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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I tried really hard, but could not make it through this novel, which is really a short story collection within a consistent world.
At her best, Egan's writing is funny, provocative, and compelling. A few of the stories demonstrate that.
A majority of the stories are Egan intentionally writing beyond her knowledge and effective empathy or research. These represent characters and situations that border on nonsensical and to me read as tone deaf to the very issues she's trying to engage in them regarding race, gender, education, mental health, and technology. I.e., this is a very inauthentic book that is thematically about the quest for authenticity.
At her best, Egan's writing is funny, provocative, and compelling. A few of the stories demonstrate that.
A majority of the stories are Egan intentionally writing beyond her knowledge and effective empathy or research. These represent characters and situations that border on nonsensical and to me read as tone deaf to the very issues she's trying to engage in them regarding race, gender, education, mental health, and technology. I.e., this is a very inauthentic book that is thematically about the quest for authenticity.
A weird book—maybe a little too weird for me. But clever!
challenging
mysterious
reflective
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
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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:
Complicated
challenging
reflective
relaxing
slow-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:
No
adventurous
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:
N/A
the synopsis of this book had me enthralled. unfortunately, it was misleading and the story did not live up to my expectations. the different narratives were too unorganized and majority were uninformative to the grand scheme of the plot. if you’re feeling especially philosophical, maybe you will find depth somewhere within these puzzle pieces.
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I thought this was great - and better than A Visit From the Goon Squad. One thing that soured it for me a little toward the end was the time spent in "See Below" revisiting "The General," which was one of my least favorite parts of Goon Squad. But that's a pretty minor complaint considering how much I enjoyed the novel overall. Fascinating ideas and characters, and lots of moving/memorable chapters ("Bright Day" is a standout). Also, having just returned from a trip to NYC, I appreciated the setting a lot.