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alicebme's review against another edition
DNF at page 48. This book is remarkable, but my heart is a lil fragile. So I’ll pick it up later.
shawndwldf's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
tatyanavogt's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
Okay, I feel bad cause I WANTED to love this AND I think that some people will... BUT I realize that this writing style is not for me. Basically we have this small African village that is being hurt by a big American oil company and its told in small snippets between different characters in the village as they try to deal with the issues that have come to them.
The idea and message is there but I HATED the process of reading it. It was so boring and I just could not connect with any of the characters even though objectively there was so much to care about.
The idea and message is there but I HATED the process of reading it. It was so boring and I just could not connect with any of the characters even though objectively there was so much to care about.
maro022's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
rballenger's review against another edition
4.0
Type of read: Commuter Read.
What made me pick it up: I think I saw it on one of the suggested lists I receive and the cover art and description got to me.
Overall rating: Beautiful and eloquent, 'How Beautiful We Were' is a true work of art. This is a mature read, and I don't mean that necessarily just content-wise - although there is violence, sex, and general death - but more in the sense that it is a complex work of writing that approaches its storyline from multiple perspectives. It is written from a cultural standpoint of one that I am not at all familiar with and I really enjoyed listening and learning from. There were definitely parts of this book that felt very nonfiction and I had to keep reminding myself that it was fiction (I wanted to know more about the circumstances and see how I could help).
I think one of the hardest parts of reading 'How Beautiful We Were' for me was that there are a lot of names/chapter main characters and a lot of different perspectives told on the same event. I was very thankful the audiobook had multiple narrators to help differentiate the individual stories and the author did a great job of saying things like uncle so and so or friend what's his name, but it was still a little confusing at first.
"How Beautiful We Were" is honestly not comparable to anything else I've read over the last couple of years. I think of trying to compare it to something like The Tattooist of Auschwitz (work of fiction based on nonfiction and historical events) but the style and writing are so completely different and unique that I'm not sure they can even be put in the same category - although they are both very high up on my list of books I've enjoyed.
I would recommend "How Beautiful We Were" to those I know would be interested in a meaty, complex read that requires a bit of work on the reader's part.
Some favorite quotes that stuck out to me:
"How could we be so reckless as to dream?"
"We can't do only what we're at ease with, we must do what we ought to do."
What made me pick it up: I think I saw it on one of the suggested lists I receive and the cover art and description got to me.
Overall rating: Beautiful and eloquent, 'How Beautiful We Were' is a true work of art. This is a mature read, and I don't mean that necessarily just content-wise - although there is violence, sex, and general death - but more in the sense that it is a complex work of writing that approaches its storyline from multiple perspectives. It is written from a cultural standpoint of one that I am not at all familiar with and I really enjoyed listening and learning from. There were definitely parts of this book that felt very nonfiction and I had to keep reminding myself that it was fiction (I wanted to know more about the circumstances and see how I could help).
I think one of the hardest parts of reading 'How Beautiful We Were' for me was that there are a lot of names/chapter main characters and a lot of different perspectives told on the same event. I was very thankful the audiobook had multiple narrators to help differentiate the individual stories and the author did a great job of saying things like uncle so and so or friend what's his name, but it was still a little confusing at first.
"How Beautiful We Were" is honestly not comparable to anything else I've read over the last couple of years. I think of trying to compare it to something like The Tattooist of Auschwitz (work of fiction based on nonfiction and historical events) but the style and writing are so completely different and unique that I'm not sure they can even be put in the same category - although they are both very high up on my list of books I've enjoyed.
I would recommend "How Beautiful We Were" to those I know would be interested in a meaty, complex read that requires a bit of work on the reader's part.
Some favorite quotes that stuck out to me:
"How could we be so reckless as to dream?"
"We can't do only what we're at ease with, we must do what we ought to do."
jana123's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
dwatson13's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
lprongs's review against another edition
Due at the library. It was interesting and I'd like to finish it, but realistically, I probably won't.
jmiles758's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0