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theladyjsays's review against another edition
Alice Through My Looking Glass: Property Of
I just finished Property Of and I am listening to Simon & Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water on vinyl. I think it’s the third time I’ve read the whole thing. The first, for certain, was in my old bedroom at home. I think I was 16 or 17, probably not much younger than the story’s narrator, if at all. It was not my first introduction to Hoffman’s writing, but it was the first of her books I sat down and read all the way through in one sitting.
I just finished Property Of and I am listening to Simon & Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water on vinyl. I think it’s the third time I’ve read the whole thing. The first, for certain, was in my old bedroom at home. I think I was 16 or 17, probably not much younger than the story’s narrator, if at all. It was not my first introduction to Hoffman’s writing, but it was the first of her books I sat down and read all the way through in one sitting.
mschrock8's review against another edition
2.0
Such a sad book. Makes me appreciate the stability of my life.
mmc6661's review against another edition
3.0
I love Alice Hoffman ! I have never read anything by her that was not well written. This being said, I don't feel that this was her best work and would probably appeal to the younger set than me. I did enjoy it though and liked the way you felt yourself being swept right along with the main character as she becomes involved with a gang member from the Orphans in New York City. It had a similiar feel to reading The Outsiders. You kept wondering when she was going to finally get smart and make her breakaway but we all know what terrible things love can do to us.
dianametzger's review against another edition
2.0
I give this 2 stars instead of 1 bc it's Hoffman's first novel and I can't fairly compare it to all the incredible work that comes after. The only thing it has in common with her most notable works is about how men and women are capable of ruining each other. I should commend her honest portrayal of drug use--gritty in a way that is unique to the time the book was written. I give it one star as a stand alone book bc I could care less/barely knew anything about the main character. I couldn't ever tell you her name, granted it was first person, but truthfully she had no real point of view. Her body was a vessel for her infatuation for this gang leader. Hoffman does write a lot of infatuated women, but they're given a much more rich interior life than this one. Impressed by Hoffman with how much she's grown as a writer. I give credit to how prolific of a writer she is. Practice makes perfect for Hoffman. This one was a real slog while her later books feel like dreams.
shiloniz's review
4.0
Having read every Alice Hoffman book, it is so fascinating to go back and read her very first book, written at the age of 21. I can spot the makings, the sparks, of the great writer she becomes. It blows my mind that she was able to produce this so early in her career.
One thing is true from the first time I read this to now: it reminds me that loving a man who values his pride and honor over everything else, and then loving that same man as his pride desinigratres into nothing, is the absolute worst.
One thing is true from the first time I read this to now: it reminds me that loving a man who values his pride and honor over everything else, and then loving that same man as his pride desinigratres into nothing, is the absolute worst.
renaejacks's review against another edition
DNF at 20%. The writing is far too vague and confusing without being engaging enough to care about finding out what is happening behind the vagary
zezeki's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Murder, Sexual assault, Addiction, and Drug use
fkshg8465's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
At first, I was a boy disappointed. This was my first Alice Hoffman. I’d heard so much about her writing that I expected more. But then I realized it was her first book, and it was a product of its times, having been written and published in the 70s. It was largely the NYC I recall of my youth, and it feels like the kind of writing that can only exist if you lived through it yourself. I’m far from calling the writer a drug addict or a drug dealer, but her descriptions of the city and of the times are as authentic as it gets. That said, I didn’t love the story or the characters for much of the book. But in the end, I came to respect the protagonist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Rape
luv2hugapug's review against another edition
3.0
I almost stopped reading this book as it begins with a young lady who falls in love with the president of a greaser gang. I felt no emotion for any of the characters. I decided to stick with the book, and it did get better. The story develops into a dark tale of drugs and tragedy. Not one of Hoffman's best but it was a quick read that held my interest... Barely.
juliwi's review against another edition
5.0
Alice Hoffman is perhaps best known for her novel Practical Magic, which was turned into an highly entertaining movie. This year also saw her publishing The Museum of Extraordinary Things which I myself immensely enjoyed. However, Hoffman has been writing for years and it is her first novel that is up for discussion now. And what a way to make an entrance into the literary world!
This would be one hell of an introduction to Hoffman. Having seen or read Practical Magic, you might think you know what she is all about, but Property Of is unlike any book I have read and I have to be quite honest and say that I am slightly in love with it the way out protagonist is in love with McKay. It wasn't enough and yet it was just right. 'Mesmerizing', 'original' and 'vivid' are all words that fit this novel to the tee. When I read the synopsis I was intrigued and then worried. Was I going to be reading another 'I can fix him with my love'-story? Would it be as cliche as I know a lot of novels to be? And yet from the very first page Hoffman cast all of my doubts aside and had me following her trail. In Property Of she manages to show things that would otherwise have enraged me. Women aren't property and shouldn't ever be thought of as such, and yet Hoffman nails it when she describes the feeling of longing to belong, may it be to a group or to one other person. Humans are pack-animals and we crave to be close to others. We also crave excitement, danger, honour and other things that aren't good for us. Hoffman describes many of these things without judgement, without a morality-lesson and thereby allows her reader an insight into a life most of us won't know. It makes excellent food for thought, something every book should strive to be.
I don't hand out 5 Universes quickly because I keep them for books that really resonate with me or touch something that other books don't. Property Of is that kind of book. Hoffman creates a story that is addictive, that you don't want to let go. The thought of picking up another book straight after this one was out of the question. I recommend this not only to Hoffman fans but also to readers looking for a book that will suck you in and not let go.
For full review: http://universeinwords.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/review-property-of-by-alice-hoffman.html
This would be one hell of an introduction to Hoffman. Having seen or read Practical Magic, you might think you know what she is all about, but Property Of is unlike any book I have read and I have to be quite honest and say that I am slightly in love with it the way out protagonist is in love with McKay. It wasn't enough and yet it was just right. 'Mesmerizing', 'original' and 'vivid' are all words that fit this novel to the tee. When I read the synopsis I was intrigued and then worried. Was I going to be reading another 'I can fix him with my love'-story? Would it be as cliche as I know a lot of novels to be? And yet from the very first page Hoffman cast all of my doubts aside and had me following her trail. In Property Of she manages to show things that would otherwise have enraged me. Women aren't property and shouldn't ever be thought of as such, and yet Hoffman nails it when she describes the feeling of longing to belong, may it be to a group or to one other person. Humans are pack-animals and we crave to be close to others. We also crave excitement, danger, honour and other things that aren't good for us. Hoffman describes many of these things without judgement, without a morality-lesson and thereby allows her reader an insight into a life most of us won't know. It makes excellent food for thought, something every book should strive to be.
I don't hand out 5 Universes quickly because I keep them for books that really resonate with me or touch something that other books don't. Property Of is that kind of book. Hoffman creates a story that is addictive, that you don't want to let go. The thought of picking up another book straight after this one was out of the question. I recommend this not only to Hoffman fans but also to readers looking for a book that will suck you in and not let go.
For full review: http://universeinwords.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/review-property-of-by-alice-hoffman.html