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slahlum's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, War, and Classism
emjbarnes's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Parts of this book were very difficult to follow. Long sentences just keep extending and sometimes lost my focus. The content and ideas were interesting, but the second half was much less engaging.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Miscarriage and War
akane_readsyt's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Moderate: Homophobia and Religious bigotry
caitlancole's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Infidelity, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Racism
kit_carmichael's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, War, and Classism
alexg52's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism
eli_jw's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I can see why this book is held as a classic, but for me it had just about everything I hate in a novel. I finished it but I greatly considered not doing so.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Infidelity, and Classism
Moderate: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Terminal illness, and War
jwells's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
This was a thought-provoking book for me. On one hand, I could hardly put it down - I think it's great. On the other hand, I want to violently reject everything resembling a message or theme I can detect in it.
The romantic nostalgia over the aristocracy would be tolerable (it's not like Waugh is the only one) if not paired with open scorn for people less privileged. Oh, does Hooper have unflattering glasses? Dentures, and an inadequate handshake? Clearly that's enough excuse to justify an entire exploitative class system. I mean, we wouldn't want things to be, god forbid, inelegant.
Is this supposed to be a pro-religion book, I wonder? I suspect we're meant to think that Julia makes the right choice at the end, for example. And be happy that at least the flame is burning in the chapel again?
It's pretty difficult, when we've already seen Christianity make her brother's life miserable. Presumably it's the reason Sebastian can't stand his family. Because he has to stay closeted. Otherwise there's a fine out and proud role model in Anthony... not that he's not persecuted, but he's also not drinking himself to death.
Apparently there are critics who favor a platonic interpretation of BR. Having not read them, I hope they just mean that they think Charles is straight. Not that Sebastian is.
Anyway, can't blame religion for everything; Charles manages to screw up his life without its help, with a choice of life partner as lukewarm as his drink order (whiskey with tepid water).Celia is like a warm up spouse, marrying the sister of the friend he didn't care about (Boy), instead of the sister of the friend he maybe cared about too much. It's almost like even marrying Julia sounded too dangerous or too close to real passion.
I sound rather cranky in this review, but I also read BR twice in January, though I'm not a big re-reader as a rule. I don't know how, but Waugh gets me invested in these people, even when they are annoying, and even when I dislike what he's using them to convey.
Still, I can hardly stop turning pages.
The romantic nostalgia over the aristocracy would be tolerable (it's not like Waugh is the only one) if not paired with open scorn for people less privileged. Oh, does Hooper have unflattering glasses? Dentures, and an inadequate handshake? Clearly that's enough excuse to justify an entire exploitative class system. I mean, we wouldn't want things to be, god forbid, inelegant.
Is this supposed to be a pro-religion book, I wonder? I suspect we're meant to think that Julia makes the right choice at the end, for example. And be happy that at least the flame is burning in the chapel again?
It's pretty difficult, when we've already seen Christianity make her brother's life miserable. Presumably it's the reason Sebastian can't stand his family.
Apparently there are critics who favor a platonic interpretation of BR. Having not read them, I hope they just mean that they think Charles is straight. Not that Sebastian is.
Anyway, can't blame religion for everything; Charles manages to screw up his life without its help, with a choice of life partner as lukewarm as his drink order (whiskey with tepid water).
I sound rather cranky in this review, but I also read BR twice in January, though I'm not a big re-reader as a rule. I don't know how, but Waugh gets me invested in these people, even when they are annoying, and even when I dislike what he's using them to convey.
Still, I can hardly stop turning pages.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
autiquarian's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I felt that this was a perfectly entertaining book, well-written too, but just cannot understand why it’s labelled by critics as ‘the Oxford novel’; I fortunately did not read it expecting a campus novel, but if you are I would put it aside unless you also enjoy the novel’s other, more prevalent, themes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Alcohol
Moderate: War
Minor: Homophobia, Miscarriage, and Racial slurs
evax89's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
i actually only read this because i saw a huge poster of it in Charlie’s bedroom from the Heartstopper series and felt like i needed to read it in order to understand the character even better (weird, i know, but i love easter eggs)
this book took me about a month and a half to read and i almost gave up on it but especially the last chapter really spoke to me <3
the political topics, societal issues and of course unrequited love and the mystery around charles‘s and sebastian‘s relationship: it all really resonated with me and i know i will be thinking about this book a lot in the future!!
and also: the writing is absolutely jaw-dropping stunning
this book took me about a month and a half to read and i almost gave up on it but especially the last chapter really spoke to me <3
the political topics, societal issues and of course unrequited love and the mystery around charles‘s and sebastian‘s relationship: it all really resonated with me and i know i will be thinking about this book a lot in the future!!
and also: the writing is absolutely jaw-dropping stunning
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism