Scan barcode
organicwario's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
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? No
4.75
issytriestoread's review against another edition
4.0
enjoyable, but long. also, who let the translator use 'willy nilly' so fucking often.
maenad_wordsmith's review against another edition
On a Don Quixote scale of 1-10, where 1 is 'Don who' and 10 is 'those windmills better prepare themselves,' this book scores an 11. I apologize in advance to the windmills of California.
organelle's review against another edition
5.0
feminism is alive and well in 14th century italy!
(i actually read a prose version of the first volume but they dont have it on goodreads so pretend this is it)
(i actually read a prose version of the first volume but they dont have it on goodreads so pretend this is it)
italo_carlvino's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
bestpartofafire's review against another edition
5.0
Hilarious, witty, brilliant, and such fun. For class I had to read 450 pages over a weekend, and even though I felt overwhelmed, I never got bored of the book. It is SO good, and always has a new creative and unexpected plot twist in store.
bookkeeper_steve's review against another edition
4.0
This book was an exercise in trust. The ending was shocking and well put. An introversive immolation of ones guilt in the form of a pastoral. All parts of the story are intwined almost comically. It almost seems like a complete bow even though it is only part one. The best part is with Angelica. How her tears run down her marble body on pg. 340. How she runs off with her hero to a yokels barn secretly like an Antonioni movie.
There seems to be snippets of poetic imagery. Mastiffs, dwarfs (here linked to the queen), men transforming into fish and hags... whose to say what Orlando knew. This was performance art.
There was plenty of magic all around for someone to get their kicks. Although the section about Amazons I agree was poorly done. Ten men for hundreds of women... a crazed mans fantasy. It had nothing to do with the rest of the plot except show that the magic horn worked.
Things that I would explore more in depth... the idea that one Chivalry has nothing to do with how many people you've killed (at one point a giant, who has killed hundreds, had his chivalry in question still) and the idea of the heroic pagans changing their tune by going off and getting baptized.
The battle scenes are well done at points. The siege of Paris where all the pagan soldiers fall into the moat of flames reminded me of Flaubert. Overall I would say that if complete story is what your after read part one.
There seems to be snippets of poetic imagery. Mastiffs, dwarfs (here linked to the queen), men transforming into fish and hags... whose to say what Orlando knew. This was performance art.
There was plenty of magic all around for someone to get their kicks. Although the section about Amazons I agree was poorly done. Ten men for hundreds of women... a crazed mans fantasy. It had nothing to do with the rest of the plot except show that the magic horn worked.
Things that I would explore more in depth... the idea that one Chivalry has nothing to do with how many people you've killed (at one point a giant, who has killed hundreds, had his chivalry in question still) and the idea of the heroic pagans changing their tune by going off and getting baptized.
The battle scenes are well done at points. The siege of Paris where all the pagan soldiers fall into the moat of flames reminded me of Flaubert. Overall I would say that if complete story is what your after read part one.
rosielazar1's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
ecy09001's review against another edition
3.0
Again, I only read selections from this in an Italian Literature course so I did have help from a professor but it was cracking me up how raunchy it was! There was so much sex and action and it was honestly hilarious because it was really ridiculous.
But it was also kind of progressive because it has a female in shining armor that is trying to save her male love interest! So feminist of Ariosto :) But there are multiple story lines going on so if you want to read something classic like this I bet you can find something online that will tell you which chapters go together so you don't have to read the whole thing and can enjoy it more.
But it was also kind of progressive because it has a female in shining armor that is trying to save her male love interest! So feminist of Ariosto :) But there are multiple story lines going on so if you want to read something classic like this I bet you can find something online that will tell you which chapters go together so you don't have to read the whole thing and can enjoy it more.