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3.44 AVERAGE
3.44 AVERAGE
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The writing was pretty difficult to get through, but despite this i still thought that he did a okay job at maintaining a thread of themes throughout the stories
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
DISCLAIMER - I read this text as a set text for university meaning I did not pick this up for myself. It does not fit my usual reading selection so my review may be rather biased. Additionally I only read 3 parts of this text, Daisy Miller: A Study, The Beast in the Jungle and The Art of Fiction.
This text was not my cup of tea. Despite the somewhat interesting life of the author, I didn’t find much entertainment in his writing. Some of his characters made up for the lack of engaging plot but they were still not too appealing and much of his writing style is long winded and complex to understand, making it hard to read if you struggle to concentrate on reading.
I think the critical essay The Art of Fiction was the most engaging piece as it discussed aspects of literary canon which I hadn’t pondered before.
To conclude, I didn’t enjoy this text and would only read it again if necessary. Don’t let this discourage you from trying the stories though; they’re relatively short and basic plot wise which allows for an exploration of a more classical text.
This text was not my cup of tea. Despite the somewhat interesting life of the author, I didn’t find much entertainment in his writing. Some of his characters made up for the lack of engaging plot but they were still not too appealing and much of his writing style is long winded and complex to understand, making it hard to read if you struggle to concentrate on reading.
I think the critical essay The Art of Fiction was the most engaging piece as it discussed aspects of literary canon which I hadn’t pondered before.
To conclude, I didn’t enjoy this text and would only read it again if necessary. Don’t let this discourage you from trying the stories though; they’re relatively short and basic plot wise which allows for an exploration of a more classical text.
I have to admit, I only read the stories in here, not the critical essays in the back. This was my first experience with James at all, and I thoroughly enjoyed his writing style. It was elongated and detailed. I also admired his wit, and his subtlety in metaphor and meaning. However at the same time, sometimes it seems he'd get a bit off topic with these sentences, which is why I feel that 5 stars would be too much for this. Overall, really enjoyable stories. I particularly liked The Beast in the Jungle.
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes