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mairiela's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
kipahni's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
mxlawzarus's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
emmaemooney's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
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
3.75
This book definitely contained some truisms (that I now regret not recording fastidiously), despite not completely understanding what Heti was talking about at parts. But this is sort of a rare instance where it felt ok as the reader to not perfectly grasp the author, only in that as the reader, you are thrust into parts of Heti’s brain that only she will ever understand. Overall it was thought-provoking and weird in a mostly good way, albeit a little self important.
saskia_jnm's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
I found thought-provoking insights mixed in with a large dose of tenuos causal leaps and randomness. It's as much about decision paralysis and depression as it is about motherhood. I really enjoyed the unusual structure and irreverence, there's definitely a sense of 'what will she say next?' and the ending is satisfying.
wombat_reads's review against another edition
3.0
It was definitely a challenge. Mostly it was boring, but here and there I found shining nuggets of wisdom and insight. And I'm grateful for that
binchsensei's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
3.25
“For a woman of curiosity, no decision will ever feel like the right one. In both, too much is missing.”
This was an interesting read! Could have easily been cut down to a novella and gotten the same point across, but it didn’t drag much. Coin flipping & tarot card divination were fun bits to include.
This was an interesting read! Could have easily been cut down to a novella and gotten the same point across, but it didn’t drag much. Coin flipping & tarot card divination were fun bits to include.
carlyshoo's review against another edition
5.0
BOOK REVIEW: MOTHERHOOD BY SHEILA HETI
I read Motherhood on the recommendation of a friend (olive) who read Pure Color and raved about it. I downloaded the audiobook and was surprised / excited that the author decided to read it. In the end, I’m really glad for it. It felt like she was too young-sounding, girlish, and immature to read for the narrator.
Fuck, it fucked me up. First off, the narrator (I’m pretty sure Sheila Heti herself) is of Hungarian Jewish descent. Her grandmother, Magda, is a key, distant character in the book. It’s haunting. She spins a story out of ancestral threads. Which, in a spiritual / god way, I like. That’s how I also like to imagine :god / the universe / an Other Power:
The crux of the book felt validating in a taking-antidepressants-every-day-at-an-extremely-low-dose kind of way.
I won’t spoil whether or not the narrator comes to the conclusion of whether or not she will have a child. It is imperative that anyone who has even remotely thought of child rearing as a possibility or people who are generally interested in the questioning of “our biological drive” (her words) should read this. Not just creatives/artists-really, anyone. It’s universal like that. And she does such a snarky, relevant job of mulling over the age old question of What A Woman Is With and Without Children? It’s a thesis statement I’ve wondered at all my life.
I want to address comments made in other reviews that are a sort of disclaimer. The narrator is an esoteric person (to say the least, lol, she flips coins to make life decisions-but a revelation occurs when the narrator questions decision making and actual doing of said decision-I promise it’s good). But, yeah, she can come off as really selfish and says uncomfortable things to the reader. It’s something I personally enjoy, but I know that isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
I’m definitely going to read Pure Color. And I know I constantly tell everyone this *insert book, meal, etc.* has changed my life, but, seriously. This book has changed my life.
Thanks for reading this!
I read Motherhood on the recommendation of a friend (olive) who read Pure Color and raved about it. I downloaded the audiobook and was surprised / excited that the author decided to read it. In the end, I’m really glad for it. It felt like she was too young-sounding, girlish, and immature to read for the narrator.
Fuck, it fucked me up. First off, the narrator (I’m pretty sure Sheila Heti herself) is of Hungarian Jewish descent. Her grandmother, Magda, is a key, distant character in the book. It’s haunting. She spins a story out of ancestral threads. Which, in a spiritual / god way, I like. That’s how I also like to imagine :god / the universe / an Other Power:
The crux of the book felt validating in a taking-antidepressants-every-day-at-an-extremely-low-dose kind of way.
I won’t spoil whether or not the narrator comes to the conclusion of whether or not she will have a child. It is imperative that anyone who has even remotely thought of child rearing as a possibility or people who are generally interested in the questioning of “our biological drive” (her words) should read this. Not just creatives/artists-really, anyone. It’s universal like that. And she does such a snarky, relevant job of mulling over the age old question of What A Woman Is With and Without Children? It’s a thesis statement I’ve wondered at all my life.
I want to address comments made in other reviews that are a sort of disclaimer. The narrator is an esoteric person (to say the least, lol, she flips coins to make life decisions-but a revelation occurs when the narrator questions decision making and actual doing of said decision-I promise it’s good). But, yeah, she can come off as really selfish and says uncomfortable things to the reader. It’s something I personally enjoy, but I know that isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
I’m definitely going to read Pure Color. And I know I constantly tell everyone this *insert book, meal, etc.* has changed my life, but, seriously. This book has changed my life.
Thanks for reading this!
wordswoods's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Rape