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francesca_2906's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
dputiger's review against another edition
3.0
I read it because I was going to be attending a performance of a play based on the book (by Quantum Theater in Pittsburgh). Having read the book made a huge difference in my ability to follow the play.
It's an interesting read, though not my usual fare.
It's an interesting read, though not my usual fare.
lgiegerich's review against another edition
2.0
really postmodern and kind of crap. what i really wanted was a historical fiction novel about Thomas Chatterton, a 18th century plagiarist of medieval poetry who committed suicide with arsenic at age 17. this novel posits that he didn't actually die, but lived to write stuff that people then attributed to William Blake and stuff. which is an interesting premise, but it jumps back and forth between the present and the past with minimal connection, and i had absolutely no emotional investment in any of the characters. in fact, i actively hated about 2/3 of them.
the most interesting parts are about the poet George Meredith posing for the famous painting of Chatterton's death, which i saw in the Tate Britain, and which started this whole mess.
the most interesting parts are about the poet George Meredith posing for the famous painting of Chatterton's death, which i saw in the Tate Britain, and which started this whole mess.
missie_bee's review against another edition
3.0
I'll admit, I liked this book better after class discussion.
Am I that obtuse about the makings of good literature? Do you even have to ask?
Does metafiction know a better dealer of its genre than Ackroyd? I'd be hard pressed to think otherwise, though I'm still exploring the genre. His characters were more caricature than I cared for, but the hidden literary references were gold mines of farce filled fun.
Am I that obtuse about the makings of good literature? Do you even have to ask?
Does metafiction know a better dealer of its genre than Ackroyd? I'd be hard pressed to think otherwise, though I'm still exploring the genre. His characters were more caricature than I cared for, but the hidden literary references were gold mines of farce filled fun.
sharon_geitz's review against another edition
4.0
Post modernist exploration of art and creation, a wonderful read, but perhaps not everyone's idea of an enjoyable read, I loved it, read some time ago.
pqlibrarian's review against another edition
2.0
Admittedly, I was expecting something....different from Mr. Ackroyd. This is definitely the strangest group of characters. I managed to make it through - barely.
sareads's review against another edition
5.0
I actually started crying on the second to last page? Books never make me cry, but this was very good. You may just have to give it a minute, because at first I read very slowly, went away for a while, and then when I came back it was very easy to read.
“There is nothing more real than words. They are reality.”
“There is nothing more real than words. They are reality.”
sharon4d046's review against another edition
4.0
Post modernist exploration of art and creation, a wonderful read, but perhaps not everyone's idea of an enjoyable read, I loved it, read some time ago.
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