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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
How is Seth such an absolute genius?
I have to admit, there were some parts in between that almost had me bored but the sonnets! His charming rhyme scheme! The anticipation of being amazed by verse that makes even mundane traffic sound romantic. *sigh* When will we get 'A Suitable Girl' in our hands?
I have to admit, there were some parts in between that almost had me bored but the sonnets! His charming rhyme scheme! The anticipation of being amazed by verse that makes even mundane traffic sound romantic. *sigh* When will we get 'A Suitable Girl' in our hands?
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is a joy to read. Nothing and everything happens over the span of 307 pages, and just like life, continues after the final page
When I started reading this book, I did not think I would finish it. But, Seth's impeccable style of writing made this novel in the verse, a delight to read. The story is rather simple- lives of four young people living in San Francisco facing the challenges of life, love and expectations that come with it amid the search for that purpose of life which makes the journey beautiful. But, the presentation where Seth wins it with his lyrical style. It's poignant and touches right notes. I am happy that I picked this book, but, if the same story was written in the prose form, I do not think it would have conveyed what it meant to convey through that form.
Dieser Roman ist in Reimen geschrieben. Keine schlechte Idee. Aber auch ein Reim kann eine langweilige Geschichte nicht in eine interessante verwandeln. Inhaltlich bietet dieses Buch nur das, was man aus jedem amerikanischen Drama-Billigfilm kennt. Für mich persönlich leider die absolute Ödnis.
Reading a novel in verse is definitely a novelty to me. While the brilliance of the form definitely shows, I felt that character development and themes didn’t keep me as engaged as I would have liked. This is definitely a unique and entertaining book. I am glad I came across it.
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Damn. Delightful read.
Charlemagne did nothing wrong.
I feel both sympathy and hate for John.
I feel both sympathy and hate for John.
Set in 1980s San Francisco, this novel follows the lives of a group of twenty-somethings over the course of two years. The themes are not unique -- it's about love and loss, set against the background of possible nuclear war. The way Seth handles romance and relationships seems a little naive at times, perhaps because the characters are not all well-realised. But this is written in rhyming tetrameter, and that makes the novel extremely memorable. Some of the verse reads like doggerel, some of it is clumsy, and some of it is beautifully executed, but it's all interesting. I really enjoyed this structurally and spent time thinking about how it was composed, and I think it's well worth reading even if it can be clumsy at times. My favourites parts of this were when Seth went meta and asked himself why he was writing tetrameter and then insulted his critics -- very funny and tongue-in-cheek.
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
gaaahhhhhhhh was promised a comedy, received a tragedy my heaarrtt
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Grief
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Car accident
Minor: Cancer, Death, Sexism, Terminal illness, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Sexual harassment
Interesting concept, but I'm not sure if I enjoyed it. I got about half-way through before I gave up. The poetry gets a bit sing-songy, although the story and characters are somewhat compelling, if a bit stereotypical but I think that was the writer's intent. There are parts that get confusing though, like he was trying especially hard to be erudite in certain sections.
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes