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opusfra's review against another edition
3.0
André Aciman shows a distinctly unpleasant side to his character in his depiction of two 'Mediterranean' men who treat women as objects to be pursued relentlessly and bedded, and who are expected to be grateful to their seducers who sit in Café Algiers in Harvard Square and philosophise about their place in American society and which women they are about to objectify, pursue and bed. The scenes where our MC and narrator stares lustfully at his neighbour until she weakens at the knees may appeal to many men, but they left me squirming. So why 3 stars? Aciman is undoubtedly a talented writer, and I feel uncomfortable about rejecting his skill as a storyteller because of a personal distaste for his protagonists. The in-betweenness of his two main characters, the not-quite-belonging, is quite elegantly handled.
alecrigdon's review against another edition
3.0
It's no doubt that Aciman is a gifted writer. His knack for building relationships between his characters and filtering it all through a sepia-toned lense is impressive. That said, I was never able to become fully invested in the two main characters of Harvard Square. Maybe the stakes were too low, maybe I didn't vibe with either of their personal plights, but I too often found myself waiting for the next change of pace. I don't regret reading this at all, but it isn't my ideal narrative.
stephgraves's review against another edition
4.0
"Together we walked out to a small French patisserie on Holyoke Street. This was where the younger members of the faculty sometimes had coffee with graduate students when they wished to seem less formal. This was where you griped and groused and poured your heart out to teachers who meant well but couldn’t really change the system or do anything to help."
jessandhershelf's review against another edition
3.0
I really wanted to like this book a lot more than I did.
meighumil's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
i love this book so much and can't even explain why. i literally wrote an essay in my finals about it
bookshelfkeeps's review against another edition
3.0
How we met:I originally picked this book up for its beautiful cover only to discover it was written by the same author who wrote Call Me By Your Name, which I loved. I thought the jacket sounded interesting - Egyptian born man come to Cambridge to be a graduate student at Harvard while also trying to find his way while living in constant tension - i.e. wanting to feel like an American and not an outsider in Cambridge, while also hating America and missing the Mediterranean, Paris.. his people. In one sentence the book goes back and forth with this constant tension. Just when you think he's figured it out and found contentment, something else shifts.
My thoughts & Spot on Shelf: In short, I am glad I read it. There are definitely some really well written parts where Aciman shines particular when characters are going through epiphanies. Unfortunately, this is not a book I can see myself re-reading or added to my personal shelf at home. Like CMBYN, much of the pages are spent in the protagonist's head; however, the effect on me was not the same... perhaps I am also biased to Timothee Chalamet.. I found it a bit dull and slow moving, so it was hard to keep my attention. Additionally, the resolution at the end feels profound, yet very subtle where I find myself questioning if I understand what happened (yikes). Again, similar to CMBYN, there is no "Hollywood" perfect ending, and overall I appreciate that. I enjoyed reading from a perspective different from my own culturally, which definitely made me reflect on my intellectual privilege more closely.
My thoughts & Spot on Shelf: In short, I am glad I read it. There are definitely some really well written parts where Aciman shines particular when characters are going through epiphanies. Unfortunately, this is not a book I can see myself re-reading or added to my personal shelf at home. Like CMBYN, much of the pages are spent in the protagonist's head; however, the effect on me was not the same... perhaps I am also biased to Timothee Chalamet.. I found it a bit dull and slow moving, so it was hard to keep my attention. Additionally, the resolution at the end feels profound, yet very subtle where I find myself questioning if I understand what happened (yikes). Again, similar to CMBYN, there is no "Hollywood" perfect ending, and overall I appreciate that. I enjoyed reading from a perspective different from my own culturally, which definitely made me reflect on my intellectual privilege more closely.
academic_mama's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
jennlcollier's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 STARS
This is a very character driven novel and I really enjoyed reading it. I would have read it in one sitting if I didn't have to wake up early the next day.
The writing was very good, except the few errors that the copy editor should have picked up on. It seems that is the norm though with books these days. Reading the description of Boston really made you feel like you were there in the summer and meeting all of these characters.
If the summary sounds interesting and you, then I suggest you pick it up, you won't be disappointed.
This is a very character driven novel and I really enjoyed reading it. I would have read it in one sitting if I didn't have to wake up early the next day.
The writing was very good, except the few errors that the copy editor should have picked up on. It seems that is the norm though with books these days. Reading the description of Boston really made you feel like you were there in the summer and meeting all of these characters.
If the summary sounds interesting and you, then I suggest you pick it up, you won't be disappointed.
lex_nulla's review against another edition
5.0
This was a beautiful book about friendship and the ups and downs and expectations of those around you. I really loved relating to both the narrator and Kalaj in their money struggles as well as navigating through school, work, and relationships. I also loved what I couldn’t relate to and that was their cultures that they shared as a Jew and an Arab in a new world they were just trying to fit into and make their own.
thespiritoftheage's review against another edition
1.0
Listen, don't do this to yourself. Aciman's prose and style are sublime, indeed. However, reading this book made me age. His treatment of women and the narrator's quasi pathological attitude towards them in particular and to everything else in general exhaust me to no end. Obsessive, toxic, inmature, chauvinistic... are some of the adjectives that spring to my mind. I can't read a book by a man who writes about sexuality while being embarrassingly clueless of female anatomy. I can't read a book that feels like I'm having an unwanted conversation with a grown man who is so self absorved that talks like the whole world is against him, poor misunderstood him, seeking affection in all the wrong places, depending emotionally on other people while treating them like their lives are subjected to his whims.