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eym's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kendra_kendra's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
alymac42's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
2.75
Huh????? I love surreal but this was too much lol.
jconfess's review against another edition
I could not connect with this one. Will try again later.
mattpatston's review against another edition
challenging
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
rironmonger's review against another edition
mysterious
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? It's complicated
1.0
atcucchetti's review against another edition
5.0
To me, reading Oyeyemi is like listening to jazz or viewing abstract art. The reading carries you on feeling and spending time with characters rather than focusing on plot and outcomes. #ParasolAgainstTheAxe is one of my favorites so far. One could view this as an intellectual book that focuses on post-colonial displacement, the selves we contain and the ones we choose to encourage, the importance of place (literally narrated by the city of Prague) and above all the value of story. One could deep dive into what version of ourselves we allow people to experience and what version those people experience regardless of our intentions or carefully curated personas. But, that could sound intimidating as hell to some.
If Oyeyemi’s work hasn’t felt accessible to you in the past, this one is a great entry point. The novel among other things focuses on a book that many have read and in it each person reads an entirely different story. Sometimes, the same person returns to the book only to find a different story from the first time they read it. Which, in my opinion, is a great reason to experience Oyeyemi’s writing, especially this one. Readers are given permission, by Oyeyemi, to not worry about “getting it”, understanding the plot, or interpreting it correctly. Readers are invited to remember that every reader will discover something different because all of us bring different selves at different times to the reading. Oyeyemi offers both a gift and an invitation. I hope you will accept both.