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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
While reading, I couldn't help but shake the feeling that this book thought it was better than me. If you like bitter, condescending descriptions of daily life that makes everyone feel bad about themselves, this book is for you. I will say that I might of enjoyed it had I taken it slowly alongside a good English teacher who could explain the symbolism and the significance of all the truly random parts of the book (shoutout Ms. Barber-Just) but without the help of a trained professional, I found myself lost in the clusterfuck. Bonus points for him naming streets in San Francisco that I've heard of. I felt truly connected to.
Beginning was depressing but beautiful. Then I got tired of the pity party. Still, it was different.
I am sorry about the tragic circumstances discussed in this book but I could not appreciate the constant whining that somehow could be misinterpreted as prose. There are much better memoirs out there about young people raising children that don't involve as self-pitying of a narrator.
This has been one of the most frustrating books I've ever read. I can usually finish a book even if I don't like it but I just got to the halfway point, and the main character was just interviewed by someone from MTV in an audition for The Real World. It was easily the most pretentious chapter I've ever has the misfortune of reading and I couldn't even finish. I'm officially throwing my hands in the air and calling it quits.
I feel bad hating something someone obviously worked quite hard at creating, but sweet merciful crap, I did not enjoy this.
I feel bad hating something someone obviously worked quite hard at creating, but sweet merciful crap, I did not enjoy this.
to be fair, he warns you in the introduction that you probably wont make it past part one.
part one is fair-to-middling, set up like a traditional novel with a plot. you can identify with the characters a little bit, empathize, etc.
then it devolves in this self-involved crap i just couldn't get into. so, i put it down.
sorry, mr. eggers, but you did warn me. i should have listened.
part one is fair-to-middling, set up like a traditional novel with a plot. you can identify with the characters a little bit, empathize, etc.
then it devolves in this self-involved crap i just couldn't get into. so, i put it down.
sorry, mr. eggers, but you did warn me. i should have listened.
dark
sad
slow-paced
I have to confess that I skipped the preface, and found the start of the book tough going. Further in it picked up momentum and for a while I was hooked. I also have to say that I skimmed through the MTV interview part of the book as I found this section rather tedious.
I was overwhelmed by Dave's parental responsibility towards his younger brother. He seemed to have taken on the mantle, including the guilt, which I had assumed was exclusive to actually being a parent! The most uplifting parts of the book, for me, was the descriptions of the floor sliding and frisbee playing, as I felt Dave could let go and be a child himself.
I could feel the author's need for closure regarding his parents' untimely deaths, especially his mother, and found the section concerning his return home and the finding and disposing of her remains to be quite literally heartbreaking.
I mostly enjoyed the narrative which at times the style reminded me of J D Salinger and quite often the 'Beats' such as Kerouac.
I was overwhelmed by Dave's parental responsibility towards his younger brother. He seemed to have taken on the mantle, including the guilt, which I had assumed was exclusive to actually being a parent! The most uplifting parts of the book, for me, was the descriptions of the floor sliding and frisbee playing, as I felt Dave could let go and be a child himself.
I could feel the author's need for closure regarding his parents' untimely deaths, especially his mother, and found the section concerning his return home and the finding and disposing of her remains to be quite literally heartbreaking.
I mostly enjoyed the narrative which at times the style reminded me of J D Salinger and quite often the 'Beats' such as Kerouac.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Just wasn’t hitting right.
I should come back to it though.
I should come back to it though.