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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
A strange, dense novel that I happened to read in an unusual and critical stage of my life. I don’t agree or understand a fair amount of things being said in the book, but it somehow gives me a more comprehensive view about the relationships of different kinds. I feel seen and understood when reading some certain sentences she wrote. This is probably a peculiar book that I didn’t know I need.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book has that je ne sais quoi chefs kiss kinda vibe that I can’t eloquently described but I know I loved it. Cusk does an amazing job at placing you in the narrators world and I just really enjoyed being there.
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Is this my most annotated book? Yes. Is it the best book I've read? No. But it was just so personal, as if it was crafted in my own head, and I enjoyed it so much! I do understand that it's quite niche and therefore might not be everyone's cup of tea. After all, reading tastes are very subjective, as is everything in life.
"The debt of our isolation is paid back in an instant by times such as these."
"Her twin motivations- to be close to me at all times, and to remain suspicious of me- were always contradicting each other."
I have always loved Cusk's observations on marriage- she's sharp, and those thoughts in particular feel painfully true. She writes with such clarity about marriage, motherhood, and isolation. This might be my favorite Cusk book yet.
"Her twin motivations- to be close to me at all times, and to remain suspicious of me- were always contradicting each other."
I have always loved Cusk's observations on marriage- she's sharp, and those thoughts in particular feel painfully true. She writes with such clarity about marriage, motherhood, and isolation. This might be my favorite Cusk book yet.
-Books that I bought because of the cover part 2
-I think I'm going to buy more books based on their covers because this was amazing.
-I usually don't like books about older people and their problems but despite the fact that this was a book about an adult woman, I think the book focuses more on the experience of being a woman, but they do touch on themes of growing older.
-I think I'm going to buy more books based on their covers because this was amazing.
-I usually don't like books about older people and their problems but despite the fact that this was a book about an adult woman, I think the book focuses more on the experience of being a woman, but they do touch on themes of growing older.
If you like stories about art and people; Second Place is captivating and beautifully written.
This book was intriguing and intelligent in a way that has left me thinking about its meaning and implications for days. The lack of a definitive setting and era was comforting and allowed you to focus solely on the characters. I can't explain exactly what happened that made this book so captivating; it is not action-packed or exciting. However, it is exceptionally well written and breaches topics such as privilege, feminity, motherhood, family and misogyny, without being at all didactic. We see what happens when a man takes offence at a woman who defies his idea of what it means to be feminine. I would've potentially liked this book more if it were longer, and I'm a complete sucker for old-fashioned character development, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and it's given me so much to think about.