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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
i dont remember all to much of this plot, but felt like i was looking into a guy’s life that is clearly in a v different class that i am, tho he came from the same, but doesnt find his way back to where he thinks his loyalities truly lie
challenging
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Think book was waaayyy too long. In the end I had no idea what was going on or what the ‘lesson’ of the book was in the end. Liked the writing style. Provides a good social commentary of the UK’s elite class down to the working class. I’d read another of his books, just nowhere near as long as this
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
At over 600 pages long I thought it would take a bit of time to get through this, but the story is so well told and all the characters compelling I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended if you want modern storytelling that makes you think and weep and laugh
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wanted to read this book while I still live in London, and I’m definitely glad I did - it’s very grounded in specific places (neighborhoods, restaurants, etc.) in London, which was very fun. It was a little bit like a treasure hunt for me!
That said, I found myself very resistant (at least to begin with) to the constant COVID references. Even though that’s obviously very modern, it weirdly made the book feel extremely dated. That may have contributed to a feeling during the beginning of the book that it was all very performative (much like Campbell himself).
Over the course of the book, though, I started to really get into it. I even teared up at the end, although I still feel like some of the plot/character choices were a bit random.
Amazing! And so many familiar London places, especially for (ex) north London friends
challenging
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-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
Really really enjoyed this. Kind of a hard read in the sense of having to confront the nastiness of the world. But it was also a beautiful masterpiece is exposing and service justice with action not words. An attack on middle class white privileged wokeness or the need to feel like 'not the bad guy' and I think that's something a lot of people (me included) need to confront.
"The mornings researches on the internet coalesced suddenly into a pulsating theory that modern life is like a war on decent Human effort..."
"I meet my mother in my dreams. She's happy and optimistic, wearing a lovely coat."
"To the liberals who think they do well by managing language, giving up nothing while they spell out the difference between one grain of sand and another, he swore exposure."
"One must retreat to the life one can live"
"He thinks he's one of the good guys."
"The mornings researches on the internet coalesced suddenly into a pulsating theory that modern life is like a war on decent Human effort..."
"I meet my mother in my dreams. She's happy and optimistic, wearing a lovely coat."
"To the liberals who think they do well by managing language, giving up nothing while they spell out the difference between one grain of sand and another, he swore exposure."
"One must retreat to the life one can live"
"He thinks he's one of the good guys."
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes