Reviews

Novel on Yellow Paper by Stevie Smith

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ingridostby's review against another edition

5.0

This book is definitely not for those who love straight-forward plots and prose. The book reads like a poem. It takes time to read, too, re-reading passages to figure out what she means, much like one of the more dense Joyce novels. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and thought the character of Pompey had amazing insights and was an especially forward thinker for the time (20th century in the years immediately leading up to WWII). She questions and struggles with the unity of marriage, the church, love, lust, suicide, people with more down-to-earth goals in life and those with more of a free spirit who don't want to be tied down by commonalities and mundane day-to-day things, etc.

Pompey also is suffering a sort of break down from a failed relationship, and it is lovely to see her reveal this throughout the book. It's more stream of consciousness but with a very defined purpose. Stevie Smith, in all her writing, is full of intent, full of deeper meanings. I so much adore the character of Pompey. Novel on Yellow Paper is for those who like JD Salinger's short stories, e.e. cummings poetry, and the insight of Graham Greene (very specifically, if you loved the diary part of The End of the Affair like I did, you'll enjoy this book).

dixiet's review against another edition

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4.0

I've never read anything like this before and do not expect ever to again. But it's inside me now, alongside her poetry, which I first heard almost forty years ago.

tilda_mellor's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

chervbim's review against another edition

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4.0

I love a stream of consciousness novel that’s simultaneously about nothing and everything!! What more can I say?

kingkong's review against another edition

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3.0

I thought it would be more interesting

vcmc's review against another edition

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1.0

Oh man! I hated this book. It bored me rigid and although I needed to read it for my Book Group, my brain rebelled and I stopped after 220 pages. A stream of consciousness book needs an interesting voice. Here the narrator seems selfish, superficial, snobbish ... It doesn’t feel authentic, just disjointed and pointless.