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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
Almost like poetry. I liked the interconnections between the characters and the socio-political awareness through it all. Grand in scope.
Many stories in one, impactful but also boring a lot of times
Originally read this early November,2020. Since it is our book club book for October, I reread it. It still is one of my favorite books
Mixed feelings about this one. I did like the Epilogue quite a bit. Perhaps because I picked it up and put it down quite a bit, I felt the book was disjointed. I found it quite preachy in places. But also interesting in style and syntax, and certainly lots of very different voices. I found I liked the older women the best.
This is a beautiful novel with such a vast scope, and one that speaks to the differences that divide generations, races, and identities. It was so interesting to read a novel of the Black British experience, which is one I hadn’t really encountered in my previous reads. The vignette-like format was a great way to learn about all these characters, and the ways their lives were interlinked and crossed paths. Evaristo’s unique formatting made this almost a hybrid prose-verse novel, and for me, made for a really immersive reading experience. There was a great sense of humor imbued into every character, into their struggles and ingrained prejudices and skepticisms. There is so much to be said about the power of bonds in this novel. Mothers and daughters; husbands, wives, and daughters; friends and enemies and even just indifferent acquaintances. It felt incredibly true to life as well as a glimpse into worlds I have not yet seen or experienced.
While I did appreciate the ways in which Evaristo wove all these stories together, I did find the ending a tad too tidy for my tastes (which has nothing to do with the way in which it was written, because it’s quite a feat, but more my own preferences in story). I recall having a similar feeling about the ending of Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing, but both novels that explore the legacy of migrations both forced and voluntary are still incredibly successful in mining that legacy despite their endings. Some stories deserve to ending happily and neatly, and my own opinion doesn’t make that less true.
This was clearly a worthy winner of the Booker Prize — I’ve found some of the winners I’ve read in the past a little...dry? They often fell into that classical “award-novel” template, and honoring this novel is clearly a step in the right direction...that there is life beyond the white British experience! I’d love to explore more of Evaristo’s backlist and discover what other stories this author has conjured up.
While I did appreciate the ways in which Evaristo wove all these stories together, I did find the ending a tad too tidy for my tastes (which has nothing to do with the way in which it was written, because it’s quite a feat, but more my own preferences in story). I recall having a similar feeling about the ending of Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing, but both novels that explore the legacy of migrations both forced and voluntary are still incredibly successful in mining that legacy despite their endings. Some stories deserve to ending happily and neatly, and my own opinion doesn’t make that less true.
This was clearly a worthy winner of the Booker Prize — I’ve found some of the winners I’ve read in the past a little...dry? They often fell into that classical “award-novel” template, and honoring this novel is clearly a step in the right direction...that there is life beyond the white British experience! I’d love to explore more of Evaristo’s backlist and discover what other stories this author has conjured up.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really wanted more of the story— I can’t tell if I didn’t like the ending or if I just didn’t like that it ended. It felt deeply personal, the way A Little Life did, but modern, queer, and femme.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Racism, Rape
Every book that I read for the next little while, perhaps forever, will pale in comparison to this masterpiece of intricate storytelling and character depth. I just finished reading it, and I already miss this book.
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Listened to the audio book of this. It's a compilations of several women's stories. Interlinked but able to stand alone. Really interesting to view a hundred year history of racism, feminism, the changing face of gender difference, and immigration prejudice in the UK from a lived experience perspective. Some sexually explicit scenes, and mention of drug abuse and racial violence.