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h_sloan's review
dark
reflective
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
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Domestic abuse, and Gun violence
thecriticalreader's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Review:
It is difficult to review this book because I think someone’s enjoyment of it will rely heavily on how they approach a feminist reimagining of The Great Gatsby. Personally, I found it impossible to throw off the weight of Fitzgerald’s novel while reading Beautiful Little Fools, and I was constantly comparing the two, wondering whether I could imagine Fitzgerald’s characters acting this way. Since the characters in The Great Gatsby are all some shade of shallow and terrible, they do not lend themselves to sympathetic retellings that flesh out their characters. At some points, I felt that Beautiful Little Fools did a really good job at adapting the women’s stories, and at others I felt Canton made some truly bizarre decisions that made a mockery of The Great Gatsby. For example, I really liked the idea that Daisy used her affair with Gatsby to get back at Tom rather than out of any lingering affection for Gatsby. I also liked the book's initial depiction of Gatsby as an obsessive man who carelessly wields his power to get what he wants: a "nice guy" whose exuberant, slightly threatening charming intensity bends people to his will. However, as the book went on, Gatsby became more of a caricature of your everyday "powerful male villain," which I felt flattened his character considerably.
Putting aside the legacy of The Great Gatsby hanging over this novel, I thought that the writing was pretty good, and the plot reimagining was impressively creative. My only criticisms are that the detective chapters were unnecessary, and that the feminism was a bit basic and on-the-nose at times.
The Run-Down:
You will probably like Beautiful Little Fools if:
· You have not read The Great Gatsby or you didn't like the The Great Gatsby
· You are open to a reimagining of The Great Gatsby that frames the original book’s events in radically different terms
You might not like Beautiful Little Fools if:
· You struggle to let retellings of classic stories stand on their own
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Murder, Infidelity, Stalking, Grief, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, and Sexual content
Minor: War, Pregnancy, and Terminal illness
serenas_reads's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, and Violence
Moderate: Stalking
Minor: Rape and Adult/minor relationship
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