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abbyg611 's review for:
The Great Believers
by Rebecca Makkai
dark
emotional
reflective
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:
Complicated
This might be the saddest book I’ve ever read? I really appreciated the 2015 plot because it helped to break up the pure hopelessness I would feel reading the portions in the 80s. Even though you know what is expected to comes, it’s a gut punch every time, and the parallel sequence of his diagnosis with everything he is thinking at the same time is gut wrenching.
I admittedly struggled to keep track of all of the characters (which I felt bad about) and will immediately forget everyone’s names other than Charlie, Julian, and Yale, but nonetheless the relationships she depicts are incredibly layered and complex.
This is also the first book I’ve read with a Book Club and it made for an excellent conversation. We talked about our parents and their experience growing up during this epidemic, the Covid pandemic, who should tell these stories, and it was just really interesting to hear everyone’s thoughts.
I admittedly struggled to keep track of all of the characters (which I felt bad about) and will immediately forget everyone’s names other than Charlie, Julian, and Yale, but nonetheless the relationships she depicts are incredibly layered and complex.
This is also the first book I’ve read with a Book Club and it made for an excellent conversation. We talked about our parents and their experience growing up during this epidemic, the Covid pandemic, who should tell these stories, and it was just really interesting to hear everyone’s thoughts.