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expatally's review against another edition
4.0
I can't remember how I stumbled onto this book, but I'm so glad I did, mammoth though it was. Beautiful, poetic, Wolfe managed to make me fall in love with his unloveable characters.
ginger_squeeze's review against another edition
3.0
I did it. I finished it. It only took some 4 months. Scott Sowers deserves an award for his narration (singing included).
Wolfe's musings on death really punch the gut, knowing as a reader that the author would meet his untimely end at 37.
I'm glad I read it. Damned if he didn't have a grip on words. It feels like a prologue to a life; and good for him to have the courage to lay all of that bare. Maybe someday later, I'll get to more. One Wolfe a year might be doable
Thomas Wolfe has given me very little dopamine, and very many thoughts; and I'm alright with that bargain.
Wolfe's musings on death really punch the gut, knowing as a reader that the author would meet his untimely end at 37.
I'm glad I read it. Damned if he didn't have a grip on words. It feels like a prologue to a life; and good for him to have the courage to lay all of that bare. Maybe someday later, I'll get to more. One Wolfe a year might be doable
Thomas Wolfe has given me very little dopamine, and very many thoughts; and I'm alright with that bargain.
beckydham's review against another edition
3.0
It took me 3/4th of the way through to appreciate this book, and then I wanted to go back and start it again. But it's a tough read--you kind of have to just sit and watch all the color and detail go by, and not get impatient about the lack of story.
scottg73's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
oragrace's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
ben 🤝 beth
kelseystamey's review against another edition
4.0
This is the author's autobiography, thinly veiled as a fictional account of his years growing up in the mountains of North Carolina. Difficult to read, but goodness, it's worth the effort. It took me over a year to commit to finally reading this book (after I bought it in Asheville, natch) because it requires such focus and mental gymnastics to stay with its sometimes-too-convoluted language, dense descriptions, and ponderous storyline.
All that aside, it's not an exaggeration to say the writing is some of the most wrenchingly beautiful I've ever encountered. If it trends overmuch towards the angsty side, who's to blame Wolfe? This is a portrait of the inner thoughts and workings of a young man growing up in a dysfunctional family, after all. [My teenage journals were nothing BUT angst.] It's a humorous book at times, too. I will say the book is problematic in its expressions of blatant racism and sexism, which were par for the course when it was written but still caused me to wince every time I bumped into them. The novel is nonetheless an manifestation of a rare gift for lyrical, masterful prose style, so I give it four stars.
All that aside, it's not an exaggeration to say the writing is some of the most wrenchingly beautiful I've ever encountered. If it trends overmuch towards the angsty side, who's to blame Wolfe? This is a portrait of the inner thoughts and workings of a young man growing up in a dysfunctional family, after all. [My teenage journals were nothing BUT angst.] It's a humorous book at times, too. I will say the book is problematic in its expressions of blatant racism and sexism, which were par for the course when it was written but still caused me to wince every time I bumped into them. The novel is nonetheless an manifestation of a rare gift for lyrical, masterful prose style, so I give it four stars.
jzelman's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
scottsolomonwriter's review against another edition
3.0
As a resident of North Carolina, I felt obligated to read this novel. Although Wolfe was ahead of his time in portraying small town life, the multiple adjectives and adverbs loading his sentences make for a long slog. Were Wolfe in an MFA program today, he would be scolded for a lack of strong verbs. He would also be urged to do a search for words ending in ly via his word processor.
mollywithcurls's review against another edition
1.0
I know that this book is an American classic and revered by many, but I did not enjoy it. In fact, I couldn't even bring myself to finish it. I donated it to the library because I didn't want it on my bookshelf!
While the writing style is very unique and Thomas Wolfe is obviously a very talented and intelligent writer, I found myself disturbed at every turn of the page. The descriptions of the child's sexual fantasy and morbid outlook on life disgusted me. I guess as I have grown and matured I don't see the use of reading such things.
I want to spend my time doing and reading things that are uplifting. Not things that bring a dark spirit to my life.
While the writing style is very unique and Thomas Wolfe is obviously a very talented and intelligent writer, I found myself disturbed at every turn of the page. The descriptions of the child's sexual fantasy and morbid outlook on life disgusted me. I guess as I have grown and matured I don't see the use of reading such things.
I want to spend my time doing and reading things that are uplifting. Not things that bring a dark spirit to my life.