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lettucelechuga's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
rachaelwho's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Good. Would have liked a little more story from a little fewer characters. Lulu's excellent passage felt a little lifted from Carmen Maria Machado, which feels like an odd thing to say about Jennifer Egan so maybe I'm mistaken but...
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship
zo__ish's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
once again i love jennifer eagan. a wild web of characters, realizing plot after the fact, learning, feeling, and lovely prose.
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence, Toxic friendship, and Rape
oh_orinoco's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
emburs's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Rape
Minor: Drug use
beccasherman's review against another edition
dark
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Addiction, Toxic friendship, Rape, Drug abuse, Mental illness, and Death of parent
ellbutler's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
jenniferlewyauthor'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
For me, this book didn't live up to its (exceedingly high) hype. Yes, Egan's writing is beautiful, even brilliant at times, especially the chapter written as a list of instructions. The premise of Own Your Unconscious_TM is intriguing. The characters felt complex and real. But the book's style of linked vignettes prevented it coming together as a cohesive whole.
The number of characters felt overwhelming to me and I quickly lost track of who was related to whom. Some key moments in the action probably went right over my head because I couldn't keep everyone straight. And the book's intriguing premise fell flat for me. I didn't get a clear picture of how this imagined future where you can upload consciousness played out beyond some basic descriptors—i.e., some people try to avoid joining the collective unconscious ("eluders"), some people use it regularly with family and friends to share immersive memories, and others profit from it.
I kept reading because the vignettes were enjoyable to read, and I was curious about whether they would wrap up together at the end. When I finished the book, however, I felt like I missed something, maybe quite a few things, likely due to my limited ability to remember how all the characters linked together.
The number of characters felt overwhelming to me and I quickly lost track of who was related to whom. Some key moments in the action probably went right over my head because I couldn't keep everyone straight. And the book's intriguing premise fell flat for me. I didn't get a clear picture of how this imagined future where you can upload consciousness played out beyond some basic descriptors—i.e., some people try to avoid joining the collective unconscious ("eluders"), some people use it regularly with family and friends to share immersive memories, and others profit from it.
I kept reading because the vignettes were enjoyable to read, and I was curious about whether they would wrap up together at the end. When I finished the book, however, I felt like I missed something, maybe quite a few things, likely due to my limited ability to remember how all the characters linked together.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
alrepen's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, Drug use, Mental illness, and Rape
thevioletfoxbookshop's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"The Candy House" by Jennifer Egan is an absolute mind-bender, blending speculative, experimental, and science fiction together seamlessly in a novel that feels both contemporary and nostalgic.
Imagine a future where you're able to upload the contents of your unconscious into cubes. Your every thought, feeling, and memory instantly accessible through technology. Now imagine that you can share your unconscious to a social network in exchange for access to everyone else's on that network. Sound exhilarating? Terrifying? This is the world that Jennifer Egan has created in "The Candy House." Through a myriad of characters, she shows us how this technology came to be, how it changes the world - for better and for worse, and the unexpected ways in which we're all interconnected.
Fans of "A Visit From The Goon Squad" will recognize many familiar characters in this sibling novel. However, I want to be very clear - you do not need to have read "A Visit From The Goon Squad" to read "The Candy House." I knew nothing about "A Visit From The Goon Squad" prior to starting "The Candy House" and never once felt lost or like I was missing something. I do, however, want to go read "A Visit From The Goon Squad" now simply because "The Candy House" was so good!
Telling you what "The Candy House" is about is like trying to tell you what the human experience is about. It's something you know, but can't quite put into words. Yes, "The Candy House" is about a technology that allows people to upload their unconscious, but it's about so much more than that.
It's about nostalgia in the age of social media and technology.
It's about authenticity and how we try to replicate that but continually fall short. Can the feeling of dawn be replicated without the real thing? What about a memory? Or are those just echoes of the actual thing?
It's about how things are messy in the moment, but become clear with time and distance.
It's about the endeavor to quantify and capture what it means to be human. Can that be done? What is the value in it? What are the ethical implications?
And once we've built this "candy house" of being able to quantify, capture, record, and share anything within ourselves and our world...what is the cost?
These are the questions that Egan asks in "The Candy House."
The attempts to answer are just as roiling and complex as the questions. Yet, Egan offers a jarringly clear perspective of our modern world.
I particularly loved how Egan plays with unconventional narrative. For example, we get an entire chapter in the form of emails. Egan's creative writing enhances each character beyond what we see them do and hear them say in the story. Their voices are so distinct, which is a tribute to what a phenomenal writer Jennifer Egan really is! Plus, it was just plain fun to read!
There are some incredibly big ideas and questions in "The Candy House," but more than that, the relationships between the characters and the character development left a real imprint on me. The world is vast and the future is undetermined. Yet somehow, it's a small world and our paths are all intertwined.
"The Candy House" will stay with me for a very long time.
If you're looking for a thought-provoking novel with rich characters, look no further.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence and Rape
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