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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
challenging
tense
slow-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
Anyone who knows me well enough knows my obsession about obsession. Therefore it is no surprise that I would like this novel that centers around the obsessive love of Charles Arrowby for his long lost childhood love. But I fell in love with this book for a thousand other reasons.
I have rarely read a book that penetrates so deep into the skin of its character, and in the process exposes the jealousy, vanity, falsehood, self love, and self deception that defines all of us. After you read this book, I don’t think you will be able to look at your own self the same way again. It won’t make you a purer person, and that is the point of the book, but it may introduce some doubts in the blind innocence with which we often assess ourselves.
The book is also a brilliant exploration of the limits of art to capture the truth. It questions whether the artist’s own ego and vanity can ever allow her to truly expose her true identity.
The sheer skill with which the author crafted this novel is simply spellbinding.
I have rarely read a book that penetrates so deep into the skin of its character, and in the process exposes the jealousy, vanity, falsehood, self love, and self deception that defines all of us. After you read this book, I don’t think you will be able to look at your own self the same way again. It won’t make you a purer person, and that is the point of the book, but it may introduce some doubts in the blind innocence with which we often assess ourselves.
The book is also a brilliant exploration of the limits of art to capture the truth. It questions whether the artist’s own ego and vanity can ever allow her to truly expose her true identity.
The sheer skill with which the author crafted this novel is simply spellbinding.
Tortuous. I willed this to end but it just went on and and on and on. I found it so maddening for such a long book to have barely any plot, and the one it did have seemed to have been thrown together without any prior thought. I get that the book is about the egotism and misguided nature of the main character but I would suggest it is possible to create an unlikeable character without creating an unlikeable book. As it stands the reader is subject to an endless series of rhetorical questions and unintelligible personal philosophy. Completely unbelievable that this won any kind of award. Tedious. Avoid.
Will not be putting a bead curtain in my seaside escape.
The story plot rather got in the way of the exploration of larger themes, and the exploration of the larger themes rather got in the way of the story plot. Charles Arrowby eats revolting sandwiches and does some extremely silly things, there is a sea monster, and retired actors drink wine and moan about the state of Irish politics. It’s a bit of a melting pot of stuff and in the end there are no great revelations, but you know what? I still enjoyed it immensely. And in the end, who am I to critique such a great writer?
There was a real sense of unreality running through the novel, from the supernatural events to the comically revolving cast of characters to the very premise of the book itself as a novelized biography. Charles is so charmingly flawed that I never got tired of his opinions and delusions despite the meandering pace of the book.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Deranged in a fun way