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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
It’s an impressive feat of fiction: mapping out a person’s life and linking into so many events of the 20th century and meeting so many famous people along the way.
But I didn’t gel well with this book and I wonder if it was the diary format which put me off. There were sections, particularly the beginning and ww2, which were enjoyable and the whole book was an easy read. However, the story didn’t compel me, it all felt disjointed-I get it, life is, but this is a fiction book. I didn’t find the character that interesting, I found him quite flat which meant the more emotional parts of this book didn’t feel that emotional to me. There was also what felt like a lot of filler just plodding along with no real importance to either the plot or character development.
Like I said, I enjoyed some parts and it’s an impressive book, so I would recommend if you were looking for a specific kind of book and didn’t mind the diary format.
Loved this book. A great reminder of the power and scope of the first person journal as a narrative perspective. Eloquent, candid, compelling.
Within the space of 500 pages we trace the development of a writer/aesthete/lover/human through a remarkable number of iterations in identity, priorities, interests, etc., each represented with absolute conviction and honesty. Yet amidst all this change is a single thread of the inalienable self that is our hero.
I particularly enjoyed the precociousness of the teenage Logan, whose writing style was believably grandiloquent and pompous... Not that I could see myself in that at all.
In fact I think believable rather sums up the book. For most of the book I really wasn't sure whether this was the journal of a real living human, or Boyd's fiction.
Powerful reflections on writing, beauty, love, family, happiness, ageing, youth, addiction, and genuineness.
It has spurred me into wishing to keep my own journal.
Within the space of 500 pages we trace the development of a writer/aesthete/lover/human through a remarkable number of iterations in identity, priorities, interests, etc., each represented with absolute conviction and honesty. Yet amidst all this change is a single thread of the inalienable self that is our hero.
I particularly enjoyed the precociousness of the teenage Logan, whose writing style was believably grandiloquent and pompous... Not that I could see myself in that at all.
In fact I think believable rather sums up the book. For most of the book I really wasn't sure whether this was the journal of a real living human, or Boyd's fiction.
Powerful reflections on writing, beauty, love, family, happiness, ageing, youth, addiction, and genuineness.
It has spurred me into wishing to keep my own journal.
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was a little intimidated before reading this because it's a big book with tiny print but the diary style makes it extremely easy to get into. It was a great read and I learnt a lot. There are so many references to 20th century personalities and I wasn't always entirely sure who was a real figure or who might have been fictional. I found it very interesting and entertaining.
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Unexpectedly loved it…. hard time understanding where the book was going at the start, but found myself slowing down on the last few pages just to stay with LMS that little bit longer.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes