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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
tense
slow-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
This book was simply trying to hold too much. I appreciate what the author has done here, I see all the connecting threads, I just wish he'd cut about half the content. Honestly just cut at least three and the book would become so much more readable: Hill covers the placebo effect, wellness culture, neurodiversity, internet conspiracies, toxic positivity, ethical non-monogamy, gentrification, American art history, the history of the Great Plains, insurance fraud, generational trauma, and oh yeah, the day to day struggle of keeping a marriage alive and raising a child. I'm sure I'm forgetting something here because this book goes on and on and on. Thank goodness audio let's me set the speed to 1.5x
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Violence, Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury
Strange, unruly, miraculous, terrifying. And painful. I laughed, and cried. Not a light read - but a fascinating lens on humanity, marriage, parenting, lies, abuse, and identity (to name a few). Nathan Hill is fantastic!
as a satire on modern, well, everything - this book does a great job. as a marriage story, it does ok. and as a generational saga, it struggles. the first 2-300 pages kept me pretty engaged, but it struggled with pacing towards the end. I loved getting to know Jack & Elizabeth, but I wish we'd spent more time on their present-day struggles and less on their childhood traumas to give the ending more punch. overall though, it was witty and charmingly written, gently poking fun at the lengths we go to to achieve "wellness" and how easy it is to fall for appealing stories about what will bring happiness, whether they're true or not.
I know Nathan Hill’s writing is Love It or Hate It, and I think anyone who enjoyed The Nix will also love this. This is a long book, I get it. But Hill’s writing blends so many styles and offers such amazing character studies as well as topical opuses I’m just here for it. I honestly think the section on social media algorithms and how they manipulate people like Jack’s father and contributed to the political climate we find ourselves in today should be required reading.
Such an indulgent book! Hill reminds me of Anthony Doerr, with his descriptions and the deep devotion to his own characters.
I’m not even married and this book taught me something. Feels like an achievement to get through. I haven’t read a 600 page book in a long time. I have a sneaking suspicion that Hill wrote the last chapter before the rest of the book and I mean that in the best way possible.
I tend to look on the bright side of most books and this had a lovely one. Partners who are so convinced they know everything about each other, learning something about themselves through their partner. LOVELY. Reminds me to hold life with a soft grip and refuse the urge to control everything and anything. HARD
I’m not even married and this book taught me something. Feels like an achievement to get through. I haven’t read a 600 page book in a long time. I have a sneaking suspicion that Hill wrote the last chapter before the rest of the book and I mean that in the best way possible.
I tend to look on the bright side of most books and this had a lovely one. Partners who are so convinced they know everything about each other, learning something about themselves through their partner. LOVELY. Reminds me to hold life with a soft grip and refuse the urge to control everything and anything. HARD
Insane. Just mind blowing how his words can just suck you in a tornado of these characters’ life and on its path, you see how they become who they are and from there, you see yourself. That’s me describing how brilliant Nathan Hill’s well polished writing is.
This is the first book that I do updates on each chapter and im so so glad i did it because one end-of-book review is not enough to describe how much of an impact this book has on me and my healing journey. I gently, curiously, compassionately (
This is the first book that I do updates on each chapter and im so so glad i did it because one end-of-book review is not enough to describe how much of an impact this book has on me and my healing journey. I gently, curiously, compassionately (