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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
dark
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
i really enjoyed the writing style of this book, however the plot left something to be desired. i was really intrigued by the concept, and the first half of the book, while rather meandering, was interesting. much of the second half, however, focused on one character in the apartment, and that’s where the book really fell off. i didn’t find her a particularly compelling character, and the mysterious death that takes up much of her story is unsatisfactorily resolved.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
Incredible writing. Deep, thoughtful, emotional. This feels like the modern human experience, shared brilliantly and beautifully. Wow.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
“Homes also dream; they shelter themselves.”
Touching upon themes, of family, relationships, grief, war and trauma, immigration and the American Dream, The Apartment by Ana Menendez is an exceptionally well-written novel that combines elements of historical and contemporary fiction, magical realism and a bit of mystery. This reads like a series of short stories each of which features a tenant of an apartment unit in South Beach, Miami, which is the common thread. Apartment 2B of The Helena, an art deco apartment building in Miami, has been home to several tenants over the course of seven decades. Built on land that was historically inhabited by indigenous tribes who were gradually displaced due to colonization, The Helena was built in 1942 and has been home to army officers, artists and painters, veterans, widows and immigrants each of whom is brought to its doors for in search of love, hope, shelter and a place to belong. We also meet members of the maintenance staff and leasing agents who take care of the property in between occupancy.
Ana Menendez’s writing is beautiful and each of the characters and the premise of their individual storylines are well-developed. The narrative flows at a fast pace but I should mention, however, we only get to know about these characters for the duration of their residence in apartment 2B and we get hints about what transpired in a few of their lives after they left The Helena. Not all of these stories are happy ones – in fact, there is a sense of loss and despair that pervades the apartment and the lives of its tenants, each of whom leaves a part of themselves and their stories within the walls of the apartment – a vibe, an emotion, an aura. This is not an easy read. The stories revolve around several sensitive topics including PTSD, suicide, spousal abuse and much more. The author captures the loneliness, hopes and broken dreams of these characters with much clarity and compassion. However, we don’t get to meet the residents of the other units until the final 20% of the novel when we meet Lana,resident of 2B in 2012, an artist who is mourning a loved one and is being watched over by the spirit of a former tenant. While I enjoyed the trajectory of the final story and appreciated how it echoes the overall spirit of the novel, I did think the ending was a tad convoluted.
I was drawn to this novel on account of the premise and overall, I was not disappointed. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this novel to those who enjoy character-driven fiction. This is my first Ana Menendez novel and I look forward to exploring more of her work.
“Apartment 2B settles into itself. The light inside dims— a passing cloud shadow. These rooms are rarely empty. Painters, models, artists, mothers, fathers, strangers. For decades now, always someone wearing down the pine floors, someone’s breath disturbing the air. No one thinks that homes also need pauses, pockets of silence. Homes also need time to gather themselves, time to simply rest. All that sheltering and holding, that gets exhausting.”
Touching upon themes, of family, relationships, grief, war and trauma, immigration and the American Dream, The Apartment by Ana Menendez is an exceptionally well-written novel that combines elements of historical and contemporary fiction, magical realism and a bit of mystery. This reads like a series of short stories each of which features a tenant of an apartment unit in South Beach, Miami, which is the common thread. Apartment 2B of The Helena, an art deco apartment building in Miami, has been home to several tenants over the course of seven decades. Built on land that was historically inhabited by indigenous tribes who were gradually displaced due to colonization, The Helena was built in 1942 and has been home to army officers, artists and painters, veterans, widows and immigrants each of whom is brought to its doors for in search of love, hope, shelter and a place to belong. We also meet members of the maintenance staff and leasing agents who take care of the property in between occupancy.
