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3.13 AVERAGE
3.13 AVERAGE
Hilariously written with many memorable lines, but became rambling and the plot got wonky toward the end.
This was one of my wildcard books. Sometimes I pick a book by its cover, the location of the story, the genre, but this one was picked by a subject near and dear to me - philanthropy in higher education. I thought it was a bonus that the story took place in New York and I was hoping for the best. Thing is, wildcard picks rarely go well.
Read more: http://knowledgeiscool.blogspot.com/2011/08/book-review-ask.html
Read more: http://knowledgeiscool.blogspot.com/2011/08/book-review-ask.html
dark
funny
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:
Yes
Loved, loved and loved it. A rare book by a contemporary that held up through the very end. Sad and dead-on.
Уже заказал предыдущий роман Липсайта и даже строю планы о замене своего мягкого и хрупкого издания The Ask на экземпляр в твердом переплете. (Думаю, это яснее говорит о том, что книга мне понравилась, чем поставленные пять звезд.)
Фабула? Да какая разница? Тем более, что в финале роман останавливается, как игрушка, у которой кончился завод. Но это единственный (и давно уже простительный) минус.
Кстати, выяснил тут, что у нас выходил перевод его первого романа The Subject Steve. Не открывал, но заранее проклинаю. Страшно представить, что осталось в переводе от настоящего Липсайта.
Фабула? Да какая разница? Тем более, что в финале роман останавливается, как игрушка, у которой кончился завод. Но это единственный (и давно уже простительный) минус.
Кстати, выяснил тут, что у нас выходил перевод его первого романа The Subject Steve. Не открывал, но заранее проклинаю. Страшно представить, что осталось в переводе от настоящего Липсайта.
When you try to be cute by writing a book with a detestable protagonist and include dialogue exchanges like this:
"I'm not very likable, am I?"
"You're likable enough."
"No, I mean, if I were the protagonist of a book or a movie, it would be hard to like me, to identify with me, right?"
"I would never read a book like that, Milo. I can't think of anyone who would. There's no reason for it."
...then you probably should make sure the reader isn't going to agree with you. And though this is a well-written book, loaded with barbed humor (though it only made me laugh about twice), it doesn't really provide much payoff for spending 300 pages with a miserable misanthrope of a narrator.
It hits all the middle age malaise bases: unfulfilled ambitions, unhappy marriage, befuddled parenthood, strained family relationships, vulgar sexual content. It also ends pretty much exactly how you'd expect, in just about the most downbeat manner possible. It's an ugly book, only fitfully amusing, engaging but wearing, ultimately probably not worth the effort. Unless you want to read another book that boils down to, "doesn't the world kinda suck?"
"I'm not very likable, am I?"
"You're likable enough."
"No, I mean, if I were the protagonist of a book or a movie, it would be hard to like me, to identify with me, right?"
"I would never read a book like that, Milo. I can't think of anyone who would. There's no reason for it."
...then you probably should make sure the reader isn't going to agree with you. And though this is a well-written book, loaded with barbed humor (though it only made me laugh about twice), it doesn't really provide much payoff for spending 300 pages with a miserable misanthrope of a narrator.
It hits all the middle age malaise bases: unfulfilled ambitions, unhappy marriage, befuddled parenthood, strained family relationships, vulgar sexual content. It also ends pretty much exactly how you'd expect, in just about the most downbeat manner possible. It's an ugly book, only fitfully amusing, engaging but wearing, ultimately probably not worth the effort. Unless you want to read another book that boils down to, "doesn't the world kinda suck?"
Better, I think than a lot of the reviews, at least until the last 1/4which goes on and on.