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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
Didn't catch me. But tbf I wasn't in a reading mood at the time.
dark
emotional
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
This is the second Philip Roth book I have read. I really loved "The Plot Against America." In American Pastoral, Roth is both sweeping and microscopic. However, at 423 pages, this book would have been better served at around 250. Although an enjoyable and thought provoking read, I find it hard to believe that this book won the Pulitzer. Maybe the sticker on the front set my expectations too high.
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The book is well written with beautiful descriptions and symbolism. But for at least 3/4 of the book, Philip Roth gets very caught up in his own style. Like some people like to hear themselves talk, Roth likes to see himself write. The extraneous details make for cumbersome reading. The idea of this book is a good one but it very well could have been streamlined. But what do I know? Roth won Pulitzer for the title, so there must have been more to it than I could see. Truly it's a book you appreciate once you are finished reading it.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
Yawn yawn yawn. Swede Levov is the Jewish star of his school sports teams, marries an American Beauty, has a kid and the kid goes apeshit. It's not a bad idea for a novel. In fact, it might have been a pretty good one. But what is going on with the writing here? It seems that maybe, well, to put it this way, in other words, if you don't mind me saying, the whole thing is ridiculously overwrought, overly verbose when it really doesn't need to be and generally an exercise in tedium. I think I may have read too many Roth's now. Similar themes, life falling apart in middle age, small town happenings mirroring the politics and the darker aspects of American Society. Man, this one was dull. Swede is supposed to be a bit of a dullard, but really. Eurgh.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Incredibly well researched and written, the characters are known to their core. Very little plot or narrative driving force, you are in for a deep deep character study