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A review by jenniferlewyauthor
The Candy House by Jennifer Egan
emotional
reflective
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
3.0
For me, this book didn't live up to its (exceedingly high) hype. Yes, Egan's writing is beautiful, even brilliant at times, especially the chapter written as a list of instructions. The premise of Own Your Unconscious_TM is intriguing. The characters felt complex and real. But the book's style of linked vignettes prevented it coming together as a cohesive whole.
The number of characters felt overwhelming to me and I quickly lost track of who was related to whom. Some key moments in the action probably went right over my head because I couldn't keep everyone straight. And the book's intriguing premise fell flat for me. I didn't get a clear picture of how this imagined future where you can upload consciousness played out beyond some basic descriptors—i.e., some people try to avoid joining the collective unconscious ("eluders"), some people use it regularly with family and friends to share immersive memories, and others profit from it.
I kept reading because the vignettes were enjoyable to read, and I was curious about whether they would wrap up together at the end. When I finished the book, however, I felt like I missed something, maybe quite a few things, likely due to my limited ability to remember how all the characters linked together.
The number of characters felt overwhelming to me and I quickly lost track of who was related to whom. Some key moments in the action probably went right over my head because I couldn't keep everyone straight. And the book's intriguing premise fell flat for me. I didn't get a clear picture of how this imagined future where you can upload consciousness played out beyond some basic descriptors—i.e., some people try to avoid joining the collective unconscious ("eluders"), some people use it regularly with family and friends to share immersive memories, and others profit from it.
I kept reading because the vignettes were enjoyable to read, and I was curious about whether they would wrap up together at the end. When I finished the book, however, I felt like I missed something, maybe quite a few things, likely due to my limited ability to remember how all the characters linked together.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape