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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
"Quietly, I guess. The big moments are never big when they're actually fucking happening."
That's how Washington treats the narrative, the characters and the story. This read felt like a lot of anticipation that amounted to nothing in the end. There was potential, I guess I had expected more. It felt like something was bound to happen, but it heaved a sigh and decided to stay put. The disappointment was subtle too, like everything else about it.
That's how Washington treats the narrative, the characters and the story. This read felt like a lot of anticipation that amounted to nothing in the end. There was potential, I guess I had expected more. It felt like something was bound to happen, but it heaved a sigh and decided to stay put. The disappointment was subtle too, like everything else about it.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed small parts of this, but I feel like Benson and Mike were both really toxic people that needed to learn to actually communicate. I appreciate both of the journeys the two went through but I didn’t connect with either of them. I thought I’d at least enjoy Ben and Mitsuko’s relationship, but even that didn’t feel fleshed out. Mike’s relationship with his dad was the only relationship that I felt really shined. I typically like a slice of life story if the characters and relationships are strong, but this lacked that.
This was definitely a book for grown ups. But while I felt empathy and compassion for the characters, I didn’t,t completely understand or feel connected to their relationship or what they saw in each other. I loved the visiting mother character, but I didn’t really see what drew the main characters to stay with each other. Their love languages were different, and it felt hard to connect with that.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
reflective
sad
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
After reading what feels like a trillion novels about young 20-something women trying to sort out their lives in the 21st century, how refreshing to read a novel from the male perspective!
Bryan Washington’s Memorial is about two gay men from diverse backgrounds trying to decide whether to commit to each other or not. Both have complicated relationships with their parents (particularly their fathers), which adds to their emotional impotence, and neither seems able to express the three simple words we all long to hear: “I love you”.
It’s written in a restrained style, albeit with plenty of sex scenes and lavish descriptions of food (if you are not hungry before reading this book, you will be during it). And it’s free of speech marks, which seems to be a “thing” in all the new novels I have been reading lately.
To read the rest of my review, please visit my blog.
Bryan Washington’s Memorial is about two gay men from diverse backgrounds trying to decide whether to commit to each other or not. Both have complicated relationships with their parents (particularly their fathers), which adds to their emotional impotence, and neither seems able to express the three simple words we all long to hear: “I love you”.
It’s written in a restrained style, albeit with plenty of sex scenes and lavish descriptions of food (if you are not hungry before reading this book, you will be during it). And it’s free of speech marks, which seems to be a “thing” in all the new novels I have been reading lately.
To read the rest of my review, please visit my blog.
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes