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nkw128's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
fast-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
3.5
cnyreader's review against another edition
3.0
Benna and Gerard have love for one another, but they're never quite in sync, though they rely on one another consistently-ish. They play with words and phrases that are witty and fun, but not really anagrams. I guess I expected more literal anagrams?
This book wasn't easy. It's in two sections, both with Benna and Gerard, but are they related? I had a hard time figuring it all out and I wasn't interested in trying too hard. I like Moore's style, usually, but this was different, almost deliberately evasive. Perhaps it just wasn't the mood I needed at the time.
Food: an under-ripe peach. A little too hard, a little too bitter, and you keep hoping for that one bite that you remember is so delicious about peaches.
This book wasn't easy. It's in two sections, both with Benna and Gerard, but are they related? I had a hard time figuring it all out and I wasn't interested in trying too hard. I like Moore's style, usually, but this was different, almost deliberately evasive. Perhaps it just wasn't the mood I needed at the time.
Food: an under-ripe peach. A little too hard, a little too bitter, and you keep hoping for that one bite that you remember is so delicious about peaches.
dreesreads's review against another edition
4.0
I really did not know what to expect from this novel, but I ended up finding it fascinating. Moore's wordplay is great, and when your main character is a poetry teacher, the wordplay easily fits into the story. The title is also a clue to this book. It's not a novel, it's not short stories. A life as an anagram might be the best way to describe it.
sazuka's review against another edition
3.0
What keen prose.
It took me a while to realize it, but the stories are prismatic, rearrangements of the same pieces and imperfect anagrams.
The last story, "Nun of That," lost me, but I wonder if it is because of my age.
I want to reread the entire book when I am in my thirties.
It took me a while to realize it, but the stories are prismatic, rearrangements of the same pieces and imperfect anagrams.
The last story, "Nun of That," lost me, but I wonder if it is because of my age.
I want to reread the entire book when I am in my thirties.
booksforbrunch's review against another edition
5.0
Lorrie Moore has done it again; she has completed blown me away and created a world of which I envy and enjoy. Amazing depiction of character, love, loss, the insanity of living life and getting lost along the way.
grahamiam's review against another edition
5.0
I really didn't expect the humor to hold up throughout the book, but wow, it definitely did. Funniest book I've read in a while, but with a heaping helping of darkness too, of course.
It reminded me kind of the disjointedness of Speedboat, the first half at least, but with a more compelling big picture.
It reminded me kind of the disjointedness of Speedboat, the first half at least, but with a more compelling big picture.
touko's review against another edition
3.0
What keen prose.
It took me a while to realize it, but the stories are prismatic, rearrangements of the same pieces and imperfect anagrams.
The last story, "Nun of That," lost me, but I wonder if it is because of my age.
I want to reread the entire book when I am in my thirties.
It took me a while to realize it, but the stories are prismatic, rearrangements of the same pieces and imperfect anagrams.
The last story, "Nun of That," lost me, but I wonder if it is because of my age.
I want to reread the entire book when I am in my thirties.
drewsof's review against another edition
4.0
Half short-story-"Sliding Doors" experimental fiction and half melancholic reflection on a quarter/third-life crisis. I struggled with the opening of the book, that 80s prose that wants nothing more than to show you how crafted and brilliant and fab it all is, but I quickly fell into the rhythms that Moore quite rightly wanted to show off. When the context shifted in the second tale (no longer were Gerard and Benna neighbors in unrequited love, but now they were neighbors in a long relationship), I felt myself light up in relation to the novel: this was going to be fascinating. And I really, really loved what Moore did here, presenting these reconfigured takes on a relationship.
But I felt a little let-down by the final story, which takes just about half of the book. The story itself is great, don't get me wrong, but I felt as though the initial concept for the novel went by the wayside earlier than it should've. And the twist at the end, although increasingly telegraphed throughout, is painfully sad.
Still: the book got to me, even when I thought it might not.
But I felt a little let-down by the final story, which takes just about half of the book. The story itself is great, don't get me wrong, but I felt as though the initial concept for the novel went by the wayside earlier than it should've. And the twist at the end, although increasingly telegraphed throughout, is painfully sad.
Still: the book got to me, even when I thought it might not.
clairelorraine's review against another edition
4.0
I had no idea what was happening in this book at first(!), but when I got a handle on the experimental storytelling, I was like ah yes! Also, it was fun to finally get what was going on...maybe! This is the kind of book I'd like to talk to someone about because while I have theories about theme etc., I'm still maybe a little kinda sorta confused. When Moore settled into poetry teacher Benna, I could relax a little until I kept not believing Benna's child and friend were imaginary even when she said it. That section was like a very literary episode of "thirtysomething" and I mean that in the best way possible.
miss_tricia's review against another edition
2.0
"All the world's a stage we're going through."
It took me a couple of chapters to realize that, although you read the same three names in each chapter, each chapter is populated by three different characters. You know that from the fact that their jobs are different and sometimes they have different relationships with each other (i.e. in one chapter two are lovers, and in another they are ex-lovers, yay!). On the other hand, that’s about all that distinguishes the characters. They all might as well be the same character: every Benna is the same as every other Benna is the same as every Eleanor. They all speak in the same literary puns and jokes. They are all supremely discontent. They are all in stupid and terrible relationships. The device is more confusing than illuminating, and the jokes aren’t that funny. Unless you're a hopeless literary nerd, you can probably give this one a pass.
It took me a couple of chapters to realize that, although you read the same three names in each chapter, each chapter is populated by three different characters. You know that from the fact that their jobs are different and sometimes they have different relationships with each other (i.e. in one chapter two are lovers, and in another they are ex-lovers, yay!). On the other hand, that’s about all that distinguishes the characters. They all might as well be the same character: every Benna is the same as every other Benna is the same as every Eleanor. They all speak in the same literary puns and jokes. They are all supremely discontent. They are all in stupid and terrible relationships. The device is more confusing than illuminating, and the jokes aren’t that funny. Unless you're a hopeless literary nerd, you can probably give this one a pass.