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littlestbookstore 's review for:
Daisy Jones & The Six
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Very interesting historical account of Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac.
Just kidding... sort of, but seriously, every time I opened this book I heard the album "Rumors" playing in my head while also watching an episode of "Behind the Music."
I only finished the last third out of spite.
I know I’m in the minority here, but let me explain. This format is tricky to pull off and I simply don’t think TJR succeeded. Using interview transcripts for storytelling is tricky because it can make an author get away with lazy writing; and also, it creates a minefield of clichés.
You get very little nuance with character development because other characters are constantly telling the reader exactly what the other people are, what they think of them, and what they’re doing. Everything is just revealed all at once. It can feel boring.
Furthermore, it’s very difficult to emulate the way people talk and still have writing remain interesting. People think and talk in a lot of clichés because when most people are speaking candidly, they’re not searching for different ways to tell a story or use figurative language (which doesn’t always mean it’s overwrought) in a way that intrigues a reader. People who actually talk that way are pretentious and tedious to listen to. You have to strike a balance so that it feels authentic, but doesn’t directly telegraph what the reader should think. It gives no room for interpretation, which is part of the fun of reading, in my opinion.
The other part regarding character development and narrative arcs is that characters are the most interesting when they’re not being honest. Any time a character withholds information, Reid has another jump in and fill in the blank. Sometimes it creates humor, but it’s never interesting because it’s always predictable and it resolves tension rather than escalating it.
On top of all that, with this novel specifically, we zoom out near the end of the novel, which means the entire conceit falls apart. Yikes. What was TJR thinking?
Another case where I think I read an entirely different book from everyone else.
Just kidding... sort of, but seriously, every time I opened this book I heard the album "Rumors" playing in my head while also watching an episode of "Behind the Music."
I only finished the last third out of spite.
I know I’m in the minority here, but let me explain. This format is tricky to pull off and I simply don’t think TJR succeeded. Using interview transcripts for storytelling is tricky because it can make an author get away with lazy writing; and also, it creates a minefield of clichés.
You get very little nuance with character development because other characters are constantly telling the reader exactly what the other people are, what they think of them, and what they’re doing. Everything is just revealed all at once. It can feel boring.
Furthermore, it’s very difficult to emulate the way people talk and still have writing remain interesting. People think and talk in a lot of clichés because when most people are speaking candidly, they’re not searching for different ways to tell a story or use figurative language (which doesn’t always mean it’s overwrought) in a way that intrigues a reader. People who actually talk that way are pretentious and tedious to listen to. You have to strike a balance so that it feels authentic, but doesn’t directly telegraph what the reader should think. It gives no room for interpretation, which is part of the fun of reading, in my opinion.
The other part regarding character development and narrative arcs is that characters are the most interesting when they’re not being honest. Any time a character withholds information, Reid has another jump in and fill in the blank. Sometimes it creates humor, but it’s never interesting because it’s always predictable and it resolves tension rather than escalating it.
On top of all that, with this novel specifically, we zoom out near the end of the novel, which means the entire conceit falls apart. Yikes. What was TJR thinking?
Another case where I think I read an entirely different book from everyone else.