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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
Sometimes so good and well developed, other times, jumpy and unrelated. Probably also would have been more enjoyable if I didn't have to read it on a tight schedule.
The book had me hooked at first, but it completely lost me halfway through. I really enjoy fragmented writing, which I see a lot of people complaining about in their reviews. For me, the problem is that the author is not able to write compelling female characters. I'm actually really surprised that it hasn't been mentioned by many reviews. The novel relentlessly sexualizes the main character, which is fine on it's own if she's just a sexual person. However, he writes about her so awkwardly It's gratuitous writing that uses female characters to progress the story of the male characters. The only parts I really enjoyed of this novel were based around the exploration of Sri Lanka's history and the small story of Linus Corea.
Spoiler
She holds her breast to feel her heartbeat for fucks sake. There's also a mention of her having been sexually abused by her older brother when she was a young girl, which is never mentioned again afterwards. I would even go as far to say that it's implied that for her it was a symbol of her empowering herself rather than assault.
Amazing, was holding my breath through the whole last third of the book
Not one of my favorite Ondaatje titles. It is lacking in too many areas and seems to be trying to reach something that was never obtainable. Still, strangely, worth reading.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
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
The first piece of historical fiction I’ve read about the massacres during the Sri Lankan civil war. Ondaatje is a poet in novelist’s clothing, he writes a murder mystery housed inside a soliloquy on genocidal silence and violence.
The ghosts are plenty, the bardo of war and restorative justice unresolved. I’ve seen this described as a novel of fragments, and it is. It also pieces together a forensic tale like bone shards gathered after a land mine, glued in a mosaic. There isn’t a complete picture, nor a pretty one, but boy is it art with a message.
The ghosts are plenty, the bardo of war and restorative justice unresolved. I’ve seen this described as a novel of fragments, and it is. It also pieces together a forensic tale like bone shards gathered after a land mine, glued in a mosaic. There isn’t a complete picture, nor a pretty one, but boy is it art with a message.
challenging
reflective
sad
tense
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:
Complicated
dark
sad
slow-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