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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
fast-paced
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
One of the best of the longlist and shortlist I've read thus far. The way it starts at a blistering pace that focuses on the externality of war, the gore, the friendship being decimated, the innards coming out of Alfa's friend's stomach, and then it becomes a novel of profound internality. The narrator, in so few pages, discusses culture, colonialism, masculinity, friendly competition, stereotyping, fetishization, etc. It's visceral yet cerebral, two sides of the same large hand. The repetition of phrases here is purposeful and hypnotic. Minor Detail could take some notes from this in that regard.
I do feel odd about the overt similes/metaphors connecting women's bodies to the war. A trench is a vagina. A rumor is a woman fallen with her ass up. No woman is nuanced here, but that's more so a byproduct of this being a very masculine narrative, sometimes overly so for my taste. I love the subversion (or heightening?) of madness by the end. The Nickel Boys could take some notes in that regard.
We could all take some notes in all regards.
I do feel odd about the overt similes/metaphors connecting women's bodies to the war. A trench is a vagina. A rumor is a woman fallen with her ass up. No woman is nuanced here, but that's more so a byproduct of this being a very masculine narrative, sometimes overly so for my taste. I love the subversion (or heightening?) of madness by the end. The Nickel Boys could take some notes in that regard.
We could all take some notes in all regards.
I haven't read alot of world war books but I love that this one did not talk about the politics of WW1 at all, or France's motivations or how the characters related to the politics of the war, instead it hyperfocused on the events in this one trench and that was perfect because it made the violence that ensued seem as senseless as it is, it depicted how humiliating and degrading war is, how it robbed these men of human agency and dignity and they died in fear away from everyone they loved, overall it was disturbing but moving and we should keep the people facing this kind of violence today in our prayers because we live in a world where loss of life is somehow an acceptable price to pay for stupid useless power
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, War
Moderate: Mental illness, Rape, Sexual violence
With the World War I raging at the background, David Diop's
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes