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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
funny
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I can't say I wasn't skeptical: a novel written in rhyming couplets? Sounds corny. Granted, if anyone could pull it off it would be David Rakoff, but still, I was scared knowing that this was the last thing I would read from him, knowing that I wanted so very much to love it...and yet still doubting. Doubting was wasted energy. Not only does this work, it is sublime. He packs more love and understanding of human nature in one couplet than some writers manage in a career. his love of language is apparent, his wry sense of humor, his voice is all there. Which is not to say that there aren't some clunky moments. There are, but it makes the novel all the more real and lovely. And if you have lingering doubts, I cannot stress this enough: get your hands on the audio version and after you've read it once, listen to it read in Rakoff's voice. It is as near to perfection as you can get in a literary experience, IMHO. I will go back to this book again and again. It opened up a part of me that I didn't even know existed.
Couplet verse vignettes never worked so well. I could hear Rakoff reading aloud as my own eyes scanned over the page.
Novel in poetry form is not my thing, but I'll always give anything by David Rakoff a shot. Like David Sedaris, you can't help but hear his voice in your head narrating his books.
A funny, charming, and ultimately haunting work from the late writer. It's a novel told in verse. Don't let that scare you off. The loose narrative hangs a few character through time and the payoff is lovely.
An interesting concept, but I'm willing to admit that I'm not necessarily the audience for a novel told in verse. I would get lost in the rhythm of the language and not necessarily pay attention to the actual plot. Hence I am sure there are ways the plots were all related to one another that I just missed.
Impressive, clever, with flashes of brilliance, but in the end I can't give it more than 3 stars because for me, there just wasn't that much there.
I wasn't sure if I would like this with it being a novel written in verse, but it was pretty incredible. It's a quick read and I loved the illustrations that accompany it.
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
One of my absolute favorite pieces of writing, if you can believe it, was this dumb little short story on NPR written by Rakoff that was a parody of The Metamorphasis if Gregor Samsa had contacted Dr. Seuss to help reverse his condition.
The constant jerking from Sansa's pained letters to the Doctor's rhyming prescription made me smile so big when I heard it for the first time and to this day if I'm recording voiceover, I sometimes use it as a vocal warmup. <a href="https://www.thisamericanlife.org/470/show-me-the-way/act-two-5">Here is the link to the podcast as well as the transcript for those interested. </a>
Rakoff's command of rhyming verse led to me buying this book instantly, and I've only just forgotten about it till now. But don't take that to mean it didn't leave an impression on me. I know I've used this review to boost another work of his instead of this one, but I just wanted to share a good memory and remember a great guy.
The constant jerking from Sansa's pained letters to the Doctor's rhyming prescription made me smile so big when I heard it for the first time and to this day if I'm recording voiceover, I sometimes use it as a vocal warmup. <a href="https://www.thisamericanlife.org/470/show-me-the-way/act-two-5">Here is the link to the podcast as well as the transcript for those interested. </a>
Rakoff's command of rhyming verse led to me buying this book instantly, and I've only just forgotten about it till now. But don't take that to mean it didn't leave an impression on me. I know I've used this review to boost another work of his instead of this one, but I just wanted to share a good memory and remember a great guy.
Liked the rhyme, hated the theme
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Violence, Blood