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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Short but smart and funny and entertaining, while also remaining layered and poignant. I feel like we are starting to lose this a little bit in the current publishing environment which is very profit driven - which may be an unfair comparison since Bulgakov had no choice but to not be so.
There is a lot in the novella that prompts contemplation and consideration. It is an examination of the remnants of a revolution but it is also an examination of the old regime clinging onto the last remnants of itself. It cannot be read as condemnation of one or the other the same way it cannot be read as glorification of one or the other. It is a grotesque situation that somehow feels like an honest eyes-wide-open reflection of society.
It is strange because it still feels so relevant today. A clash of the ideas of the masses and the ideas of the intelligentsia and how taking either to an extreme puts them at odds. And no one would like to admit they are wrong. I can tell I will be thinking about it for a long time.
There is a lot in the novella that prompts contemplation and consideration. It is an examination of the remnants of a revolution but it is also an examination of the old regime clinging onto the last remnants of itself. It cannot be read as condemnation of one or the other the same way it cannot be read as glorification of one or the other. It is a grotesque situation that somehow feels like an honest eyes-wide-open reflection of society.
It is strange because it still feels so relevant today. A clash of the ideas of the masses and the ideas of the intelligentsia and how taking either to an extreme puts them at odds. And no one would like to admit they are wrong. I can tell I will be thinking about it for a long time.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
This was a weird short read. I was intrigued by the premise and how this is a reflection of the Soviet Union and the creation of an ideal human being. I found the beginning a bit slow but the second half went by so fast. From the moment of the operation and on. The style of writing was a bit off at times but it didn't bother me that much. The story reminded me of Frankestein at times.
What to make of this? It is a book with a finely observed sense of the absurd, which always feels like the only reasonable way to write about the Soviet Union. However the story of a strange dog -man hybrid is an odd thing that I can't really say I liked
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Very weird & very ridiculous, and so I loved it. Very interesting 1920s Russian commentary!!!! I like that you can tell how much looser the censorship laws were compared to Stalin era
challenging
dark
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes