7.93k reviews for:

I godt selskap

Naoise Dolan

3.35 AVERAGE

emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

This is actually the second time i read this book but the first time was in april of 2020 when i was going thru my reading a book a day during quarantine phase so i have pretty much no recollection of anything i read. The only thing I really remembered from my first read through was Hong Kong, and the way hk was described in this book is exactly how i see hk in my head. Complete with the British bankers and the Cantonese and the white people and the escalators and skyscrapers.

Anyway! I definitely see why this might not be the book or character for everyone but it sure was the book and character for me. I thought it was deeply funny and very self reflective and insightful and also very relatable. Like most of the things Ava did and said i was like yeah ok fair, even the bad things. I think it's probably because Ava is 22 and I am 22 and i guess that's just how all 22 year olds are.

Decent commute listen. Liked the tefl bits & Julian’s reaction to fact that she’d never been to London.
reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

elitist but pretending to be socialist while also boring
emotional reflective sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I was confused for most of this book. I knew what was going on, but I struggled to understand where the book was going. I did not particularly love the main character, and the ending had me mad until the very end. Mad and slightly confused
shel_vee_dee_em's profile picture

shel_vee_dee_em's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 44%

Tried it, stalled, gave up. Maybe I’m just not built for contemporary lit. The endless introspection, the emotional detachment disguised as depth, the low-stakes dramatics - I just can’t.

I know these kinds of books are critics’ darlings and pop up on every “must-read” list, but I think it’s time I accept: they’re not for me. And that’s okay. Not every book has to feel like a slow-burning existential crisis.
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Loveable characters: Complicated
emotional reflective sad