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3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
A rare book! Strong ending. Strong everything. Perrotta makes it all seem plausable even though the interesting thought experiment that serves as the novel's springboard/center is anything but. Memorable, believable and complex characters make it real.
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book had a lot of potential: the story starts right after a rapture-like event causing 2% of the world to disappear for unknown reasons. Humanity is left with many questions and the book goes on to explore different possible reactions to such an event through its main characters. Religious cults, humans desperate to find a new meaning in a world where nothing seems to even make sense anymore... this book had all the ingredients for me to love it! Except I didn't. It is more of an observation of the people of Mappleton than an actual story and though it's really interesting, at times I was kind of like "Yeah, okay, and... will something actually happen now? Will we get ANY explanation on why the Rapture happened? Like not even a tiny hint?". But this book doesn't really aim at a complex plot, twists and any sort of conclusion. It is more like a slice of life, and then it's over: you've followed a bunch of people, particularly the Garvey family, you've seen their coping mechanisms, tried to see what drives them to do what they do and feel what they feel; and then just as easily and abruptly as you started to intrude on them, you leave them. And there is no real end. It's like you just stop eavesdropping and that's it. Not to say there is NO story at all, there are events and some action. But I guess the point of the book is not exactly what happens, but rather why it happens. And if you're expecting anything more, like I was, you may be disppointed. I will definitely check out the TV series though, because I wonder if they'll stay true to the book or build up on the story, which could be really great because in my opinion the post-rapture context has potential and did not contribute much to the book, which is a shame!
Don't think this dude likes women, but also the way he writes men makes me think he doesn't like them much more
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
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:
Complicated
This was a very well written book, but the end seemed pretty rushed and unrealistic compared to what was happening throughout the book. The ending kind of ruined it for me, but otherwise it was good.
This is boring and the reviews seem to say it doesn't get any better. Stopping at 4:35
As much as I enjoy Tom Perrotta's way of writing, this was a bit disappointing. Because it has an ending that doesn't really wrap things up and a narrative that skips ahead in time a lot, it is hard to get past the feeling that the book is incomplete. When the book jumps ahead in time between chapters, it always feels like we're missing something, because pretty big things happen in those gaps.
It's a good story but like... what was the point? There's never any climax of a story. Just a wandering "what if some people were maybe raptured..." no answers, no learning lessons, no problem, no solution. Just people meandering, floundering after an event. Like watching your neighborhood wander aimlessly about their lives.