Reviews

Tremor by Teju Cole

larissakoedood's review against another edition

challenging reflective medium-paced

3.0

It has some interesting ideas but overall I thought it was a bit chaotic and pretentious. 

lorimiller's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

booksillremember's review

informative 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? Yes

2.5

It’s an intellectual book with an intellectual main character, for an intellectual audience. There are glimpses of self-awareness regarding privilege and social inequality, but overall they feel tokenistic, same as the queer representation. It’s almost like the Harvard ‘social justice’ campus bubble isn’t the best space for leftist writing and discourse…

There’s very little ‘show, don’t tell’. We spend most of our time inside the main character’s head, and while his musings are informative, they are not as fascinating as he seems to think they are. The constant name-dropping feels like elitist signalling to an in-group - it’s not approachable/accessible to most people who aren’t college educated.

Maybe this book is incredibly self-ironic and it went over my head, but it felt pretty sincere to me (and I prefer sincerity anyway). 

Positives: I thought the relationship between Tunde and Sadako was gentle, mature, and well written. Also Chapters 6 and 7 were interesting (short slice-of-life vignettes set in Lagos). I would read a whole book with those characters – and if you feel the same, I recommend God's Children are Little Broken Things by Arinze Ifeakandu. 

porbee's review

4.0

I am going to be asking myself those questions about what it means to be authentic for maybe the rest of my life. Required reading for anyone professionally in the arts, in my opinion. 

scottxbooks's review

mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

comet's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

kwonset's review

challenging emotional informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

gigireadswithkiki's review against another edition

DNF-ing at 36%

I think this is a soft DNF but its unlikely I will return. The plotless-ness of this particular brand of literary fiction isn't my thing BUT I will say, that this novel reminds me a little of Zadie Smith's On Beauty in the way that it analyzes Blackness within multiple spheres of life, but a lot more contemporary/intersectional, and without the fatphobia and xenophobia. 

buzzabelle's review

challenging informative mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

cooperck's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75