Scan barcode
bonnygreen98's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
yeahohyeahyeah's review against another edition
5.0
My father bought this for me over reading week while I was in Calgary. It was part of the spoiling that i received upon my arrival. My father had heard me talking about it in the summer, since I've been reading it for over a year now. He loved the cover art, and insisted that I send it to him to read once I finished it. (Who knows when that will be.) He figured it's ok to buy two copies of one book especially if they are two different editions.
Who knew? I always had him pegged as a minimalist. Definitely not the collector type. Maybe he's beginning to 'get' me.
Who knew? I always had him pegged as a minimalist. Definitely not the collector type. Maybe he's beginning to 'get' me.
scytale's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
bdowning81's review against another edition
4.0
This is a strange, strange book. Will you like it? I don't know. Should you read it? Probably. Because it's like nothing you've ever read before and like nothing you'll ever read again. So read it, savor the experience, and then get back to me and let me know if you can figure out what in the world it's all about.
valesea's review against another edition
1.0
I am struggling to get through this book, of which I have read about a third of. For a short time I found the chraracter study chapters interesting, but then they became routine, and the characters are lacking the development they should by this point in the story.
I am also thinking that had Adrian written less about arcane medical terminology, I would be much more excited about this book. I don't have the time or desire to look up the diseases and procedures he write about in length. I really think it detracts from the story.
As a result of these language and knowledge barriers, I am not finding any drive to dissect the gigantic parable he has embedded. I know it's got to be there, otherwise, what would be the point of this behemoth?
And yet the thought of not finishing this horrifies me. I feel a sick compulsion to finish the story, despite the fact that I have purposefully sought out most of the spoilers in order to know, "What the hell is going on?"
Maybe, for once, I am truly afraid of putting this doorstop aside and never, ever, ever picking it up again, and wondering "What the hell happened?"
I am also thinking that had Adrian written less about arcane medical terminology, I would be much more excited about this book. I don't have the time or desire to look up the diseases and procedures he write about in length. I really think it detracts from the story.
As a result of these language and knowledge barriers, I am not finding any drive to dissect the gigantic parable he has embedded. I know it's got to be there, otherwise, what would be the point of this behemoth?
And yet the thought of not finishing this horrifies me. I feel a sick compulsion to finish the story, despite the fact that I have purposefully sought out most of the spoilers in order to know, "What the hell is going on?"
Maybe, for once, I am truly afraid of putting this doorstop aside and never, ever, ever picking it up again, and wondering "What the hell happened?"
clarkness's review against another edition
2.0
Picked this up after really enjoying a short story that Adrian wrote in an issue of McSweeney's. As it turns out, this one was a little bit of a mess. The story actually has a lot of potential, but I think it gets lost amidst an overly long story and a number of potentially rewarding, but ultimately ineffective narrative devices. The author obviously has a great imagination and I look forward to reading something else down the line, but I'm hoping he pushes in the direction of brevity and refinement.
leebass7's review against another edition
3.0
This had so much potential: it is witty, in a clever sense but also making me laugh several times, has an interesting concept, it's well written, it's full of interesting and weird characters. Ultimately, the whole thing just dragged though; the laughter ran out towards the end and the cleverness, and it sadly all got a bit dull.
meganbyrd77's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Medical content, Death of parent, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Trafficking, Child death, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Vomit, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Cancer, Suicide, and Fatphobia
Minor: Blood and Incest