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whatdotheyknowaboutfriends's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
chronicallyonline's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
awill1122's review against another edition
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
moonstruckkingdom's review against another edition
dark
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
guts_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
kieranhealy's review against another edition
5.0
The way Denis Johnson spins his words together boggles my mind. Some writers haunt you with their stories and plots. Johnson creates a work of barely connected first person moments from one man, and haunts you with his words and ambiance, and the strange way they dance in your head long after you are done. Few authors compel me to reread a book almost immediately. A beautiful piece of fiction that I read in one day.
cody240fc's review against another edition
4.0
DJ liked to write about strange people. Whenever I read his work, I find myself wondering what kind of guy he was. Was he as strange as the people he liked to write about? Well, for one thing he was a great writer. On a sentence by sentence nature, I have a hard time of coming up with someone I like more. Salter maybe.
This is my fifth time reading DJ, and this is probably his most well regarded work. I liked it quite a bit. It reminded me of McCarthy's 'Suttree' in a way. Focusing on the down-and-out types. Fuckhead comes across as too eloquent for a dope fiend, but that's a minor complaint. Surprisingly full of wry humor for stories focused on a dark world. I probably prefer his last short story collection, 'The Largesse of the Sea Maiden', but this is excellent as well. Low four stars.
"Generally the closest I ever came to wondering about the meaning of it all was to consider that I must be the victim of a joke...I had a moment's glory that night, though. I was certain I was here in this world because I couldn't tolerate any other place."
This is my fifth time reading DJ, and this is probably his most well regarded work. I liked it quite a bit. It reminded me of McCarthy's 'Suttree' in a way. Focusing on the down-and-out types. Fuckhead comes across as too eloquent for a dope fiend, but that's a minor complaint. Surprisingly full of wry humor for stories focused on a dark world. I probably prefer his last short story collection, 'The Largesse of the Sea Maiden', but this is excellent as well. Low four stars.
"Generally the closest I ever came to wondering about the meaning of it all was to consider that I must be the victim of a joke...I had a moment's glory that night, though. I was certain I was here in this world because I couldn't tolerate any other place."