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cubergirl420's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
lexis2772's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
kristenelizabeth's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
5.0
This book is so important. And absolutely devastating.
me_cara_ree's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
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
3.5
bibliobrandie's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book so much. It's as close to perfect as I've read. This great cast of characters sustain you on this long read and everyone has a voice, no one is a caricature. I loved all the story lines...the group of friends banding together during the AIDS pandemic, Fiona's search for her daughter in Paris, the secondary stories of art told through Fiona's aunt's 1920 art connections and Richards photography. The book spans back and forth through time starting in 1985 in Chicago at the beginning of the AIDS outbreak and then alternating chapters 30 years in the future in Paris. This is a story about friendship and family. It's about love and loss. It's about memory and what it means to survive.
The Great Believers is beautifully written and I can only imagine the amount of research that went into writing this novel. I actually love to imagine that part because I am a terrible writer but would love to do the research for a book. I read the last 20 pages really slowly because I didn't want it to end, didn't want to leave the world that Makkai so expertly puts you into. Definitely one of my favorite books of the year.
I loved Michael Cunningham's review here
The Great Believers is beautifully written and I can only imagine the amount of research that went into writing this novel. I actually love to imagine that part because I am a terrible writer but would love to do the research for a book. I read the last 20 pages really slowly because I didn't want it to end, didn't want to leave the world that Makkai so expertly puts you into. Definitely one of my favorite books of the year.
I loved Michael Cunningham's review here
hikeplayski's review against another edition
5.0
An incredible read. Beautiful and wrenching. Must read.
steffski's review against another edition
4.0
Rebecca is such a great writer. The way she explained things was different than any other writer I have ever experienced. She could really make you imagine things, and I can't explain it but I loved her mind. The story was good and kept me coming back for more.
sapphicreads64's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-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? It's complicated
3.5
This definitely had some hard hitting moments, but I didn't really connect with any of the characters, and the plot felt a little muddled. I feel like this could have been shorter.