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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
Couplets is an extremely accessible and binge-worthy "novel in verse".
If you found the narrative voice anywhere near as compelling as I did, you'll probably blow through the book in an hour or two, flipping madly and letting the slant rhymes wash over you as you wait to see how it ends. And, if you're like me, you'll turn back to the start to let everything sink in properly, because there's honestly a good chunk of stuff here to think about.
Millner is bringing in Audre Lorde and Virginia Woolf, Rachel Cusk and Adrienne Rich. She knows that humans are messy and want clean narratives that can be neatly packaged, filed, and tucked away. Her usage of rhyming couplets -- which, by definition, develop but then always resolve a rhyme within each pairing of lines -- reminds us of and reinforces the cultural expectation of self-contained, defined endings. But Millner refuses to squish messy realities into something so artificially neat. She knows that the cultural expectations around self-development are too tight, too confining, too unforgiving of life's realities. And so, even after Millner's narrator has really surrendered control and ridden the wave and cooked the whole enchilada, she still never lands at any final conclusions about herself or her relationships. If anything, all she's learned is that there is no end point to growth, and that nobody's narrative should have a tidy resolution (or any resolution at all, really).
Millner doesn't stop there. She's thinking about the power of erotic love -- both sexual and platonic, as championed by Audre Lorde -- to connect humans inside and outside of relationships. She's exploring what it may look like for relationships to end consensually, and for partners to continue to respect and revere their prior partners as they move forward with their lives. What would our world be like if we didn't attach moral values to forever partnerships? What if it's actually OK that things were what they were for a finite period of time?
If you liked this form, you may enjoy Anne Carson's [b:Autobiography of Red|61049|Autobiography of Red|Anne Carson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403176248l/61049._SY75_.jpg|1396256] (which is a bit less clear/accessible than Millner's Couplets) or Maggie Nelson's [b:Bluets|6798263|Bluets|Maggie Nelson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1354902976l/6798263._SY75_.jpg|7003912] (less of a clear storyline, but similar format) and [b:The Argonauts|22929741|The Argonauts|Maggie Nelson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1410981835l/22929741._SX50_.jpg|42499230] (which has an academic flair similar to Couplets).
4.0/5.
If you found the narrative voice anywhere near as compelling as I did, you'll probably blow through the book in an hour or two, flipping madly and letting the slant rhymes wash over you as you wait to see how it ends. And, if you're like me, you'll turn back to the start to let everything sink in properly, because there's honestly a good chunk of stuff here to think about.
Millner is bringing in Audre Lorde and Virginia Woolf, Rachel Cusk and Adrienne Rich. She knows that humans are messy and want clean narratives that can be neatly packaged, filed, and tucked away. Her usage of rhyming couplets -- which, by definition, develop but then always resolve a rhyme within each pairing of lines -- reminds us of and reinforces the cultural expectation of self-contained, defined endings. But Millner refuses to squish messy realities into something so artificially neat. She knows that the cultural expectations around self-development are too tight, too confining, too unforgiving of life's realities. And so, even after Millner's narrator has really surrendered control and ridden the wave and cooked the whole enchilada, she still never lands at any final conclusions about herself or her relationships. If anything, all she's learned is that there is no end point to growth, and that nobody's narrative should have a tidy resolution (or any resolution at all, really).
Millner doesn't stop there. She's thinking about the power of erotic love -- both sexual and platonic, as championed by Audre Lorde -- to connect humans inside and outside of relationships. She's exploring what it may look like for relationships to end consensually, and for partners to continue to respect and revere their prior partners as they move forward with their lives. What would our world be like if we didn't attach moral values to forever partnerships? What if it's actually OK that things were what they were for a finite period of time?
If you liked this form, you may enjoy Anne Carson's [b:Autobiography of Red|61049|Autobiography of Red|Anne Carson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403176248l/61049._SY75_.jpg|1396256] (which is a bit less clear/accessible than Millner's Couplets) or Maggie Nelson's [b:Bluets|6798263|Bluets|Maggie Nelson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1354902976l/6798263._SY75_.jpg|7003912] (less of a clear storyline, but similar format) and [b:The Argonauts|22929741|The Argonauts|Maggie Nelson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1410981835l/22929741._SX50_.jpg|42499230] (which has an academic flair similar to Couplets).
4.0/5.
This started off SO well and I thought it was going to be a five star read. It was so relatable to start with, but it got a bit too grandiose towards the end.
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Interesting concept to write in couplets, but it affects comprehension a bit. The authors thoughts are well formed and generally interesting.
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
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
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes