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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
challenging
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Literally 70 pages. More like a short story. But if you’re interested in what happened to unwed mothers in Ireland and have an hour, it’s worth the read.
dark
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
slow-paced
It felt like the book was building up to something, but that something never actually arrived
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
reflective
medium-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
dark
emotional
inspiring
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
fast-paced
I wish more authors could write like this: tight, controlled prose that lacks nothing in emotion and depth. This is one of those quiet, understated novels that I love - reminiscent of Stoner by John Williams for me (a favorite) in that we follow the quiet yet conflicted interior of a man wondering what makes a life, what it means to live, and live well, and what we're willing to sacrifice for complacency.
The prose is spare but resonant - a single line well-placed moved me to tears (multiple times) and at the end, I was sobbing. I couldn't help but feel connected to Bill based on our backgrounds, so that definitely colors my view, and the line about "was there any point in being alive without helping one another" is a bit contrived/too on-the-nose for me, but I'm not going to knock the book as a whole for that.
I firmly believe most books could be at least 100 pages shorter - and better for it. Clocking in at only 114 pages, Small Things Like These is full of big ideas and a masterclass in fiction.
The prose is spare but resonant - a single line well-placed moved me to tears (multiple times) and at the end, I was sobbing. I couldn't help but feel connected to Bill based on our backgrounds, so that definitely colors my view, and the line about "was there any point in being alive without helping one another" is a bit contrived/too on-the-nose for me, but I'm not going to knock the book as a whole for that.
I firmly believe most books could be at least 100 pages shorter - and better for it. Clocking in at only 114 pages, Small Things Like These is full of big ideas and a masterclass in fiction.