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3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Suicide
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
slow-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
"The saddest story (he) had ever heard" is in fact the story of the least observant and most gullible man who ever lived - which is kind of the point. Stephen Donaldson recommended this book when I went to his signing event several years ago. This isn't the sort of novel I would normally gravitate to, but I burned through it quickly.
i found the story to be a bit confusing and jumbled but i think in yhe end i got the gist of it. two couples. one with a constantly cheating husband. the other a man oblivous to his cheating wife. death and meddling
2.5 I guess?? It was just boring. To be honest, I didn't finish it. Don't tell the prof tho or he might call me an incel. Anyways.
"In all matrimonial associations there is, one constant factor - a desire to deceive the person with whom one lives."
From the first page, you're thrown headfirst into the tangled web of relationships between the novel's four main characters , two couples (American & British) who meet a German spa town to maximize their joint oppression. One hand you have Edward (a serial monogamist) , his wife Leonara (a self righteous Catholic turned business major) then Florence who's into her hot girl summer era with her cuckhold husband John (the narrator).
Never before have i read a novel in which each character was so despicable & morally ambiguous that found myself constantly questioning who the "good" soldier really is.
The most impressive aspect of the plot is its portrayal of the human condition. Ford's exploration of love, loyalty, and betrayal is both timeless and universal & how he plays with time and perspective, leaves you feeling like you're on a wild goose chase through a hall of mirrors.
A must-read for anyone who loves their scandal on steroids. Just don't expect to come out of it with a clear understanding of what the heck just happened.
From the first page, you're thrown headfirst into the tangled web of relationships between the novel's four main characters , two couples (American & British) who meet a German spa town to maximize their joint oppression. One hand you have Edward (a serial monogamist) , his wife Leonara (a self righteous Catholic turned business major) then Florence who's into her hot girl summer era with her cuckhold husband John (the narrator).
Never before have i read a novel in which each character was so despicable & morally ambiguous that found myself constantly questioning who the "good" soldier really is.
The most impressive aspect of the plot is its portrayal of the human condition. Ford's exploration of love, loyalty, and betrayal is both timeless and universal & how he plays with time and perspective, leaves you feeling like you're on a wild goose chase through a hall of mirrors.
A must-read for anyone who loves their scandal on steroids. Just don't expect to come out of it with a clear understanding of what the heck just happened.
Read my full thoughts over at Read.Write.Repeat.
The book fit well into the mold I have come to expect from the Modern Library list. Layered, rich, slow-moving, and enjoyable at times. Still, it just never pulled me in.
The book fit well into the mold I have come to expect from the Modern Library list. Layered, rich, slow-moving, and enjoyable at times. Still, it just never pulled me in.
He is without doubt a skilled writer. The time in which it took place, the “English gentleman,” the time period of flippant misogynistic anecdotes, the boorish meanderings of the wealthy, or maybe simply the disjointed style of storytelling is what made this classic “tale of passion” almost unbearable.