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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
adventurous
reflective
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:
Complicated
Lent to me by a friend, i had no expectations for this book, and i wound up bowled over by its beauty. The writing is so lyrical, weaving together gorgeous, vibrant, melancholy themes and places and lives. For me, felt a little like the unexpected beauty of the first Kiran Desai novel I read, or the first Catherynne Valente. Will definitely steep myself in this again.
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Would have given this book five stars if it was a novella just with the first section. The first section was so perfect with the grieving husband and the wife who could see ghosts and talk to trees and the isolation. For the rest of the book I was missing them. It was nice that he made an appearance at the end of the book as a ghost but it didn't feel like enough to connect the story for me
i feel like i missed. something. all of it. there were parts i thought were beautiful and there were parts where i was completely lost. all i gotta say is uhhhhhhh i do not know :3
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Latitudes of Longing is a beautifully written novel that takes readers on a moving journey through themes of love, loss, and the connections that tie us to each other and our surroundings. The story unfolds in four connected tales, each set against the stunning backdrop of the Indian subcontinent, where nature often plays a significant role.
Swarup's writing is rich and poetic, creating vivid pictures of various settings—from the lush Himalayan forests to the lively streets of Varanasi. The author skillfully explores themes of longing and desire, showing how these feelings appear in different relationships. Each character faces their own desires, whether it's for a lost love, a sense of belonging, or finding meaning in a chaotic world.
What makes Latitudes of Longing especially engaging is its examination of how personal stories connect with broader historical and cultural themes. Swarup’s talent for merging the personal with the universal offers a powerful reading experience that stays with you long after you finish. The complex relationships and emotional depth of the characters encourage readers to think about their own connections and the places they consider home.
Although the pacing can be slow at times, this allows for a deeper understanding of the characters' thoughts and the beauty of their environments. "Latitudes of Longing" serves as a touching reminder of storytelling's ability to connect us across distances—both physical and emotional. It’s a novel that honors the complexity of human relationships and the lasting nature of love, making it essential reading for anyone looking for a meaningful literary journey.
Swarup's writing is rich and poetic, creating vivid pictures of various settings—from the lush Himalayan forests to the lively streets of Varanasi. The author skillfully explores themes of longing and desire, showing how these feelings appear in different relationships. Each character faces their own desires, whether it's for a lost love, a sense of belonging, or finding meaning in a chaotic world.
What makes Latitudes of Longing especially engaging is its examination of how personal stories connect with broader historical and cultural themes. Swarup’s talent for merging the personal with the universal offers a powerful reading experience that stays with you long after you finish. The complex relationships and emotional depth of the characters encourage readers to think about their own connections and the places they consider home.
Although the pacing can be slow at times, this allows for a deeper understanding of the characters' thoughts and the beauty of their environments. "Latitudes of Longing" serves as a touching reminder of storytelling's ability to connect us across distances—both physical and emotional. It’s a novel that honors the complexity of human relationships and the lasting nature of love, making it essential reading for anyone looking for a meaningful literary journey.
sisu oli okei. audioraamatu lugeja rääkis enamus tegelaste dialoogi india aktsendiga ja see ei sobinud mulle
challenging
inspiring
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Let me tell you, if you like literary fiction books inclined to magic realism genre, you may appreciate the author's sensuous yet lush lyrical prose laced with emotion-filled nuanced writing with weird characters, including trees, ghosts, gods and tortoises.
For others, you may be left with unfulfilled expressions with abstractness written all over the pages to decipher what the narrator's intention to write this epic-proportioned novel travelling across different geographical terrains ranging from islands and valleys to plateaus and snowy deserts to mountains (Andaman, Myanmar, Nepal and Karakoram).
The author divides the book into four parts based on different topographies (Islands, Faultline, Valley and Snow Desert) and places the characters in it who interconnect with every body in the vast expanse of the regional boundaries separated by both time (from 1940s to present day) and distance and comes a full circle with the next generation taking over the baton.
My favourite parts of the novel are first and final sections involving a newly married (odd) couple (a botanist husband and a clairvoyant wife who talks with trees) and an octogenarian pair's love story in the chilly mountain range.
I would rather advise the reader to venture into this epic novel and take it slowly to not to get disappointed as you may see pages after pages of big chunks of longish paragraphs with minimal conversations/dialogues.
Overall, kudos to debut author to think upon a novel with such a panaromic landscape that deals with various aspects of climatic changes involving earthquakes and tsunamis to revolutionaries and prisoners-of-war, and old-age love.
For others, you may be left with unfulfilled expressions with abstractness written all over the pages to decipher what the narrator's intention to write this epic-proportioned novel travelling across different geographical terrains ranging from islands and valleys to plateaus and snowy deserts to mountains (Andaman, Myanmar, Nepal and Karakoram).
The author divides the book into four parts based on different topographies (Islands, Faultline, Valley and Snow Desert) and places the characters in it who interconnect with every body in the vast expanse of the regional boundaries separated by both time (from 1940s to present day) and distance and comes a full circle with the next generation taking over the baton.
My favourite parts of the novel are first and final sections involving a newly married (odd) couple (a botanist husband and a clairvoyant wife who talks with trees) and an octogenarian pair's love story in the chilly mountain range.
I would rather advise the reader to venture into this epic novel and take it slowly to not to get disappointed as you may see pages after pages of big chunks of longish paragraphs with minimal conversations/dialogues.
Overall, kudos to debut author to think upon a novel with such a panaromic landscape that deals with various aspects of climatic changes involving earthquakes and tsunamis to revolutionaries and prisoners-of-war, and old-age love.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No