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bethanydark's review
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
yasemin2's review
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
aekeys's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
DO NOT WATCH THE MOVIE
lici2107's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
balancinghistorybooks's review
4.0
I probably would not have heard of Albert Nobbs had one of my best University friends not written about it for her Master's dissertation. I was so intrigued by it after reading her thesis through that I immediately downloaded it onto my Kindle and read it a couple of days later.
Albert Nobbs is fascinating, and remarkably well fleshed out considering its length. It demonstrates the very versatility of clothing in terms of gender performance, and the disparities which existed (and still exist) between men and women in the spheres of work and the home. The novella should certainly be read far more than it is; it was out of print for decades, and was only republished due to the film coming out.
Moore's writing is wonderful, and whilst I found the genders confusing in places - switching, as they do, from 'he' to 'she' and back again when describing the same character - it did not take away any of my enjoyment of the story. Albert Nobbs is a work which is clever, relevant, and important, and which has made me want to read the entirety of George Moore's back catalogue sooner rather than later.
Albert Nobbs is fascinating, and remarkably well fleshed out considering its length. It demonstrates the very versatility of clothing in terms of gender performance, and the disparities which existed (and still exist) between men and women in the spheres of work and the home. The novella should certainly be read far more than it is; it was out of print for decades, and was only republished due to the film coming out.
Moore's writing is wonderful, and whilst I found the genders confusing in places - switching, as they do, from 'he' to 'she' and back again when describing the same character - it did not take away any of my enjoyment of the story. Albert Nobbs is a work which is clever, relevant, and important, and which has made me want to read the entirety of George Moore's back catalogue sooner rather than later.
lnatal's review
4.0
From BBC i Player:
Unusual period drama. To be able to lead an independent life, industrious but introverted Albert hides a secret from the world, especially his fellow staff at a Dublin hotel.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01pzrk5/albert-nobbs
Unusual period drama. To be able to lead an independent life, industrious but introverted Albert hides a secret from the world, especially his fellow staff at a Dublin hotel.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01pzrk5/albert-nobbs
hollowspine's review
4.0
A very interesting story of a man who lived in mysterious circumstances. He worked for years and years as a waiter at a hotel, never known for being anything but a hard working serious man. Then after one chance encounter everything changes.
Albert Nobbs becomes obsessed with the thought of a normal life, something that would have been in the grasp of any normal man, but is illusive to Albert. The story of his life is rather tragic, but Albert never dwells on it, the story concentrates more on his dreams and his attempts to find happiness.
This edition has a foreword by Glen Close who has played Mr. Nobbs on two occassions. Close is eloquent and shows insight into the character whom she embodied and who it seems had some influence over her.
The book is very brief and is told as a narrative inside a story. I would caution other readers though, it is a bit difficult to read in some areas, the author makes no break between speakers in the story, so sometimes it is difficult to assign speech directly, sometimes it takes a little puzzling out to understand.
Albert Nobbs becomes obsessed with the thought of a normal life, something that would have been in the grasp of any normal man, but is illusive to Albert. The story of his life is rather tragic, but Albert never dwells on it, the story concentrates more on his dreams and his attempts to find happiness.
This edition has a foreword by Glen Close who has played Mr. Nobbs on two occassions. Close is eloquent and shows insight into the character whom she embodied and who it seems had some influence over her.
The book is very brief and is told as a narrative inside a story. I would caution other readers though, it is a bit difficult to read in some areas, the author makes no break between speakers in the story, so sometimes it is difficult to assign speech directly, sometimes it takes a little puzzling out to understand.
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