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lucyduller's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
It's a book with stories about love, all the kinds of love, ugly, beautiful and flawed. But gosh, it's so much more. I loved Hotel Seattle the most, I think it was the first one I read and realised the genius of Lily King. Some of them I was left feeling uncomfy and tense, although I think that was the point.
The last story was another favourite, I didn't get it until the very end, I think because I was trying to rush it slightly. But wow, it left me feeling stunned.
So many nuances, love at different ages, my first Lily King read but certainly not my last.
Perfect to read in February, it provides some warmth in these cold months, but also embraces the dready bleakness of this time of year. So well done.
The last story was another favourite, I didn't get it until the very end, I think because I was trying to rush it slightly. But wow, it left me feeling stunned.
So many nuances, love at different ages, my first Lily King read but certainly not my last.
Perfect to read in February, it provides some warmth in these cold months, but also embraces the dready bleakness of this time of year. So well done.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Abandonment, Ableism, Addiction, and Violence
Minor: Homophobia
bella_cavicchi's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I've recommended Lily King's wonderful Writers & Lovers more times than I can count. Her writing appears effortless, and I think she has a real knack for crafting characters that are as flawed as you and me because ... that's being human! The same is true in her short story collection, which houses many, many a gem. (I mean, "When in the Dordogne"! Just excellent.)
I appreciate another reviewer who noted that the nostalgia in which these stories seep -- they are all set in a somewhat distant past of the 50s-90s -- also captures a distinct culture of whiteness. And while I don't think that's a "bad" thing (that is, that it is a collection of white stories), finishing it has me interrogating once again the "classic" literary style/tradition it seeks to emulate. If you pick it up -- and I hope you do! -- I urge you to do the same.
I appreciate another reviewer who noted that the nostalgia in which these stories seep -- they are all set in a somewhat distant past of the 50s-90s -- also captures a distinct culture of whiteness. And while I don't think that's a "bad" thing (that is, that it is a collection of white stories), finishing it has me interrogating once again the "classic" literary style/tradition it seeks to emulate. If you pick it up -- and I hope you do! -- I urge you to do the same.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Homophobia, Death of parent, Death, Sexual assault, Medical content, and Grief
Minor: Alcoholism
stef_'s review
1.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Rape
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, and Alcohol
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