Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.37 AVERAGE
3.37 AVERAGE
Right as I finished this book, I threw it across the room. It reinforced the fact that I hated Chick Lit, especially this terrible book. The fact that a book critic compared it to "Catcher in the Rye"...That is the most ultimate sin I have seen in a while. Yikes. This is the worst book I've read in a while.
Great read, better than I expected. It's one of those books by young women authors that gives me hope there's something beyond ditzy chick lit.
I picked up this book because it had been recommended to me several times. I was expecting some light “chick lit” but instead encountered a series of vignettes following Jane as she grew up from a 14 year old watching her older brother’s struggles with complicated relationships to an adult with her own struggles. The writing itself is absolutely beautiful.
There was one vignette that I did not understand the point of: the chapter that focused on Jane’s downstairs neighbor and her adult children. A lot of interesting characters and plot points were introduced and then never mentioned again.
There was one vignette that I did not understand the point of: the chapter that focused on Jane’s downstairs neighbor and her adult children. A lot of interesting characters and plot points were introduced and then never mentioned again.
In this lovely collection of short fiction, generally revolving around the same character, Melissa Bank paints what is initially a familiar portrait of a 20th century woman's disillusionment with society, over the course of many years. These are much later works, but there are shades of Fleabag, of Frances Ha, of Lady Bird in spades here. But Bank pulls off a flavor uniquely her own. These stories are in turns uproariously funny, heartwarming, and unbearably cold and tragic, nihilistic even.
What keeps them from becoming satirical, depressing, or otherwise just unbelievable (for a good example of these characteristics, see Edge of Seventeen with Hailee Steinfeld) is a certain level of humanity that is hard to describe, harder even to accomplish. Jane is at once all of us and none of us, simultaneously everyone you've ever had a drink with and none of them. Hardly ever is there dialogue that feels this real, virtually audible, and after a summer spent reading Dark Academia-adjacent works, it's like a breath of fresh air, a Negroni on a hot summer's evening.
A surprisingly, absolutely delightful read that will make you question the nature of humanity, and also undeniably affirm whatever scrap of faith you have left in it.
What keeps them from becoming satirical, depressing, or otherwise just unbelievable (for a good example of these characteristics, see Edge of Seventeen with Hailee Steinfeld) is a certain level of humanity that is hard to describe, harder even to accomplish. Jane is at once all of us and none of us, simultaneously everyone you've ever had a drink with and none of them. Hardly ever is there dialogue that feels this real, virtually audible, and after a summer spent reading Dark Academia-adjacent works, it's like a breath of fresh air, a Negroni on a hot summer's evening.
A surprisingly, absolutely delightful read that will make you question the nature of humanity, and also undeniably affirm whatever scrap of faith you have left in it.
A book about love, life and relationships - not just romantic. A short and quick read, a compilation of short stories. Underwhelming.
I read this book in two sittings. It is utterly cozy, a book I want to read in the winter with a hot mug of tea and nothing to do all day. I really enjoyed this book, more than I thought I would on first scan. I picked it up at the library and will be purchasing it so I can read it again. Melissa Bank has found a fan in me!
This was fun, usually I hate books that jump all over a timeline but this was interesting, I felt like I was learning more about Jane though each story.