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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Death, Medical content, Suicide attempt
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I enjoyed the way this book was written, but was hoping for a more informational book, rather than a story type book. but once i got into the story i really enjoyed it.
reflective
medium-paced
Un classique à la hauteur de sa réputation.
I forgot that I never finished reviewing this. It's not as fresh now but I remember liking the narrator/protagonist. One in a long list of stolid, calm and intelligent characters for whom I always have a soft spot. There were many good characters, although I wouldn't say they were strong characters.
There's some kind of soft subtlety with these existential novels that can blur the edges of things like characterization or hard themes. Generally speaking I like subtlety, but I have found with these that sometimes it makes it harder for me to feel those underlying themes. It's like trying to feel a pattern carved into stone through a cloth. I can feel the themes there or get the general shape of a character, and I can get hints of finer details, but I can't quite make them out. This isn't necessarily a criticism of the books so much as it is of my literary maturity.
One thought I had that may not have even been intended, is the idea of novelty being the driver of all experience. Everyone has their normal life, and all moments of joy or sadness or anger are fluctuations in relation to that baseline. Imagine a monitor that measured happiness for example, similar to an ekg. The center line would be your baseline happiness and any blips above or below that baseline show moments of more or less happiness. So as good things happen to you, the blip rises up and depending the specifics it might be a big blip or a long blip, but eventually one of 2 things happen. If it's a short term moment, like having a really great night out, it drops back down to normal. If it's something more long term, like getting a great new job, instead of the blip dropping back down, the perspective shifts and now that blip is the baseline. That raise you got a year ago doesn't keep making you happier. That raise became normal and now in order to feel anything about it you'd have to lose it or get more. Think about a career that never changes or a stagnant relationship. Specifically in the book there's a portion when the plague has gotten so bad and there are so many deaths that funerals become commonplace and no one really pays them much mind. I'm sure I haven't pieced these thoughts together very well but it's the best I can manage right now.
There's some kind of soft subtlety with these existential novels that can blur the edges of things like characterization or hard themes. Generally speaking I like subtlety, but I have found with these that sometimes it makes it harder for me to feel those underlying themes. It's like trying to feel a pattern carved into stone through a cloth. I can feel the themes there or get the general shape of a character, and I can get hints of finer details, but I can't quite make them out. This isn't necessarily a criticism of the books so much as it is of my literary maturity.
One thought I had that may not have even been intended, is the idea of novelty being the driver of all experience. Everyone has their normal life, and all moments of joy or sadness or anger are fluctuations in relation to that baseline. Imagine a monitor that measured happiness for example, similar to an ekg. The center line would be your baseline happiness and any blips above or below that baseline show moments of more or less happiness. So as good things happen to you, the blip rises up and depending the specifics it might be a big blip or a long blip, but eventually one of 2 things happen. If it's a short term moment, like having a really great night out, it drops back down to normal. If it's something more long term, like getting a great new job, instead of the blip dropping back down, the perspective shifts and now that blip is the baseline. That raise you got a year ago doesn't keep making you happier. That raise became normal and now in order to feel anything about it you'd have to lose it or get more. Think about a career that never changes or a stagnant relationship. Specifically in the book there's a portion when the plague has gotten so bad and there are so many deaths that funerals become commonplace and no one really pays them much mind. I'm sure I haven't pieced these thoughts together very well but it's the best I can manage right now.
challenging
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated