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emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Bitteres Ende. Schön geschrieben. Zu grosser Altersunterschied..
Graphic: Pedophilia
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
loser men and mansplaining lmao. but i enjoyed his articulation. it was very engaging in that way. but god he is pathetic
Graphic: Pedophilia
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness
Moderate: Confinement, Pedophilia, Grief
Minor: Misogyny, Sexism
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
no way that this is the book everyone is talking about.
i thought i was going to be able to relate to the narrator because it is a story of loneliness and daydreaming but nah, that’s the most insufferable pathetic character i have ever read about. 2 stars is generous but there were a few quotes that i liked
i thought i was going to be able to relate to the narrator because it is a story of loneliness and daydreaming but nah, that’s the most insufferable pathetic character i have ever read about. 2 stars is generous but there were a few quotes that i liked
Graphic: Pedophilia
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My first work by Dostoyevsky, I had to see what all the hype was about. His writing is extremely beautiful (when he wants to make any sense) So much yearning happens in this book it is painful. I could relate to this book a lot in terms of the loneliness described and of the feeling of having nothing left for the future. I also don’t generally enjoy classics, so I think this definitely changed my mind about them. Overall, I can’t say i was disappointed at all, definitely won’t be the last book I read of his.
Graphic: Death, Pedophilia, Stalking
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I kept seeing this on instagram and I wanted to try it out but I ended up just not caring. I liked the first half a lot, but the second half fell flat.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia
Moderate: Confinement, Stalking, Abandonment
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Graphic: Misogyny, Stalking
Moderate: Pedophilia
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
'You ask yourself: where are your dreams now? And you shake your head and say how swiftly the years fly by! And you ask yourself again: what have you done with your best years, then? Where have you buried the best days of your life? Have you lived or not?'
Honestly, the narrator very much reminds me of the modern archetype for those 20-something year old males who post about how "the good guys always finish last" while ocassionally teetering into incel-adjascent content and thinking they're the next best thing 'cause they read some philosophy books.
I wouldn't really call this a love story, more so a story of a lonely man who gets attached and deluded by an idealised version of someone who has happened to converse with him. The narrator being 26 and Nastenka (his love interest) being 17 coupled with the love bombing and manipulation made for an uncomfortable reading experience.
That's not to say that the narrator was wholly unlikeable, many of his traits could be interpreted as endearing despite his inherent flaws. He wears his heart on his sleeve and this level of vulnerability is refreshing to see expressed so earnestly in a world where men in particular are emotionally guarded. The hopeless romanticism and vivid daydreaming will resonate with those who also long for deep and meaningful connections with others but who are often their own worst obstacles.
The writing in this short story was poetic and beautiful, albeit a bit long winded at some points.
Overall, there was much to like in terms of characterisation and writing. However, plot-wise, it was not the most engaging and sometimes came off a wee bit melodramatic. It required the reader to suspend their disbelief at the pace of this supposed "romance".
Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Gaslighting
Minor: Death of parent
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Graphic: Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts