Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.37 AVERAGE
3.37 AVERAGE
dark
tense
medium-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
dark
This is an interesting but bizarre book; I'm not entirely sure what to make of it. In any case, one of the main characters is names Homer Simpson, which is cool.
2 out of 5 stars
First review after the exams season and I am sorry to say that it isn't a very positive one. I got this book shortly after reading the Great Gatsby, in hopes that perhaps The Day of the Locust would be a good follow up to the classic by Fitzgerald. I enjoyed the purely american tone of the writing style and the commentary of the Los Angeles society it provided through the eyes of the characters. Overall, this was an interesting read up until the point where rape was mentioned and then I stopped enjoying the book. A vicious critique of Hollywood and the American Dream, this book set out to "reveal the terrifying emptiness at the heart of the movie world" and disturbed me deeply in the process. I tried really hard to read in the context of the time it was written. However, I quickly realised that my modern sensibilities didn't allow me to stomach a lot of things. I wouldn't reccommend this.
Happy reading!
P.S. Trigger warnings! Discussions of rape and use of derogatory and offensive terms for social groups
First review after the exams season and I am sorry to say that it isn't a very positive one. I got this book shortly after reading the Great Gatsby, in hopes that perhaps The Day of the Locust would be a good follow up to the classic by Fitzgerald. I enjoyed the purely american tone of the writing style and the commentary of the Los Angeles society it provided through the eyes of the characters. Overall, this was an interesting read up until the point where rape was mentioned and then I stopped enjoying the book. A vicious critique of Hollywood and the American Dream, this book set out to "reveal the terrifying emptiness at the heart of the movie world" and disturbed me deeply in the process. I tried really hard to read in the context of the time it was written. However, I quickly realised that my modern sensibilities didn't allow me to stomach a lot of things. I wouldn't reccommend this.
Happy reading!
P.S. Trigger warnings! Discussions of rape and use of derogatory and offensive terms for social groups
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
(4.5) Wow. Although I didn't enjoy this like I did with [b: Miss Lonelyhearts|250041|Miss Lonelyhearts|Nathanael West|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1356886809s/250041.jpg|23680760], this one's certainly a masterpiece. I don't think you can really enjoy this one, because although it's still humorous at parts, it's much more depressing than even Miss Lonelyhearts, since that book is more of a black comedy, where this is more of a portrait of its time. That said, the Los Angeles of The Day of the Locust isn't that far off from modern America. Originally this was going to be four stars, but that last chapter really got me. It's super nightmarish.
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Pedophilia, Rape, Violence
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Alcohol
This has some incredibly powerful writing and I can understand why it's a significant work of literature, but I felt like it wasn't nearly as entertaining as I wanted it to be. There are some powerful themes here and the second half is definitely better than the first, but, unfortunately, I still wasn't blown away.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes