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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Only complaint is that it introduced soooo many historical characters that is hard to keep track of them. anyway go lesbians and women
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⚢
A poet is someone who swims inexplicably away from the shore, only to arrive at an island of her own invention.
When will you arrive? Why is your radiance distant from my eyes? You drop through the branches when I sleep at the roots. You pour yourself out like the light of an afternoon and yet somewhere you linger, outside the day.
Her dreams were otherworldly birds. They flew out of a stunted yew tree in the garden of her childhood and circled the roof of her house, cawing, years of their hoarse cries and black wings.
We remembered Cassandra telling us that we would invert the order of things: time would turn inside out around us like a portrait swallowing its own frame.
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challenging
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Liked the prose, there were some beautiful quotes.
But I found it hard to finish it: too many characters were introduced, it didn't know many of them and the verious aliases weren't much help. Got confused and then actually bored. The same with the time jumps.
Didn't got why we were so focused on italy?
I think the main idea of the book is pretty good, i just don't think, that the execution is really working.
But I found it hard to finish it: too many characters were introduced, it didn't know many of them and the verious aliases weren't much help. Got confused and then actually bored. The same with the time jumps.
Didn't got why we were so focused on italy?
I think the main idea of the book is pretty good, i just don't think, that the execution is really working.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
inspiring
reflective
slow-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
The vignette/fragment structure of this book is itself an homage to Sappho. I normally love a story told in this format, but these were so short and moved between characters so much that I found to mostly confusing. I do lack a certain amount of background knowledge to really connect with the context of each vignette, which could evoke more emotion than I experienced. However, I don’t know if anyone would have enough context unless you also hold a PhD in comparative lit like Schwartz.
The prose is both its biggest strength and greatest weakness. Some is rather dry, but there are some beautiful and inspiring entries. Schwartz’s decision to meld biography and fiction is fascinating. She does a great job of creating fictional scenarios that feel realistic to get a point across while maintaining the integrity of the characters. But overall the point of the work gets lost and the narrative is lacking.
I’d like to read and engage in with more of the media talked about in the book, and then come back to it!
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
It was just like a mid book. Some of the prose was very pretty but the literary-ness made it hard to understand/follow/fully enjoy.
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No