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mkim157's review against another edition
Got 40% thru, couldn’t get into the story, characters, and writing
cwalsh's review
5.0
A breathtaking novel about the intricate facets of love and friendship during times of turbulence and turmoil, alternating between 1980s Chicago and present day Paris.
kldreyer's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.75
absarokamw's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
laurenisallbooked's review against another edition
5.0
An absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking book about love, friendship, trauma, and AIDS. The lines Makkai draws between war and the AIDS crisis is incredible. The characters were so real; flawed, selfish, frustrating, loving, protective, loyal. I will carry this book in my heart for a long time.
"You! Your friends! I don't know how it's like anything other than war. ... Because you'll understand: it was a ghost town. Some of those boys were dear friends. I'd run around with them, doing all the ridiculous things you do when you're young. I could tell you their names, but it wouldn't mean a thing to you. If I told you Picasso died in the war, you'd understand. Poof, there goes Guernica. But I tell you Jacque Weiss died at the Somme, and you don't know what to miss. ... All my friends are dying, or they're dead already..."
Note: I was skeptical of reading a book by a cishet woman on a tragedy that wasn't her own, but it's clear that has been well researched and was taken care of in her hands.
"You! Your friends! I don't know how it's like anything other than war. ... Because you'll understand: it was a ghost town. Some of those boys were dear friends. I'd run around with them, doing all the ridiculous things you do when you're young. I could tell you their names, but it wouldn't mean a thing to you. If I told you Picasso died in the war, you'd understand. Poof, there goes Guernica. But I tell you Jacque Weiss died at the Somme, and you don't know what to miss. ... All my friends are dying, or they're dead already..."
Note: I was skeptical of reading a book by a cishet woman on a tragedy that wasn't her own, but it's clear that has been well researched and was taken care of in her hands.
tash1531718's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
shortsm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5