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jen286's review
1.0
feel like I should start off by saying I did not know the author or any of her works prior to reading this and I am not a fan of poetry. So going into this the first chapter I was like oh, yeah, this lady is a poet for sure. The writing flowed and was poetry. Which was fine and I was curious to see where this story would go. Now with the title The Bricks that Built the Houses I expected to see the history of people involved with the main characters and how that history shaped the main characters. How what their parents or grandparents or friends of the family did in the past made them who they are today. I was curious to see how these histories wove together to make the present as how you grew up and the experiences you have do make you who you are today.
Only...the histories could have been completely removed and you would have the same story. They didn't seem to have any effect on the present day story. So...I am not sure why we had to learn the history of every single person who we meet in this story. Like characters that are only in it for a moment we learn all about them. It felt like we got to know every insignificant detail of every person's parents and grandparents and everything even if they never show up in the story again. And that could have been okay had the histories not been written so incredibly boring. I don't know how the author did it, but those histories were a struggle for me to get through. I read this for book club and I really thought that this would be the first month where I don't actually finish the book because I couldn't. I had to start skimming them and just trying to get through them to get to the other story.
Though the other story I was not a fan of either. I don't feel like we really got to know any of the characters and the story was not one I enjoyed overall. Even without the histories. I liked the writing more when it was the main storyline, it was easier to read and didn't put me to sleep, but...it was just meh. I am writing this a few days after reading it as I usually do and I can't even really remember details of the plot. Like besides the general overview. So it didn't even stick with me. Oh, one thing about the writing that did annoy me reading on the Kindle is that there were a ton of words that were italicized and tiny for emphasis and it was incredibly distracting. Like every time I saw one I was pulled out of the book and like why are people emphasizing words so very often?? I did look at the paperback when I was at bookclub and the formatting was much better and easier to read, not as obvious (I had asked them if the paperback was the same as my Kindle formatting and they were like there were words italicized? Really? They didn't remember because you could just read through). So if you are reading on a Kindle or e-reader of some sort it might be distracting as well. I know it definitely didn't help my enjoyment of the book.
Only...the histories could have been completely removed and you would have the same story. They didn't seem to have any effect on the present day story. So...I am not sure why we had to learn the history of every single person who we meet in this story. Like characters that are only in it for a moment we learn all about them. It felt like we got to know every insignificant detail of every person's parents and grandparents and everything even if they never show up in the story again. And that could have been okay had the histories not been written so incredibly boring. I don't know how the author did it, but those histories were a struggle for me to get through. I read this for book club and I really thought that this would be the first month where I don't actually finish the book because I couldn't. I had to start skimming them and just trying to get through them to get to the other story.
Though the other story I was not a fan of either. I don't feel like we really got to know any of the characters and the story was not one I enjoyed overall. Even without the histories. I liked the writing more when it was the main storyline, it was easier to read and didn't put me to sleep, but...it was just meh. I am writing this a few days after reading it as I usually do and I can't even really remember details of the plot. Like besides the general overview. So it didn't even stick with me. Oh, one thing about the writing that did annoy me reading on the Kindle is that there were a ton of words that were italicized and tiny for emphasis and it was incredibly distracting. Like every time I saw one I was pulled out of the book and like why are people emphasizing words so very often?? I did look at the paperback when I was at bookclub and the formatting was much better and easier to read, not as obvious (I had asked them if the paperback was the same as my Kindle formatting and they were like there were words italicized? Really? They didn't remember because you could just read through). So if you are reading on a Kindle or e-reader of some sort it might be distracting as well. I know it definitely didn't help my enjoyment of the book.
micahhortonhallett's review against another edition
4.0
A great crackling storm of a story let down a little by the soft drizzle of its ending. Kate tempest has a fabulous eye for detail, a tremendous compassion for human animals and her prose carries the same relentless rhythm that powers her poetry. As an added bonus, having listened to so much of her work, it is Kate's voice that spoke the narrative of The Bricks That Built the Houses directly into my head.
angiepantsdance's review
5.0
I listened to the audiobook of this one and was completely captured by Tempest’s lyricism and voice. Having the author read the book is always good, but even more excellent when the narrator is a soulful rap artist.
mimothysmall's review
5.0
I couldn't put this book down. Having grown up in South East London I felt like I knew these characters, and that I lived in the book's world. The language is beautiful as well. I can't wait to see what Kate Tempest writes next.
madski88's review
5.0
What a stunning, engaging masterpiece. I fell in love with it. The only criticism is that the ending is too sudden - I wanted to read it forever.
paulus_on_the_rocks's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Je sais pas trop pourquoi je suis frileux à mettre un 4,5 et non un full five star, c'était vraiment bien.
J'aime beaucoup certaines de ses métaphores, la manière dont Tempest développe les relations entre ses personnages, certaines de ses descriptions.
Bien aimé aussi la manière dont elle décrit les errances de ses MC (autour de 25-30 ans), leurs relations amoureuses, leurs rapports au corps, à la sexualité, à la dépression, à l'alcool, à la famille, bref ça ring a bell. J'ai trouvé ça humble, en un sens, l'écriture est super visuelle, poétique mais précise, il m'a semblé que Tempest réussissait l'exploit de ne pas se regarder écrire et de nous offrir un roman plutôt resserré, dense, efficace.
Est-ce que je le conseille ? 100%, en VO si vous pouvez
J'aime beaucoup certaines de ses métaphores, la manière dont Tempest développe les relations entre ses personnages, certaines de ses descriptions.
Bien aimé aussi la manière dont elle décrit les errances de ses MC (autour de 25-30 ans), leurs relations amoureuses, leurs rapports au corps, à la sexualité, à la dépression, à l'alcool, à la famille, bref ça ring a bell. J'ai trouvé ça humble, en un sens, l'écriture est super visuelle, poétique mais précise, il m'a semblé que Tempest réussissait l'exploit de ne pas se regarder écrire et de nous offrir un roman plutôt resserré, dense, efficace.
Est-ce que je le conseille ? 100%, en VO si vous pouvez
hollyalllen's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
lostinstories___'s review against another edition
2.0
Ok so I feel like I'm going to get some hate from some Tempest fans here, but I just didn't get this book. I didn't get the point?
Don't get me wrong it's beautifully written, but to me as I read this book it felt forced. It was made up of so many little stories that weren't relevant to the main story line.
The main story line I feel like could've been written in about 50 pages maximum.
I also can't stand it when things are written with so much description about things that don't matter to me, for example 3 pages worth of explaining what a cafe looked and felt like. Even after all of that I didn't feel immersed in the cafe?
I felt like I had to force myself to read this, the way it was written was beautiful writing but it didn't feel effortless.
I can see why it got so much praise but for me I just didn't get it.
Don't get me wrong it's beautifully written, but to me as I read this book it felt forced. It was made up of so many little stories that weren't relevant to the main story line.
The main story line I feel like could've been written in about 50 pages maximum.
I also can't stand it when things are written with so much description about things that don't matter to me, for example 3 pages worth of explaining what a cafe looked and felt like. Even after all of that I didn't feel immersed in the cafe?
I felt like I had to force myself to read this, the way it was written was beautiful writing but it didn't feel effortless.
I can see why it got so much praise but for me I just didn't get it.