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ettuladyblue's review
4.0
I have a complete soft spot for Beagle. Something about his effortless lyricism and unpretentious artistry. Even his weaker efforts speak towards something that resonates.
His artistry is on display here, but it's clouded by under realized characters and a pretty blatant author insert. Some of the relationships are beautiful and bittersweet...others leave you wondering out loud "who cares?" Sadly, it's mostly the narrative. The narrative wants you to invest but doesn't give you real reasons to.
If you're in the mood for melancholy, definitely give it a read. (You may want to steer clear if you've recently had your heartbroken--the relationships that do work will leave you aching). If you're looking for a more focused, less indulgent work, try his short story collection- Sleight of Hand.
But hey, it's Peter S. Beagle. I'll follow him wherever his writing leads.
His artistry is on display here, but it's clouded by under realized characters and a pretty blatant author insert. Some of the relationships are beautiful and bittersweet...others leave you wondering out loud "who cares?" Sadly, it's mostly the narrative. The narrative wants you to invest but doesn't give you real reasons to.
If you're in the mood for melancholy, definitely give it a read. (You may want to steer clear if you've recently had your heartbroken--the relationships that do work will leave you aching). If you're looking for a more focused, less indulgent work, try his short story collection- Sleight of Hand.
But hey, it's Peter S. Beagle. I'll follow him wherever his writing leads.
emilyrandolph_epstein's review
5.0
A stunning story of love, loss, life, and magic. Every word is breathtaking.
thestoryowl's review
4.0
A casual fantasy that dealt more with the humans involved than the gods. The magical elements definitely took a back seat to the characters themselves. The ending broke my heart a little.
xfirefly9x's review
3.0
Summerlong is a slow-paced, quiet story about a couple who meet a waitress in a diner, their lives soon becoming entwined.
The writing brilliantly creates mood and atmosphere, and the couple are very well constructed characters with vividly portrayed lives.
However, I found the story itself to be rather drawn out; half the novel was spent setting the scene and characters. The waitress, Lioness, seemed more an idea than a character; the mystery surrounding her and her past making it hard to connect with her character.
The cheating - and its later excuse of “it’s because they’re gods” - was unsettling; on the other hand, I appreciated the realistic approach to the aftermath of the same, and that the couple was not the same (or even together) after.
And while this novel was labelled as magical realism - which is what originally caught my interest - there were very few hints of this in the first half of the novel. When magical realism elements came up, they were brilliant and exactly what I wanted - but they were also fleeting and subtle and gone almost before I could enjoy them.
I’d recommend this to anyone who likes character-heavy and setting-heavy novels. If you’re looking at this novel for magical realism, it’s got some bits of that - and it’s great stuff - but it’s certainly not heavy on that side of things.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
The writing brilliantly creates mood and atmosphere, and the couple are very well constructed characters with vividly portrayed lives.
However, I found the story itself to be rather drawn out; half the novel was spent setting the scene and characters. The waitress, Lioness, seemed more an idea than a character; the mystery surrounding her and her past making it hard to connect with her character.
The cheating - and its later excuse of “it’s because they’re gods” - was unsettling; on the other hand, I appreciated the realistic approach to the aftermath of the same, and that the couple was not the same (or even together) after.
And while this novel was labelled as magical realism - which is what originally caught my interest - there were very few hints of this in the first half of the novel. When magical realism elements came up, they were brilliant and exactly what I wanted - but they were also fleeting and subtle and gone almost before I could enjoy them.
I’d recommend this to anyone who likes character-heavy and setting-heavy novels. If you’re looking at this novel for magical realism, it’s got some bits of that - and it’s great stuff - but it’s certainly not heavy on that side of things.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
einnymydog's review
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
tasharobinson's review
4.0
Much like Beagle's The Last Unicorn, this novel is about the impulse to love something older and wilder and bigger than yourself, and the dangers involved. But stylistically, it's a very different book — less playful, more straightforward and compellingly tragic, like Folk Of The Air or Fine And Private Place. This book does the things Peter Beagle does best: builds unconventional and compelling characters with just a few lines, conveys what's special about humanity and irresistible about something outside humanity, and sets a terrific scene where the fallout takes place. I'm so glad every time I have the chance to read a new Peter Beagle book.
holodecks's review
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0