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zarahzoe's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I haven't read a John Irving novel in over a decade, and I was curious to see if I still liked them. I do.
The relationships, and the love between the characters, their unconventional family. The recurring motifs from his other books.
I liked the things that sound off-putting, even - the rambling storytelling, the circular timeliness, the repetitions of phrases, sentences, paragraphs, dialogues, the futility of everything. The chapters that were written as screenplays took a bit of getting used to, but I still liked them.
It seems unsufficient the say so little about a book soa massive, bur here I am. I liked it.
The relationships, and the love between the characters, their unconventional family. The recurring motifs from his other books.
I liked the things that sound off-putting, even - the rambling storytelling, the circular timeliness, the repetitions of phrases, sentences, paragraphs, dialogues, the futility of everything. The chapters that were written as screenplays took a bit of getting used to, but I still liked them.
It seems unsufficient the say so little about a book soa massive, bur here I am. I liked it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Gun violence, Transphobia, Deadnaming, Murder, and Suicide
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Pandemic/Epidemic, Adult/minor relationship, Dysphoria, Lesbophobia, Cancer, Sexual content, Hate crime, War, and Grief
christynhoover's review against another edition
dark
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
It's a complex & epic tale with multiple characters lives being followed from birth or childhood to old age. There are, yes, "ghosts" --and births and deaths, some of which are tragic, but it wraps up in a quiet, tender way. "No last chairlifts for [us], just last sentences." says the narrator.
As is typical of John Irving's novels, there is LOTS of gender and sexual politics/expression. Major 1940s to 2019 US historical events including the US political and ~religious landscape figure into the plotline and serve as backdrop.
It's just soooo long.
As is typical of John Irving's novels, there is LOTS of gender and sexual politics/expression. Major 1940s to 2019 US historical events including the US political and ~religious landscape figure into the plotline and serve as backdrop.
It's just soooo long.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, and Medical content
Moderate: Transphobia, War, and Terminal illness
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