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vera_cologne's review
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
I really wanted to like this, but it was too slow for me. Beautiful observations on life and love, but it kind of felt like a tiny bit of plot was constructed around some long-winded philosophical ruminations. I learned a bit about Sri Lankan history though.
sandra_buckwell's review against another edition
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
aileenecole's review against another edition
unbearably long sentences, unnecessarily philosophical, bro I don't care about your ex girlfriend
bigd1711's review
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jeannez's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
erikinthedistrict's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
2.75
Incredibly “well written” in the sense that Serious Literary Fiction is well written. But it sort of is Sri Lankan 500 Days of Summer
cindypepper's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to like this!
However, I just couldn't get into it in the first half. I found the prose objectively gorgeous in the sense that I could handle a monologue one at a time and appreciate the way Arudpragasam can string together words in a way that flows so fluidly and seamlessly.
And I think that's the problem with me. The words flowed a little too well. It's kind of mesmerizing how a single passage can skirt from news of Rani's death to electroshock therapy to old American movies -- or how a scene about waiting for the train flits around from meditations on smoking to the main character's grandmother's physical health to a London trip that the grandmother took years ago. But at the same time, it's tedious and too Proustian for my liking, such that I would read a few pages, and then shake my head and go, "Wait, how did we get from point A to B?".
I almost marked it as DNF, but I can be rather mulish when it comes to trudging through books (I know, it's not a great habit). It's important to note that the novel isn't so much plot-heavy (I don't think there really is a plot) as it is a meditation on trauma in its many shapes and forms.
I personally found the first part way too mazy and I struggled quite a bit. I found the passages and storyline regarding Anjum a bit thin, and as a result, not as integral to the overall novel. I also get that this is a stream-of-consciousness narration, but it also makes me question whether Krishan (a -- comparatively -- privileged male who is merely speculating on Rani and her motivations) is the best lens for the novel.
That said, I really liked the passages and musings on Rani, which led to poignant, elegiac prose that deftly explores intergenerational trauma, memory, grief, and war. There is some good stuff.
I wonder if listening to this (via audiobook) would have done the lyrical nature of the prose a lot more justice; perhaps I wouldn't have felt as lost as I did.
However, I just couldn't get into it in the first half. I found the prose objectively gorgeous in the sense that I could handle a monologue one at a time and appreciate the way Arudpragasam can string together words in a way that flows so fluidly and seamlessly.
And I think that's the problem with me. The words flowed a little too well. It's kind of mesmerizing how a single passage can skirt from news of Rani's death to electroshock therapy to old American movies -- or how a scene about waiting for the train flits around from meditations on smoking to the main character's grandmother's physical health to a London trip that the grandmother took years ago. But at the same time, it's tedious and too Proustian for my liking, such that I would read a few pages, and then shake my head and go, "Wait, how did we get from point A to B?".
I almost marked it as DNF, but I can be rather mulish when it comes to trudging through books (I know, it's not a great habit). It's important to note that the novel isn't so much plot-heavy (I don't think there really is a plot) as it is a meditation on trauma in its many shapes and forms.
I personally found the first part way too mazy and I struggled quite a bit. I found the passages and storyline regarding Anjum a bit thin, and as a result, not as integral to the overall novel. I also get that this is a stream-of-consciousness narration, but it also makes me question whether Krishan (a -- comparatively -- privileged male who is merely speculating on Rani and her motivations) is the best lens for the novel.
That said, I really liked the passages and musings on Rani, which led to poignant, elegiac prose that deftly explores intergenerational trauma, memory, grief, and war. There is some good stuff.
I wonder if listening to this (via audiobook) would have done the lyrical nature of the prose a lot more justice; perhaps I wouldn't have felt as lost as I did.
vienna_'s review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.25
ludivinev's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0