Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
I'll cut to the chase: Sophie's Choice is one of the best books I've read in a long, long time. Unfortunately, I feel unable to dive into the minutia of the novel and discuss some of its successes/faults as doing such would definitely spoil the novel for those who have yet to read it. Needless to say, I'll keep this review fairly general.
Styron's writing is, to put it simply, expansive. Topics in Sophie's Choice include (but most certainly are not limited to): sexuality, race, southern literature, stereotypes, murder, despair, hope, joy, loss, and humor. The true genius of the writing is that it very rarely feels heavy or out of place.
By all means, Sophie's Choice is an extremely heavy read and causes the reader to question basic principles of morality. After Sophie's [actual] choice was made, I literally screamed at the pages and quickly scribbled a note in my book journal: under no circumstances would I have made that decision. But it's Styron's ability to massage human emotion that makes his work so unbelievably good.
Honestly, I'm at a loss to say more; I sincerely believe doing such would take away from the experience of other readers.
Styron's writing is, to put it simply, expansive. Topics in Sophie's Choice include (but most certainly are not limited to): sexuality, race, southern literature, stereotypes, murder, despair, hope, joy, loss, and humor. The true genius of the writing is that it very rarely feels heavy or out of place.
By all means, Sophie's Choice is an extremely heavy read and causes the reader to question basic principles of morality. After Sophie's [actual] choice was made, I literally screamed at the pages and quickly scribbled a note in my book journal: under no circumstances would I have made that decision. But it's Styron's ability to massage human emotion that makes his work so unbelievably good.
Honestly, I'm at a loss to say more; I sincerely believe doing such would take away from the experience of other readers.
I feel like this book redeemed itself at the end but by then I was too overcome to concentrate and decide if it did.
My first impression was Catcher in the Rye, without any of the interesting parts, crossed with the boringness of Moby Dick, plus the Holocaust experiences of Night, but in the end this was just... so much worse.
On the bright side, Moby Dick is no longer my absolute least favorite book.
My first impression was Catcher in the Rye, without any of the interesting parts, crossed with the boringness of Moby Dick, plus the Holocaust experiences of Night, but in the end this was just... so much worse.
On the bright side, Moby Dick is no longer my absolute least favorite book.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I purchased the book not knowing anything about it beyond the description on the back. So I had no idea about the explicit language and sex throughout the book. Regardless of this, I opted to continue as I wanted to see what happened. A bit of a challenging read because of subject matter, but I am glad I finished it. Would actually rate it 2.5 out of 5 stars.
I do not have the words to describe how amazing it was to hold a book in my hands and actually want to hold it there after all of these weeks of mediocre reads. I was captivated by this story, I loved these characters, but I was also enraged by them. How many times I wanted to go in and twist one of their necks, but also how many times I longed to be in there walking along with them. I, like Stingo, have had dreams of being a writer for years, and I think this is what particularly endeared him to me. I also plan on going away for school, and so I was fascinated with how he handled life on his own without the aid of close-by family or friends. I loved the evolution of the friendship of Sophie, Nathan, and Stingo. I was rattled down to my core by several revelations throughout the story, not the least of which being her infamous choice. I loved this book, and I would recommend it for anyone who is able to handle the very real darkness of it.
Without going into too much detail, this book had its ups and downs for me, but as I move further away from it, I appreciate it more and more.
At first, I tried to move quickly through some of the book. I felt that the narrator went off on unessential tangents too often, but Styron's writing is beautiful. And even though it was written just thirty years ago, it felt as though it belonged to another time completely.
The characters he created are engaging and real.
I struggled with Sophie's choice, not the book, but her actual choice in the novel, and Styron's decision not to elaborate on the 'why' whatsoever, leaving the reader wondering about it all. But with more time, I understand that there cannot be an explanation, only that it happened, and Styron, having such a firm grasp on the psychology of the human mind, knew this all too well.
At first, I tried to move quickly through some of the book. I felt that the narrator went off on unessential tangents too often, but Styron's writing is beautiful. And even though it was written just thirty years ago, it felt as though it belonged to another time completely.
The characters he created are engaging and real.
I struggled with Sophie's choice, not the book, but her actual choice in the novel, and Styron's decision not to elaborate on the 'why' whatsoever, leaving the reader wondering about it all. But with more time, I understand that there cannot be an explanation, only that it happened, and Styron, having such a firm grasp on the psychology of the human mind, knew this all too well.
Vůbec nevím, co si o této knize mám myslet. Na jednu stranu autor píše krásně, jakmile jde o vyprávění Sophie, co jí její život přinesl. No na tu druhou mi tam horem dolem strkal svůj párek, čehož jsem ke konci měla už vážně plné kecky. Není to tak, že by mi sexualita v knihách vadila, ale probůh, proč mi jí musí vnucovat i v tak nevhodných chvílích, jako když je Sophie psychicky na dně? Třeba nerozumím kontextu doby, ve které autor žil nebo do které zasadil děj, třeba nerozumím nějakému "hlubšímu" významu jeho touhy. Nevím...pro mě, kdyby tam tohohle bylo v menších dávkách v patřičných momentech, mohla by tahle kniha dostat hvězd pět. Takhle se musí zaobejít jen se dvěma. Škoda.
PS: Pokud by mi někdo s odlišným názorem chtěl objasnit to, co jsem tu zřejmě nepochopila, budu velmi vděčná....
PS: Pokud by mi někdo s odlišným názorem chtěl objasnit to, co jsem tu zřejmě nepochopila, budu velmi vděčná....
I did not enjoy reading this. The first half was so awful I wanted to bail. Way too wordy; the author uses ridiculously obscure vocabulary. The first half moved painfully slowly. I liked the second half better, but still would not recommend this one.
I had major problems with the way Styron chose to tell this story. He frames the story of Sophie's escape from the Holocaust, her unbelievably horrifying choice, and her need to punish herself with an abusive relationship entirely inside the voice of a spoiled, whiny, loquacious and unfocusedly horny Southern dingus (who is almost certainly a stand-in for Styron himself). Stingo's voice gives a tedious, masturbatory cast to the whole novel and makes the central Holocaust story feel boring. There's a world of difference between writing a novel about writing novels and recording your own struggle to figure out how to tell a story about an event so horrible it cannot be captured or recreated.”