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A review by superdilettante
Love Invents Us by Amy Bloom
4.0
I just can't get over what a twit the protagonist is. And, oddly, I found a lot of the "love" scenes grotesque. I suppose I am finally reacting appropriately to sexual intimacy between a young girl and her teacher. What's become of me?
This is one of those novels where no amount of gorgeous writing can make me feel anything other than contempt for her all-too-human characters.
ETA: I gave this one more star, because I realized that the twitty protagonist is the whole point. As I went further and further into the novel, I found myself thinking about the characters when I _wasn't_ reading the novel. Again, it's hard for me to enjoy a book about a character I don't like, but I realize that's my own shortcoming and I should probably work on it. Elizabeth is flawed, and kind of stupid, and makes bad decisions, but she is also human. Maybe I'm reacting so strongly against her character because I see the worst of me there, too.
It's a smart book that makes you examine your own feelings and motives. Four stars.
This is one of those novels where no amount of gorgeous writing can make me feel anything other than contempt for her all-too-human characters.
ETA: I gave this one more star, because I realized that the twitty protagonist is the whole point. As I went further and further into the novel, I found myself thinking about the characters when I _wasn't_ reading the novel. Again, it's hard for me to enjoy a book about a character I don't like, but I realize that's my own shortcoming and I should probably work on it. Elizabeth is flawed, and kind of stupid, and makes bad decisions, but she is also human. Maybe I'm reacting so strongly against her character because I see the worst of me there, too.
It's a smart book that makes you examine your own feelings and motives. Four stars.