Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
Man Booker shortlist. Needed to read this in one go after a few days failing to get to grips with the fragmented storyline and difficult characters. Well worth setting aside the time. Surely the oddest bunch of characters and more twists and turns than anything I've ever read. A story that eventually reveals itself but left questions. What on earth is a Bonak?
Thought this would be more about sea monsters and less about terrible decisions
I bought this to read on my travels back to New Orleans from Vancouver because I read Crying in H Mart on the flight there and hadn’t packed two or three backup books as I usually do. I didn’t really enjoy this book, it’s not bad, but I never connected with the characters or story.
Aesthetically I want to love this book. A retelling of a classic done with an artistic, literary twist? Instead I was mostly bored and confused. It’s all out of order with a lot of second person direct, which makes it (purposefully?) confusing to follow. Also if you know the myth of Oedipus the shocking twist is inevitable. Maybe would have risen to a 3.5 if I had a charming professor try to convince me this book was amazing, but sadly I do not.
I don't know what happened between [b:Fen|26210520|Fen|Daisy Johnson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1469103124l/26210520._SX50_.jpg|46190777] and this, Johnson's first novel, but the genre shift from interlocking short stories to a longform narrative didn't give me a lot of joy. The whole of the novel feels like a fugue - yet while some turn this to their advantage, it's not as clear that there was enough readerly compulsion to drive forward the exhumation of everything under. Disappointing, ultimately.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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:
Yes
This book was brilliant. I’d recommend going in blind. The writing was beautiful and I didn’t want to put it down. The Oedipus myth is inherently disturbing but I thought that Johnson handled the topics well: it didn’t feel sensationalised. The watery setting was atmospheric and unsettling, but its isolation was also strangely attractive. The story’s ending was very dark but it didn’t leave me feeling heavy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Incest
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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:
Yes
This is extremely fucking good. The writing is so beautiful in its movement, undulating like the river Gretel grew up on. It's Homeric, McCarthy-esque, epic in the traditional sense of the word Knowing that it's "a retelling of [a] classic myth" set me on edge looking for clues during my read, and the payoff is so worth it
I did enjoy reading this book and the writing style was beautiful and evocative, however the story never really went anywhere or seemed to have a cohesive massage.
A twist on Sophocles, with the terror of parenthood and determinism at the very heart of it. Deeply evocative, grounded and poignant.