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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
An expansive cast of characters and their lives weave together seamlessly in this book, resulting in connections that never fail to surprise you and demand your attention. Chapter 12, written in the form of a slideshow made by a 12 year old girl, is one of the best and most creative book chapters I’ve ever read.
This year I’ve been forcing myself to read five books from my pile before purchasing a new one, and A Visit From The Goon Squad was my first purchase of 2023.
I really enjoyed this, and was left wanting to know even more. More intimate details about each character, and more about the lives they lead before and after each chapter they were featured in.
While I could have done without Jules’ chapter (iykyk), each chapter’s unique narrative was a poignant reminder that time passes, people age, and lives change. And that life is challenging and heartbreaking, but giving and beautiful, too.
I need to fly through the next five books in my pile, because I cannot wait to revisit this universe when I purchase Jennifer Egan’s sequel, The Candy House.
I really enjoyed this, and was left wanting to know even more. More intimate details about each character, and more about the lives they lead before and after each chapter they were featured in.
While I could have done without Jules’ chapter (iykyk), each chapter’s unique narrative was a poignant reminder that time passes, people age, and lives change. And that life is challenging and heartbreaking, but giving and beautiful, too.
I need to fly through the next five books in my pile, because I cannot wait to revisit this universe when I purchase Jennifer Egan’s sequel, The Candy House.
A collection of stories, interconnected by (side) characters. Different perspectives, times and writing styles (one story is in powerpoint format, but it works out well!). Very good and fascinating. Some are very good.
Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. I was drawn to this book after re-reading Egan's "Black Box," one my favorite short stories, but it wasn't quite as satisfying. I love the way she weaves together the character storylines and orders the stories to build out a world that spans families and generations. She has a keen way of penetrating/elucidating the thoughts of the moody and disenfranchised (who all long for success and human connection). Ultimately, though, it's bleak: Egan paints a cynical and melancholy picture of flawed people who lose track of their dreams and ultimately hurt the ones they love.
reflective
sad
slow-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
This was really more of a collection of connected short stories, which I wasn't expecting. I ended up liking some a lot more than others, hence the 3 star rating.
I really enjoyed the first half of the book. Maybe it was just me, but the second half got a little confusing. It jumped around in time without obviously mentioning it most of the time, so I was guessing at when things were happening in the timeline. Characters that were brought up in a minor way early on became major characters later and vice versa, so that I always was wondering if so-and-so was someone mentioned earlier who I had forgotten. So I had to do a lot of flipping around in the book. Still a very interesting read overall, just not what I was expecting.
I really enjoyed the first half of the book. Maybe it was just me, but the second half got a little confusing. It jumped around in time without obviously mentioning it most of the time, so I was guessing at when things were happening in the timeline. Characters that were brought up in a minor way early on became major characters later and vice versa, so that I always was wondering if so-and-so was someone mentioned earlier who I had forgotten. So I had to do a lot of flipping around in the book. Still a very interesting read overall, just not what I was expecting.
Each chapter told from a different person's point of view, though all the characters seem to revolve around Sasha, a kleptomaniac in the music business. Each chapter/character felt truly different, including one that was an homage to Pale Fire, but the ending was not decisive enough for my taste
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated