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sometimes_samantha_reads's review
I was so intrigued by this book but after about 200 pages, I can't muster any more energy on another 800+ pages of it.
Reason 1: the book is written to have widely varying time frames in each of the chapters. I understand the author was trying to maintain historically accurate language for his characters but the use of racial slurs for Black and non-white characters was a major ick.
Reason 2: almost EVERY sentence was an outrageously long internal monologue of setting description and it was just fatiguing to try and follow. Some sentences would go on without end for 4 or 5 lines! And the book already had small margins and font. I even bought the audiobook as a companion to try and alleviate this fatigue and it wasn't better listening to it. Trying to follow along was so difficult both visually and audibly. Oftentimes the sentences would become tangents or develop into streams of coniousness. I'm sure the 1k page book could be cut to 600 pgs if the sentences would just FOCUS.
I think that the concept that each chapter is a new character in a new time period but all in the same location and all interconnected (unknowingly) with one another is really neat! But often as the reader, you're dropped into the middle of the action and it can feel like whiplash with either not enough background or way too much detail and not enough plot. I think it could've done much better.
Reason 1: the book is written to have widely varying time frames in each of the chapters. I understand the author was trying to maintain historically accurate language for his characters but the use of racial slurs for Black and non-white characters was a major ick.
Reason 2: almost EVERY sentence was an outrageously long internal monologue of setting description and it was just fatiguing to try and follow. Some sentences would go on without end for 4 or 5 lines! And the book already had small margins and font. I even bought the audiobook as a companion to try and alleviate this fatigue and it wasn't better listening to it. Trying to follow along was so difficult both visually and audibly. Oftentimes the sentences would become tangents or develop into streams of coniousness. I'm sure the 1k page book could be cut to 600 pgs if the sentences would just FOCUS.
I think that the concept that each chapter is a new character in a new time period but all in the same location and all interconnected (unknowingly) with one another is really neat! But often as the reader, you're dropped into the middle of the action and it can feel like whiplash with either not enough background or way too much detail and not enough plot. I think it could've done much better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
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