A review by lonelypigeon
Miss Lonelyhearts by Nathanael West

2.0

I am, once in a while, stunned by a book for the reasons bordering on bad, and this was one of those times. Miss Lonelyhearts, and West, were truly ahead of their time, and the murky and dark and downtrodden nature of the words are an aspect I can say I gained enjoyment from, but the story itself, the content, the plot, and the way it unfolded, was something I found very difficult to like. This isn't a bad book, and some might even call it magnetic and brilliant, but for me it was a huge disappointment. I wanted to fall for this book, to find something truly memorable about the tale as it unfolded, to experience Nathanael West's work for the first time and be in awe. I wasn't, but I will read on, I will continue to read West's work because I do think he had a very unique voice, a human one that wasn't afraid to speak out of turn or kick up a few dusty rocks. Such a shame though, I wanted more here. Maybe next time I'll be more lucky.