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2.89 AVERAGE
2.89 AVERAGE
I couldn't get through this book. I found that it would sit for weeks and I forced myself to continue reading it. Finally, I just stopped bc there's too many good books to read to waste my time on something I don't like.
I just found the story to be too simple and easy, and the writing too amateur to enjoy.
I just found the story to be too simple and easy, and the writing too amateur to enjoy.
I had a hard time getting started but this is an interesting book about the social lives of new york city.
This is possibly the worst book I've ever read. First of all, I have no desire to read about spoiled, wealthy New Yorkers, no matter how glamorous they look in sequined gowns and tuxedos. I picked up this book because a few dozen major publications, including the NY Times, called it "flawless" and "engrossing." You've got to be kidding me. In every labored sentence, Messud attempted a bit of depth, but it all ended up ankle-deep at best.
Reminiscent of Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch. You follow the lives of 3 30-somethings, with no real plot
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Absolutely brilliant. I was completely absorbed into the lives of each of the characters; at times I loved them, other times I hated them. But by the end I felt I at least understood them. It’s hard not to get sucked into the prose that Messud crafts. Detailed and whimsical, each line feels like it takes you on an emotional journey.
Soooo I debated 3 stars for this book, because I didn’t hate the experience of reading it, and I think the characters were well-drawn, but they were literally all terrible? Which is fine in itself, I guess, but in the end I didn’t think the author knew what point she was making. I think the book foreshadowed 9/11 really beautifully and I somewhat wish the story had ended, leaving the various comeuppances to the reader’s understanding & imagination—as none of the actual conclusions were remotely satisfying. The characters were not up to the call of 9/11 and neither I think was the author.
Somehow I liked this book even though I disliked almost all the characters, especially David and Ludo.
Wonderful...not sure I how I feel about the ending, though. Also, during the "first act," when the characters were being introduced, I definitely felt more affinity for the befuddled parents of the 30 year-old main characters than for their children. Guess that means I've definitely left my youth behind me.
I remembered the original high praise for this book so maybe reading it so long after its publication effected it's, well, effectiveness.