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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The afterword really heightened my feelings for this book.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
One of the best books I've read in a long time. Great story.
I had no idea it was turned into a movie, much less a movie with Robin Williams. I'm hesitant to watch the movie though, as it doesn't have as good of reviews, and I don't want it to ruin the story for me.
I had no idea it was turned into a movie, much less a movie with Robin Williams. I'm hesitant to watch the movie though, as it doesn't have as good of reviews, and I don't want it to ruin the story for me.
This book really made me think about relationships and trust in ways I'd never imagined. The ending was a bit of a bummer... but the ride was worth it.
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Night Listener by Armistead Maupin is an LGBTQ+ mystery novel, published in 2000. It follows a gay man named Gabriel Noone, a late-night radio host. His publisher sends him a memoir written by a 13 year-old boy, who claims he was a victim of domestic sexual abuse and is HIV-positive. But Gabriel suspects that this memoir is a fabrication.
This book generally felt quite underwhelming for me. The characters weren’t too interesting, the plot was very lacklustre, and not much happened. There was an abundance of gratuitous sexual imagery, and the novel started with descriptions about how this boy was raped at age 4, which is objectively very off-putting.
Even though I didn’t really enjoy this book, I would absolutely love to read more of Maupin’s books, because I adored the writing style. It felt very personal, and I massively appreciated the writing throughout the novel, despite a general lack of flair.
This book generally felt quite underwhelming for me. The characters weren’t too interesting, the plot was very lacklustre, and not much happened. There was an abundance of gratuitous sexual imagery, and the novel started with descriptions about how this boy was raped at age 4, which is objectively very off-putting.
Even though I didn’t really enjoy this book, I would absolutely love to read more of Maupin’s books, because I adored the writing style. It felt very personal, and I massively appreciated the writing throughout the novel, despite a general lack of flair.
Still feeling emotions (did I cry at some point? Preposterous!) and analyzing this book over its themes, its construction and the interpretation of its ending. Amazing read.
A real surprise! I thought that because he's so acclaimed, this could be tortuous, but it's very good. The plot is somewhat contrived, but the sketch is that this very badly abused & dying teen has written a book about his life that gets to an idol of his who happens to be (like Maupin) a writer & star of an NPR series. They talk by phone, bond, and then the Maupin character's friends begin to question whether this kid actually exists. The ending leaves it ambiguous and back at the beginning of the book. Really good--and takes place partly in Wisconsin!
Compulsively readable, twisty, and based on an incident that actually happened to Maupin. I don't want to say too much, because you should really read this book unspoiled.