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A review by emisabelleruby
The Feast of Love by Charles Baxter
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
As someone who lived in Ann Arbor, this book has that nostalgic feel to it that you can’t really get unless you’ve lived in the place the story is happening. I was able to picture everything so vividly, so accurately—it felt almost magical.
I would have given this book 4 stars, except that I was a bit disappointed by the female tropes in the book and by the pacing of it. There were some other pretty outdated lines as well. It’s quite a slow read, but I will say the last third or quarter of the book really moved me. I found myself crying at Oscar’s death and the way everything came together after that. I love how Chloe had these visions like the wheel in the sky and her memory of the party where she was Venus. I love the details about Bradley’s paintings, his love for his dog, the way Baxter described the honeymoon trip up north with Diana where she found the statue of the stone boy. This book was far from “perfect,” if that even exists; it was many things, but I can say that it was indeed beautiful and moving.
I would have given this book 4 stars, except that I was a bit disappointed by the female tropes in the book and by the pacing of it. There were some other pretty outdated lines as well. It’s quite a slow read, but I will say the last third or quarter of the book really moved me. I found myself crying at Oscar’s death and the way everything came together after that. I love how Chloe had these visions like the wheel in the sky and her memory of the party where she was Venus. I love the details about Bradley’s paintings, his love for his dog, the way Baxter described the honeymoon trip up north with Diana where she found the statue of the stone boy. This book was far from “perfect,” if that even exists; it was many things, but I can say that it was indeed beautiful and moving.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm and Sexual assault