Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read Brown’s debut when it came out, and so seeing her on the Booker longlist was a nice treat- I liked Assembly a lot, and I knew I was going to enjoy Universality, which is indeed what happen. And yet. This is a very slim novel, and I think needed more to flesh out what Brown was doing with the characters and the idea of language, as well as satirizing the British media class and the idea of anti-woke sentiment. The strongest part of the book was the opening section, the expose which sets the story off; subsequent sections weren’t nearly as fascinating.
This book is an excellent conversation starter and a compelling read. I did feel that a lot of problematic ideas were left unchallenged (which is fine if you are aware of the counterarguments already, but not if you aren't) and that it could have done with a bit more meat.
That being said, this is a provocative and shape shifting narrative that spirals out in an exploration of the zeitgeist and capitalist system. Well worth reading if you like social commentary in your contemporary fiction.
That being said, this is a provocative and shape shifting narrative that spirals out in an exploration of the zeitgeist and capitalist system. Well worth reading if you like social commentary in your contemporary fiction.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I thought that this was a decent enough book about social mobility, class and the experience of young people in Britain in the years during and immediately following the COVID-19 pandemic. The characters aren't remotely likeable and the book doesn't feel like it fully told their stories but it provides a glimpse into their lives nonetheless. The structure of the book, beginning with a long-read article and then digging behind how it came to be written was different. I don't think that it lived up to the promise of the blurb, which implied something more akin to a murder mystery or a thriller than what we got. Nonetheless, I'd definitely give Brown's other book a go as a result of reading this one. Overall, I felt that it was enjoyable but nothing truly special.
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A few keen observations but a lot of the social commentary seemed already outdated to me. And it got less interesting as it went on.
challenging
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was hard to put down and kept me intrigued throughout. I felt it was a bit dull and lacking depth at times--the exploration of the ideas seemed a bit surface level--but then I got to a point in the book when I said to myself: "Wait. Actually, this is genius." But by the end, I found myself a little less wowed than I had hoped. Still a very clever, enjoyable read that felt very now and explored the complicated influences that inform peoples' political opinions. And I appreciated the focus on class, which is becoming more and more a talking point on social media and indie media but which mainstream media seems to be ignoring (I wonder why *eye roll*).
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Summary: This starts out with a news story about someone being assaulted with a gold bar. After that it focuses on different characters who are connected in some way to this event.
Favorite Passage: I actually thought the last section that focused on the female misogynist figure was interesting. A lot of times when there are stories told from the perspective of those types of characters, their voice feels off. Her perspective in this felt very believable for the type of person she is.
Review: I felt pretty meh about this. If it had been longer, I probably would have DNFed it. The blurb makes it sound like it's going to be some thriller or mystery, but it really isn't. The first section is probably the closest it ever gets to being that, but the rest of the chapters are not like that at all. They're mostly characters sitting around having really on-the-nose political discussions. I knew this was going to have political elements in it, and I don't mind that, but I prefer when it's more subtle. Like there's a section where the misogynist woman I mentioned above is giving a guy a blowjob and right before she does it she tells him that white men are the most oppressed people. Which was entertaining, but I don't know that it's good writing.
Favorite Passage: I actually thought the last section that focused on the female misogynist figure was interesting. A lot of times when there are stories told from the perspective of those types of characters, their voice feels off. Her perspective in this felt very believable for the type of person she is.
Review: I felt pretty meh about this. If it had been longer, I probably would have DNFed it. The blurb makes it sound like it's going to be some thriller or mystery, but it really isn't. The first section is probably the closest it ever gets to being that, but the rest of the chapters are not like that at all. They're mostly characters sitting around having really on-the-nose political discussions. I knew this was going to have political elements in it, and I don't mind that, but I prefer when it's more subtle. Like there's a section where the misogynist woman I mentioned above is giving a guy a blowjob and right before she does it she tells him that white men are the most oppressed people. Which was entertaining, but I don't know that it's good writing.
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Overall I appreciated the "cleverness" of the book and the themes raised - weaponizing language, social justice, the illusion of "truth". The opening section about an attack with a gold bar during an illegal Lockdown rave, had me gripped. However when the narrative moved on, while I could see the message that was being sent, I couldn't get quite as invested in the rest of the story or in the other characters.
Personally, I really need to be emotionally invested in at least one character in order to fully enjoy a book - whether that's to love or hate them. Unfortunately none of the characters/narrators in Universality raised much emotional response from me, so I couldn't really love this book. I can 100% see why it's been Longlisted and it's full of clever commentary and observation. If you enjoy books built on ideas as opposed to linear, character-driven narrative then this would definitely be worth a look.
Personally, I really need to be emotionally invested in at least one character in order to fully enjoy a book - whether that's to love or hate them. Unfortunately none of the characters/narrators in Universality raised much emotional response from me, so I couldn't really love this book. I can 100% see why it's been Longlisted and it's full of clever commentary and observation. If you enjoy books built on ideas as opposed to linear, character-driven narrative then this would definitely be worth a look.