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mmefish's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
C'est la merde, forgive my French.
I was in at the beginning, thinking the prose beautiful, but once M. Cunningham started inserting paragraphs from the actual "Mrs. Dalloway", it became clear (I'm yet to read it) that he has tried and failed to imitate Woolf's style.
The characters themselves are insufferable (Woolf's portrayal feels almost insulting, and I don't even consider myself her admirer); they're incredibly vain and whiny, overthinking every little thing because, clearly, the have nothing better to do. There's no depth, just vanity topped with some cursing (that emerged suddenly after more than 50% in) and expressions like "worshipping his ass", "fucking him sensless", " ...some force between them [aunt and her 5yo. niece], a complicity that is neither maternal nor erotic but contains elements of both". Cheap.
And, of course, women constantly think of how beautiful they/other women are or aren't, how they're getting older, how their breast touch other woman's breasts, how they desire another woman, how "she has kissed her sister, not quite innocently..."
I would probably LOVE this as a teenager. Now, thankfully, I know better.
I was in at the beginning, thinking the prose beautiful, but once M. Cunningham started inserting paragraphs from the actual "Mrs. Dalloway", it became clear (I'm yet to read it) that he has tried and failed to imitate Woolf's style.
The characters themselves are insufferable (Woolf's portrayal feels almost insulting, and I don't even consider myself her admirer); they're incredibly vain and whiny, overthinking every little thing because, clearly, the have nothing better to do. There's no depth, just vanity topped with some cursing (that emerged suddenly after more than 50% in) and expressions like "worshipping his ass", "fucking him sensless", " ...some force between them [aunt and her 5yo. niece], a complicity that is neither maternal nor erotic but contains elements of both". Cheap.
And, of course, women constantly think of how beautiful they/other women are or aren't, how they're getting older, how their breast touch other woman's breasts, how they desire another woman, how "she has kissed her sister, not quite innocently..."
I would probably LOVE this as a teenager. Now, thankfully, I know better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Animal death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Moderate: Cursing and Gore
Minor: Sexual content and Incest
honestlyholly's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
EDIT jan 2023 - i'm going through and reclassifying some reviews now that i've read more and sat on the books for a while.
I was very generous with 2.5 honestly, it could have easily been a 1.5 at the time
----
The author wrote a lot of metaphors that just seemed unnecessary. It was convoluted and tiring to read. Nothing really happened with any of the characters...
I did like the link they shared. But... It could have been a lot better. I don't know why this won prizes, honestly.
I was very generous with 2.5 honestly, it could have easily been a 1.5 at the time
----
The author wrote a lot of metaphors that just seemed unnecessary. It was convoluted and tiring to read. Nothing really happened with any of the characters...
I did like the link they shared. But... It could have been a lot better. I don't know why this won prizes, honestly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Terminal illness, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Incest
More...