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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
Thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for the ARC of this title.
I adored Hill's previous novel, [b:The Nix|28251002|The Nix|Nathan Hill|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1474083394l/28251002._SY75_.jpg|48287604], and I've been keeping an eye out the last few years, wondering when we were getting whatever came after that. It's been well worth the wait.
THE NIX was sprawling and human and messy, taking a few idiosyncratic turns, and this does a lot of the same thing, using its camera to zoom in and out of its main characters' lives, telling a story at a certain moment but also making sure we get its full context from their past. Hill seems really good at spelling out a character's neuroses and then writing about them in a way that plays on that in a way where it embeds into the text itself.
With both of these books, there's a delightful sense that in the research for these characters' lives, Hill found so much enjoyable in the side research that he needed to share with all of us. This is a book that somehow folds together postmodern art, hypertext, placebos, social media algorithms, and so many other side tangents (and has the bibliography to prove it at the end). As a person who also drops so. many. conversational footnotes, I love this, and the 600-ish pages of this fly by even with all of these enjoyable detours.
Also, it's really funny? Actually proper full-guffaw-in-my-empty-apartment funny, not just polite-chuckle-to-yourself-on-the-train funny.
The first chapter of this does such a good job of setting up its main couple, making you root for them, but also showing them as deeply real, human, flawed people. Everything that follows is a hilarious, illuminating journey. Whatever comes next from Hill, I'm convinced it'll be just as worth the wait.
I adored Hill's previous novel, [b:The Nix|28251002|The Nix|Nathan Hill|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1474083394l/28251002._SY75_.jpg|48287604], and I've been keeping an eye out the last few years, wondering when we were getting whatever came after that. It's been well worth the wait.
THE NIX was sprawling and human and messy, taking a few idiosyncratic turns, and this does a lot of the same thing, using its camera to zoom in and out of its main characters' lives, telling a story at a certain moment but also making sure we get its full context from their past. Hill seems really good at spelling out a character's neuroses and then writing about them in a way that plays on that in a way where it embeds into the text itself.
With both of these books, there's a delightful sense that in the research for these characters' lives, Hill found so much enjoyable in the side research that he needed to share with all of us. This is a book that somehow folds together postmodern art, hypertext, placebos, social media algorithms, and so many other side tangents (and has the bibliography to prove it at the end). As a person who also drops so. many. conversational footnotes, I love this, and the 600-ish pages of this fly by even with all of these enjoyable detours.
Also, it's really funny? Actually proper full-guffaw-in-my-empty-apartment funny, not just polite-chuckle-to-yourself-on-the-train funny.
The first chapter of this does such a good job of setting up its main couple, making you root for them, but also showing them as deeply real, human, flawed people. Everything that follows is a hilarious, illuminating journey. Whatever comes next from Hill, I'm convinced it'll be just as worth the wait.
dark
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Will be thinking about this forever, but the author often went on and on about topics that took you away from the characters for too long and
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Sexual content
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was so real, relatable, in-depth, thought-provoking, and beautiful. Well done.
"Believe what you believe...but believe gently. Believe compassionately. Believe with curiosity. Believe with humility.
And don't trust the arrogance of certainty."
"Believe what you believe...but believe gently. Believe compassionately. Believe with curiosity. Believe with humility.
And don't trust the arrogance of certainty."
challenging
informative
medium-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