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balluna's review
reflective
tense
fast-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
4.0
half school read, half leisure
fav chapter: 56
fav chapter: 56
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Sexism, Racial slurs, Violence, Racism, Death, Domestic abuse, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Grief, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Suicide, and Abandonment
Minor: Addiction
jwells's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
I think Maugham wants us to struggle here with the question of whether you can be justified in treating people terribly, if doing so enables you to make great art.
It's a cute puzzle for undergraduate philosophy students to enjoy, but I'm not losing any sleep over it. No, your art being judged great by the constantly changing opinions of art critics doesn't make it okay that you left your wife and kids without a cent to their names. Next question?
It's not that I think people who want to be artists should moulder away in jobs they hate. It's just not the "greatness" of your art that justifies your choice to make it. Who says what is or isn't worth making? But seriously, no art is worth ruining your family's life. Fortunately, I don't think the story would go the same way these days.
It's a cute puzzle for undergraduate philosophy students to enjoy, but I'm not losing any sleep over it. No, your art being judged great by the constantly changing opinions of art critics doesn't make it okay that you left your wife and kids without a cent to their names. Next question?
It's not that I think people who want to be artists should moulder away in jobs they hate. It's just not the "greatness" of your art that justifies your choice to make it. Who says what is or isn't worth making? But seriously, no art is worth ruining your family's life. Fortunately, I don't think the story would go the same way these days.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Toxic friendship, Sexism, and Bullying
Moderate: Racism and Colonisation
Stereotypical treatment of Pacific Islanders by white characters.a_here's review against another edition
3.0
"I looked at the man before me in his shabby clothes, with his great nose and shining eyes, his red beard and untidy hair; and I had a strange sensation that it was only an envelope, and I was in the presence of a disembodied spirit."
Chapter 41, p 143
Chapter 41, p 143
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Racial slurs, and Racism
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