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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
Lost access to the library I was using to read the book :(
adventurous
dark
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book wasn’t really my type. I liked the first half of the book but by the end I just felt like giving up. The story would have been nice if it hadn’t been continuously interrupted by side stories which were never concluded or by silly monosyllabic dialogues. They were probably meant to bring some humor to this tragic story, but I found them to be mostly distracting from the fact that there is no actual conclusion.
Anyway, reading it was a challenge, so if you want to try this linguistic experience, go for it.
Anyway, reading it was a challenge, so if you want to try this linguistic experience, go for it.
Overall a pretty good book. At times it feels a little forced and self-indulgent, but I think this can be chalked up to a precocious young writer attempting to find his voice in his first novel. For the most part the book offers a sad but wonderful narrative, with a few moments of brilliance that are (dare I say?) illuminating.
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love how conscious this book is of its own downfalls, all wrapped up in its supreme beauty and astounding leaps of format, weaving reality and surreality with magic.
So much of how this text functions mirrors my desires for how I wish my visual artworks to function. I was fascinated to see he's also written a book of stories and the like inspired by Joseph Cornell's works; I'm excited to pick that up one day soon.
So much of how this text functions mirrors my desires for how I wish my visual artworks to function. I was fascinated to see he's also written a book of stories and the like inspired by Joseph Cornell's works; I'm excited to pick that up one day soon.
This was the first book that I read by Foer. His style may not have had the same effect on me that his wife's does (Nicole Krauss) but I was still very moved by his writing. That being said, I truly enjoyed this book. He transitions very well between sorrow and comedy, as well as myth and reality. The way that he brings the past into the present for his characters is touching and engenders an empathy for the reader.
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Hate crime