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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I’m glad I read this ruminative, sad book though it does feel, overall, that there’s some vital component missing—be it some character shading or maybe just a bit of a narrative drive. That said, it is elegant and exceedingly well-written and reminiscent of Forster and Waugh.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Hate crime, Homophobia, Death of parent, Classism
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A thoughtful and interesting book but too slow for me.
reflective
slow-paced
Hollinghurst is a gorgeous and elegant writer. Everything is paces, carefully worded, elements laid out, characters have flesh and presence and emotions. I enjoyed this book for that. However, not much happens really in the life of David Winn. He's interesting in that he's raised in England by an English mother, but looks like his Burmese father, exposing his to racial insecurities. And he's gay. He will also become an actor. His life story is more interesting in the character descriptions, including those of his lovers. But, beyond this setting, not much happens. The end, I should note, adds some weight and some recontexting of his sort of memoirs. The downside is this is slow, and drags along, without challenging the reader much. As much as I liked many aspects, I never found myself truly drawn-in, deeply wondering about the details he patiently goes on about. I do like fine prose, but he stretched that a bit for me.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
(Long) but gorgeous queer fictional biography in which for the most part, not a whole lot happens, but every detail is imbued with beauty. Love how characters weave into and out of the story so fluidly, and I love love the character of Esme Croft.
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
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
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No