Ana Menendez’s writing is beautiful and each of the characters and the premise of their individual storylines are well-developed. The narrative flows at a fast pace but I should mention, however, we only get to know about these characters for the duration of their residence in apartment 2B and we get hints about what transpired in a few of their lives after they left The Helena. Not all of these stories are happy ones – in fact, there is a sense of loss and despair that pervades the apartment and the lives of its tenants, each of whom leaves a part of themselves and their stories within the walls of the apartment – a vibe, an emotion, an aura. This is not an easy read. The stories revolve around several sensitive topics including PTSD, suicide, spousal abuse and much more. The author captures the loneliness, hopes and broken dreams of these characters with much clarity and compassion. However, we don’t get to meet the residents of the other units until the final 20% of the novel when we meet Lana,resident of 2B in 2012, an artist who is mourning a loved one and is being watched over by the spirit of a former tenant. While I enjoyed the trajectory of the final story and appreciated how it echoes the overall spirit of the novel, I did think the ending was a tad convoluted.
I was drawn to this novel on account of the premise and overall, I was not disappointed. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this novel to those who enjoy character-driven fiction. This is my first Ana Menendez novel and I look forward to exploring more of her work.
“Apartment 2B settles into itself. The light inside dims— a passing cloud shadow. These rooms are rarely empty. Painters, models, artists, mothers, fathers, strangers. For decades now, always someone wearing down the pine floors, someone’s breath disturbing the air. No one thinks that homes also need pauses, pockets of silence. Homes also need time to gather themselves, time to simply rest. All that sheltering and holding, that gets exhausting.”
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This a really interesting take on how a story can span multiple generations while focusing solely on one location. The book centres on the Helena apartment complex - apartment 2B in particular - but we get to meet various different residents as they navigate complexities in their lives. I enjoyed the small connections between several residents; the characters whose stories are early in the novel sometimes make a reappearance later in the book, which was very satisfying.
The most time is spent on Lana - the apartment's resident in the present day who is struggling with a bereavement alongside her fame. Although I enjoyed Lana's story, I felt like the book was very end-weighted because we spent so much time with her, and would have preferred a more equal amount of time to be spent on each character. Lana's story does a good job of connecting some of the other stories, but I didn't feel like the mystery of the young man's death that plagues here was fully resolved. Overall, a thoughtful read, but there were certain things I would have liked to have seen done differently.
The most time is spent on Lana - the apartment's resident in the present day who is struggling with a bereavement alongside her fame. Although I enjoyed Lana's story, I felt like the book was very end-weighted because we spent so much time with her, and would have preferred a more equal amount of time to be spent on each character. Lana's story does a good job of connecting some of the other stories, but I didn't feel like the mystery of the young man's death that plagues here was fully resolved. Overall, a thoughtful read, but there were certain things I would have liked to have seen done differently.
If you love beautiful writing, The Apartment is the book for you. I found myself lost in the language and read some of the passages aloud just to bask in its beauty. The apartment in the story is truly the main character. An art deco apartment built in Miami Beach in early 1940s. Each chapter focuses on the life of the current tenant. That said, it feels almost like a short story collection, however the apartment itself is the thread that follows through the entire book. Each of the tenants leave behind a certain energy and presence that are felt by each subsequent person that moves in. This book recalled to me the importance of place, the fragility of being human and the shared sense of home we all strive for.
emotional
medium-paced
The Apartment is a chronicle of various inhabitants of the building & land, over a span of hundreds of years. What started out as short character sketches developed into more detailed day-to-day happenings, the closer to “present day” the characters became.
I would’ve loved to have more details for the book’s earliest characters - by the time we meet Lana (in present day), there are so many other storylines to think about that I didn’t fully connect with Lana.
Is that because there wasn’t a stronger, more flushed out history for Lana to draw from?
Ultimately, this is not personally my favorite thing to read. BUT I’m still pondering how to fully embrace the ending, which is always a sign of a well written work!
Thank you NetGalley for this audiobook recording.
I would’ve loved to have more details for the book’s earliest characters - by the time we meet Lana (in present day), there are so many other storylines to think about that I didn’t fully connect with Lana.
Is that because there wasn’t a stronger, more flushed out history for Lana to draw from?
Ultimately, this is not personally my favorite thing to read. BUT I’m still pondering how to fully embrace the ending, which is always a sign of a well written work!
Thank you NetGalley for this audiobook recording.