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florendie 's review for:

Moon Palace by Paul Auster
4.0
emotional reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Contemplative fiction isn’t something I naturally gravitate toward, but Moon Palace felt right, authentic and, in a strange way, deeply relatable, even though I don’t have much in common with the main characters.

The intertwined narrative threads and shifting chronologies were occasionally disorienting but I’m glad I let myself be guided through it by Paul Auster’s poetic, precise, and colourful prose. I can’t wait to explore more of his work!

Addendum to that: after reading a few other reviews, I do agree that Kitty's characterisation felt fetichising and somewhat reductive, she's portrayed as delicate, smart, she dances, she's devoted to MS. But at the same time, she seems to be strong-minded and does have a life of her own that doesn't revolve around MS. I listened to the audiobook so it's possible I missed some of the misogyny or problematic passages.