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jessiebertram's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, and Violence
samarakroeger's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I liked this more than I thought I would! First off, this book is FUNNY. I think my love of Kurt Vonnegut is probably why I connected with this style more than others; their humor and absurdism have similar vibes.
This book simultaneously made very little sense while dancing around some serious topics that were very clearly understood. I do think Brautigan is easier to understand and more accessible than some people make him out to be — you just have to roll with the absurdity of the world building and be fine being a little confused.
This book simultaneously made very little sense while dancing around some serious topics that were very clearly understood. I do think Brautigan is easier to understand and more accessible than some people make him out to be — you just have to roll with the absurdity of the world building and be fine being a little confused.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Death, Blood, and Body horror
koyuki5's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, Death of parent, and Suicide
elizamcurry's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
it's quite complex. i feel eventually you become confused with wether the narrator is one we can trust. the world they live in is almost a forced one. im not sure if it's the writing style or a commentary on their eutopian society
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Blood, and Death
nstew16's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I felt like I was in a dream reading this. The writing was equal parts escapist and surreal. Brautigan's style is minimal and honest, repetitive and inviting.
Other books that In Watermelon Sugar reminded me of:
1. Le Petit Prince (fantastical/surreal elements like the talking tigers)
2. Cat's Cradle (writing style)
3. The Time Machine (iDeath)
Other books that In Watermelon Sugar reminded me of:
1. Le Petit Prince (fantastical/surreal elements like the talking tigers)
2. Cat's Cradle (writing style)
3. The Time Machine (iDeath)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Death, and Suicide
Minor: Sexual content
ellereadsbookslike's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
~Short Synopsis~
iDEATH is a paradise where the sun shines a different colour everyday and most things are made of watermelon sugar. The old way of violence and hate has been rejected and the old world has been abandoned. This is a story of love, loss and peace.
~Review~
This is such a bazar and beautiful book. It's a short, simple story of a man living in a small commune, known as iDEATH, and his relationships with those around him. There's some very strange elements to this story, like the talking tigers (now extinct), the way the commune buries their dead (in glass coffins that they sink to the bottom of the lake that also glow at night), the fact that most things are made of watermelon sugar - it's just all very strange. But the writing style is so intriguing that you simply accept the bazar.
I listened to the audiobook and the language and delivery very much reminded me of a Wes Anderson film in its style. I highly recommend the audiobook if you want to add an extra layer to the story.
It is hard to describe this book and it definitely won't be for everyone but it was a lovely piece of escapism for me.
iDEATH is a paradise where the sun shines a different colour everyday and most things are made of watermelon sugar. The old way of violence and hate has been rejected and the old world has been abandoned. This is a story of love, loss and peace.
~Review~
This is such a bazar and beautiful book. It's a short, simple story of a man living in a small commune, known as iDEATH, and his relationships with those around him. There's some very strange elements to this story, like the talking tigers (now extinct), the way the commune buries their dead (in glass coffins that they sink to the bottom of the lake that also glow at night), the fact that most things are made of watermelon sugar - it's just all very strange. But the writing style is so intriguing that you simply accept the bazar.
I listened to the audiobook and the language and delivery very much reminded me of a Wes Anderson film in its style. I highly recommend the audiobook if you want to add an extra layer to the story.
It is hard to describe this book and it definitely won't be for everyone but it was a lovely piece of escapism for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide and Death
burnyayhayley's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
Based on the reviews I have seen, this is a love-it-or-hate-it book, and I really wish I found there to be any morsel of genius so that I could love it, but yiiiikes this is incredibly bizarre and incoherent.
The first half is boring as hell, and the second half is a tonal rollercoaster. Reading this book feels how I imagine it would feel to be the only sober person with a group of strangers that you are somehow in charge of keeping alive, who are all on psychedelics, and then right when you think they are going to fall asleep they all start to bad trip and scream.
Honestly I just saved you the trouble of reading the book, but if that strikes your fancy, have at it.
The first half is boring as hell, and the second half is a tonal rollercoaster. Reading this book feels how I imagine it would feel to be the only sober person with a group of strangers that you are somehow in charge of keeping alive, who are all on psychedelics, and then right when you think they are going to fall asleep they all start to bad trip and scream.
Honestly I just saved you the trouble of reading the book, but if that strikes your fancy, have at it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Self harm, and Suicide
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
christinereichard's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
The only takeaway I can dig up is a reflection on materialism & its influence on society. The novel went completely over my head even when I made every attempt to digest it. That being said, I respect Brautigan for writing somewhat of a postmodernist classic and if you already enjoy the genre it's probably worth a read. Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend it to anybody else.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
ozymandian's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
an idyllic scenery disrupted with chaos.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
trintrin's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Added to my TBR for Harry Styles, and finally read this after Jack Edwards reviewed it.
This is the most bizarre thing I’ve ever read. The world is so intriguing, yet we don’t really see much of it. I mean — the sun shines a different colour everyday, which makes the watermelons grow in different colours, and they extract a sugar from it and use it to build everything, and also mix it with trout to make watermelontrout oil, a chef who only makes carrots, a place where all the forgotten things are dumped — you get it.
Not sure if I’m an idiot or if this is fake deep, but I didn’t understand heck. Confusing, yet strangely addicting. Maybe that’s what Harry was going for in his song?
The ending went from 0-100 pretty quickly, though. lmao
This is the most bizarre thing I’ve ever read. The world is so intriguing, yet we don’t really see much of it. I mean — the sun shines a different colour everyday, which makes the watermelons grow in different colours, and they extract a sugar from it and use it to build everything, and also mix it with trout to make watermelontrout oil, a chef who only makes carrots, a place where all the forgotten things are dumped — you get it.
Not sure if I’m an idiot or if this is fake deep, but I didn’t understand heck. Confusing, yet strangely addicting. Maybe that’s what Harry was going for in his song?
The ending went from 0-100 pretty quickly, though. lmao
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Suicide