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emilyinparis's review against another edition
4.0
‘Overhead the stars occluded by light pollution were presences like words projected through time’
‘while the afterglow was slowly diminishing, I still experienced softly colliding with so many bodies as a pleasure, not an irritation’
‘The glow of the screen seemed to come off on my hand’
‘I won’t remember this. This is the most beautiful view of the city I have ever seen, the most perfect experience of touch and speed, I’ve never felt so close to Liza, and I won’t remember it; the drugs will erase it. And then, glowing with the aura of imminent disappearance, it really was the most beautiful view, experience’
‘I was going to shave and re-enter time through the heat wave of the poem’
‘But from our perspective, it’s precisely/where the hand ceases to signify a hand/and is paint, no longer appears to be warm/ or capable, that it reaches the material/present, becomes realer than sculpture because/ tentative: she is surfacing too quickly’
‘How many out of character things did I need to do, I wondered, before the world rearranged itself around me?’
‘But then I realised that trying not to think about something is like thinking about something, know what I mean? It has the same shape’
‘It felt like her nails might break the skin on the back of my neck. It was the sexiest kiss in the history of independent film’
jdgerlach's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.5
juliarziegler's review against another edition
4.0
odd but in a very good way. puzzling and meta. the description of the clock was my favorite part.
laurelann's review against another edition
I just couldn't get into the story may try again
wmf's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
pranaysomayajula's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
ewelshie's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
It is at it's core the ramblings of a generic white man living in New York coping with anxiety and imposter syndrome. Many digressions about meeting quintessentially New York middle class eccentrics and a bit heavy on "and this is the hot woman I was sleeping with or wanted to sleep with" style female characters.
But Ben Lermans prose and the structure of the book still makes for an engaging read.
But Ben Lermans prose and the structure of the book still makes for an engaging read.
alisonhori's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was fun and witty and engaging and I liked the play of non-fiction and fiction and the ideas it played with. It just clicked for me and made me giggle and empathize with the main character and I was just with him all the way. I didn't really get with Alex as much but that was OK. Worst part of this book was the title...can't imagine what they were thinking with the title. I enjoyed this author so much I might even check out some of his poems...