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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
The writing style and narrative voice were effective and enjoyable. However, the "profound musings" were dull, and the attempted allegory was beyond ham-fisted. (This book is not capable of mentioning a mushroom without calling it phallic, or describing a man stepping into water without describing his shriveling penis, or introducing the danger of a bear without noting that at least it's not a rapist.) Subtract the lovely prose and this is a coarse, first draft. 100 less pages, 3 fewer half-executed themes, and 50% more subtlety would have elevated this substantially.
Gorgeously written as always with Lauren Groff, and I so enjoy and appreciate the way she puts her characters (human or not) into a bad state and then gratifyingly fixes it (the hot springs! the honey!). But I wanted an event, or at least something more than just a direction, and most of all I really would have liked an ending.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Beautiful writing. Aims for transcendence and often succeeds but also too much of a downer for me to fully enjoy the time I spent reading it.
adventurous
fast-paced