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A review by rdoose
Because It Is Bitter, and Because It Is My Heart by Joyce Carol Oates
3.0
3 1/2 Stars
This was an intense read. The first 1/3 of it, for me, was much less enjoyable than the last 2/3. It was beautifully written, Oates is undeniably talented. But it was just so heavy and slow at first that I really wanted to be done with it. But I still liked the book, and I'm glad I read it. It is definitely one of the least predictable books I have read. Besides what is told in the book description, nothing else I expected to happen ever did. It was extremely complex, the POV switched between many different characters, and none of them were simple or one-dimensional. I would recommend this book if you are prepared for a heavy story, but don't expect a traditional happy ending or a feeling of resolution. I think one of the goals of the book is to leave the reader feeling unresolved or unsettled, and it definitely achieves that goal.
This was an intense read. The first 1/3 of it, for me, was much less enjoyable than the last 2/3. It was beautifully written, Oates is undeniably talented. But it was just so heavy and slow at first that I really wanted to be done with it. But I still liked the book, and I'm glad I read it. It is definitely one of the least predictable books I have read. Besides what is told in the book description, nothing else I expected to happen ever did. It was extremely complex, the POV switched between many different characters, and none of them were simple or one-dimensional. I would recommend this book if you are prepared for a heavy story, but don't expect a traditional happy ending or a feeling of resolution. I think one of the goals of the book is to leave the reader feeling unresolved or unsettled, and it definitely achieves that goal.