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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
What a remarkable book, not only just for the time in which David Rakoff wrote it before his death, but for the sheer feat of its poetic structure. This reminded me of Simon Van Booy's Everything Beautiful Began After, which I read last year.
Started reading the book, but switched to the audiobook courtesy of the library. Highly recommend the audiobook. Hearing the tenderness in Rakoff's voice just makes the work all the more stunning and heartbreaking.
Lots of fun to listen to Rakoff's narration of his novel. A few of the characters broke free of the rhyme scheme and took on some life, and in general I was delighted and impressed with what he made language do to serve the story and his couplets.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was a lovely book I’ve looked forward to reading for a long time. It’s done in rhyming couplets, and it’s best read aloud, in my opinion.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual content, Dementia
I listened to this as an audiobook, read by the author.
When I first realized it was in verse, I almost turned it off and returned it to the library. But I have it a chance, and actually enjoyed some parts of it. My favorite story was of Cliff, his life drawing class experience.
When I first realized it was in verse, I almost turned it off and returned it to the library. But I have it a chance, and actually enjoyed some parts of it. My favorite story was of Cliff, his life drawing class experience.
So I took a small break from "Night Film" to focus on the rest of my life, and the desire to finish the last two hundred pages of that book in a relaxed manner with a glass of wine, but I digress.
If you aren't familiar with David Rakoff and you aren't a regular "This American Life" listener, I encourage you to watch this video performance (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldqjM7x6NhE) recorded a few months before his death. To quote Paul Rudnick talking about this video, "I’ve watched this video countless times, and I always think, with regard to life and death and dancing: That’s how it’s done."
Life Rudnick's review of "Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish" I should hate this book, I'm not a huge poetry fan, especially rhyming poetry, but this is a beautiful, wonderful book. Filled with these moments, the wedding speech toast is especially well done (and not as good out of context, but it's over here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54vqKbbNomg). It's short, and it's in verse, but it's beautiful and poignant.
