter towards the end comes to mind especially). Once I saw what the author was trying to do, I appreciated it much more, even though I still found it all a tad too bleak for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Death, and Drug use
gwendle_vs_literature's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I bought this not knowing what it was — it was one of those “blind dates with a book” where you get it wrapped on brown paper with a vague description on the outside and pay a fraction of the normal cover price. It’s the first time I’ve actually been interested enough to buy one. It was described as “Dubliners for the digital age”, and it lived up to that.
This is an excellent book. It reads more like a collection of short stories, with each chapter focused on a different character, but the way they all weave together and connect in the end is really impressive and beautiful, and by the time I’d finished it I understood why it’s billed as a novel.
This is an excellent book. It reads more like a collection of short stories, with each chapter focused on a different character, but the way they all weave together and connect in the end is really impressive and beautiful, and by the time I’d finished it I understood why it’s billed as a novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Self harm, and Drug use
Moderate: Drug use, Drug abuse, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Infidelity, and Terminal illness
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, and Vomit
One chapter/story was difficult to read because it describes an attempted sexual assault from the perspective of the person who had committed it, so be careful of that if it might be triggering for you — chapter 9. There are other mentions of that event, as well as sketchy situations with sexual relationships between adults and minors, but chapter 9 is the one that’s overtly violent.omligda's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Jennifer Egan has a notable talent of weaving a large cast of characters into one cohesive universe and story. Every chapter feels like a one off until you start piecing together the characters connections. I read this after The Candy House and am almost glad I did so unknowingly. I think had I started with this book, the story would have felt more centered around the aging rock star type, but instead I was able to focus on the deeper connections and ethical issues of the surveillance state the stories take place in. Egan also has a strong talent of using different formats of what is typically thought to be a chapter. My favorite was a chapter comprised of a powerpoint written by a 12 year old character that I had to go online to fully experience. This writing is fresh and inspiring to me. I’m excited to read more of Egan’s work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A Visit from the Goon Squad seemed like a simple read - but it was a bit like an onion in that it had many layers. At first I thought it was a collection of short stories. Then I realised there were loose connections between them. Then I picked up on the record album structure (clever since our key characters are very involved in the music industry) where the sum is often greater than the parts. And then I got on board with the whole pauses in songs/power of what isn’t said analogy which added another layer of depth. I was impressed by the different voices and styles, and especially the chapter told entirely in PowerPoint - always nice to see something unique. Self-destructive characters can irk me and I was definitely irked at times here. But I was interested and invested in the overall theme of time and how it changed the characters, which allowed me to better tolerate their self-destructive phases.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, and Drug use
agentshellfish's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault