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A review by happylilkt
Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan
4.0
3.5
While Kwan's trademark footnotes, trashy gossip, conspicuous spending, sex, and profanity are all still here, his ambitious retelling of E.M. Forster's sensuous and class-critical A Room with a View is very different from his CRA series—and in my opinion, is excellently done. Readers who are not familiar with Forster's original will likely be disappointed, for Lucie Churchill's awakening from rigid social restraint to passionate creativity is painful to witness (as it is in Forster's original). But the cringe worthy moments are relatable to anyone who has ever been a juvenile or has ever had social fears.
I had my doubts as to whether Kwan could pull it off, but I'm impressed! I'm rereading A Room With a View soon and this book is amplifying my delight at the prospect.
I still can't give it more than 3.5 stars because of his crude / dishy style, but I'm rounding up to 4 because I think this book is underrated by the CRA fans who had this way too hyped up to NOT be disappointed.
Content: lots of profanity and generally trashy / coarse language as well as a few bedroom scenes.
While Kwan's trademark footnotes, trashy gossip, conspicuous spending, sex, and profanity are all still here, his ambitious retelling of E.M. Forster's sensuous and class-critical A Room with a View is very different from his CRA series—and in my opinion, is excellently done. Readers who are not familiar with Forster's original will likely be disappointed, for Lucie Churchill's awakening from rigid social restraint to passionate creativity is painful to witness (as it is in Forster's original). But the cringe worthy moments are relatable to anyone who has ever been a juvenile or has ever had social fears.
I had my doubts as to whether Kwan could pull it off, but I'm impressed! I'm rereading A Room With a View soon and this book is amplifying my delight at the prospect.
I still can't give it more than 3.5 stars because of his crude / dishy style, but I'm rounding up to 4 because I think this book is underrated by the CRA fans who had this way too hyped up to NOT be disappointed.
Content: lots of profanity and generally trashy / coarse language as well as a few bedroom scenes.