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3.22 AVERAGE
3.22 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I regret reading this book. Wow. So stupid. So pointless. Way too much unnecessary sex. I feel dumber having read this book.
I see many thought it was a weird book… well I just finished it and was wishing it would have been more weirddddd. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ come in with the strange, the unusual and absolutely mystifying - I am here for it. This seemed like it wanted to go there but was too afraid to do so.
I didn't expect to fall so wildly in love with this novel, which explores so many themes, from what it means to be whole, to how much we give and take in relationships, to what it means to be real. The language is lyrical but playful, the characters morose yet philosophical, and despite so much playing with death, there's a lightness to the story. My only frustration was that Thomas' story didn't conclude internally, where we could see it/experience it--it was summarily explained to us through a character who was himself a bit too convenient in his ability to fix the problems ailing Rachel. Nonetheless, I loved it.
(not) An old-fashioned love story
It’s a bit of a love story—a love story in the vein of Altered States or Dangerous Liaisons—where two people love one another. It is as sexually fraught as any Mickey Rourke movie but as magical as Big Fish. It is sweet but full of sorrow.
I tried to read it slowly so I could savor it. Captured a ton of quotes because the writing was so eloquent.
It’s a bit of a love story—a love story in the vein of Altered States or Dangerous Liaisons—where two people love one another. It is as sexually fraught as any Mickey Rourke movie but as magical as Big Fish. It is sweet but full of sorrow.
I tried to read it slowly so I could savor it. Captured a ton of quotes because the writing was so eloquent.
I absolutely loved this book. The story was interesting, it went places I never thought it would. Absolutely enjoyable. It has a strange premise that won’t be for everyone, but what a great read.
If Beetlejuice, Ghost, and Romeo & Juliet all collided with R-Rated ghost sex, you would get The Regrets. It’s an offbeat story of how love and desire haunt us.
The first half is addictive, and then the characters begin to flatten as the book hits its midway point. The story goes wrong for me when it starts to feel like you’re just reading another ill-fated rom-com about a bunch of white hipsters in New York who make poor choices.
Bonnaffons writes well, and overall the book was interesting, but it’s really closer to a 3.5 star rating. I rounded up because I did find myself excited to return to the book each time I picked up where I left off, so it certainly manages to grip readers.
A quick, sexy read that’s as weird as it is engaging.
The first half is addictive, and then the characters begin to flatten as the book hits its midway point. The story goes wrong for me when it starts to feel like you’re just reading another ill-fated rom-com about a bunch of white hipsters in New York who make poor choices.
Bonnaffons writes well, and overall the book was interesting, but it’s really closer to a 3.5 star rating. I rounded up because I did find myself excited to return to the book each time I picked up where I left off, so it certainly manages to grip readers.
A quick, sexy read that’s as weird as it is engaging.
ehhhhhh. kind of got annoyed with this one by the end. i really related to some of rachel's thoughts and feelings, but it all got a little bit too meta and self-congratulatory and it kind of lost me. oh well!
3.5 I rounded up.
I like weird stories. This was a weird story that I think a lot of people have polarized on. Some are horrified at the selfishness of the characters and their choices. Others find their escapades romantic and tragic. I think it falls somewhere in between and outside of both. Just like real people are.
There is a good bit of sex (because people have sex--lots of it even. From casual to boring to orgasmic. Please can we move past that?). There is a lot of self absorption into a new romance that turns into something darker. The story explores the different ways love is enjoyed, used, and abused and the search for love (both self-love and to be loved). It speaks to the dramatically different ways our fantasies and reality collide and affect us through disappointments and gratifications, which, in turn, guide the choices we make. This is what I really liked about the story. The introspective nature of what we really want versus what we have. Our fantasies versus our realities and what would happen if, in the main character's situation, those fantasies came true.
People who only accept one path or version of how love looks and feels (or what they think it *should* look and feel like) will probably not like this at all. If you don't like reading about sex, definitely don't pick this up. But if you want an interesting concept that shines a light on the darker parts of our nature, you probably will see the core this book was trying reach. I found it to be a little tangled with the superficial at times, but it might not have made as much sense without it.
I like weird stories. This was a weird story that I think a lot of people have polarized on. Some are horrified at the selfishness of the characters and their choices. Others find their escapades romantic and tragic. I think it falls somewhere in between and outside of both. Just like real people are.
There is a good bit of sex (because people have sex--lots of it even. From casual to boring to orgasmic. Please can we move past that?). There is a lot of self absorption into a new romance that turns into something darker. The story explores the different ways love is enjoyed, used, and abused and the search for love (both self-love and to be loved). It speaks to the dramatically different ways our fantasies and reality collide and affect us through disappointments and gratifications, which, in turn, guide the choices we make. This is what I really liked about the story. The introspective nature of what we really want versus what we have. Our fantasies versus our realities and what would happen if, in the main character's situation, those fantasies came true.
People who only accept one path or version of how love looks and feels (or what they think it *should* look and feel like) will probably not like this at all. If you don't like reading about sex, definitely don't pick this up. But if you want an interesting concept that shines a light on the darker parts of our nature, you probably will see the core this book was trying reach. I found it to be a little tangled with the superficial at times, but it might not have made as much sense without it.