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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i actually came back to this book after putting it down a couple of years ago a couple of chapters in. i put it down because i found it was too much of a sally rooney rip off - honing into the mean milennial girl trope who is a bad feminist. however, after a friend recommended i go back to it on account of it dolan being 'more communist and more gay' than rooney, i conceded and i am so glad i did. this time around, i let myself relish the acerbic wit of the book and found the stringent, complex & highly grammatically focused narration of Ava brilliant and the deliberations on class and the damage of English colonialism across the globe in tune with my own - but also expansive. as someone who works in an English boarding school, the neo-colonialism of a TEFL programme is not far removed from my daily experiences and it was enlightening to watch dolan's disassemble the destructive power structures inherent in the systems of these institutions.
i came to find Julian beguiling and could shamefully relate to Ava's feelings towards him - envious, wanting of approval but also despising him. her relationship with Edith contrasts against her relationship with Julian but also reinforces Ava's deep-seated intimacy issues and her acerbic narration is revealed as fearful under the illumination of her and Edith's relationship.
thank you friend who made me return to this book. i loved it.
i came to find Julian beguiling and could shamefully relate to Ava's feelings towards him - envious, wanting of approval but also despising him. her relationship with Edith contrasts against her relationship with Julian but also reinforces Ava's deep-seated intimacy issues and her acerbic narration is revealed as fearful under the illumination of her and Edith's relationship.
thank you friend who made me return to this book. i loved it.
all the characters are hot and annoying, which is relatable for me personally
I enjoyed the dry humor, an opportunity to eavesdrop into conversations between really knowledgeable people, and how the English lessons poetically added nuance to the cultural differences and themes in the main story. Those things made it feel less slow for me than it seemed to be for others. I was frustrated with the protagonist's choices, but she did seem real to me. People (including intelligent, principled, reflective people) make shitty choices all the time.
Honestly, Edith’s read of Ava near the end really clarified a lot of things for me. Soooo thankful that it ends with an ending closest to what I was hoping for. I truly don’t understand the appeal of Julian in the slightest
Some parts felt repetitive or overwritten, but for the most part I enjoyed the meandering writing style. I was able to listen to almost all of it in one day
Some parts felt repetitive or overwritten, but for the most part I enjoyed the meandering writing style. I was able to listen to almost all of it in one day
lighthearted
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
Debo confesar que tenía prejuicios infundados sobre esta novela — creo que la estrategia publicitaria de comparar a toda escritora millennial que escriba ficción contemporánea sobre relaciones interpersonales con Sally Rooney no está funcionando tan bien como espera el departamento de marketing —. Pero lo cierto es que me ha parecido una novela inteligente y con mucho más poso emocional del que me había imaginado en un principio. Las relaciones, sus tránsitos y evoluciones son a la par complejos y fácilmente identificables. Me ha atrapado totalmente.
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
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
This was fine. I do see why it’s been called dull lol but it’s really not that bad in my opinion. Maybe 2.75? Idk I feel pretty indifferent. Not mad I read it but wouldn’t jump to recommend it to anyone