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cassbarker's reviews
58 reviews
Sex and Lies by Leïla Slimani
informative
reflective
fast-paced
3.0
I wish there was more social-cultural analysis, the glimpses Slimani gave of examining this intersection between islam and sex in a more in depth, historical and analytical manner were great, but there was so little immersive, ground breaking analysis. it was incredibly well put together, she paints the image of modern morocco for women very well, the collection really stands as a snapshot in time, a momento of real stories. i think i was expecting more essay style work, hence why i feel like its a lacking in some ways. still a solid, insightful read, hopefully this will spark my own research and further reading into the intersection of islam and sex.
Men Have Called Her Crazy by Anna Marie Tendler
1.75
I really wanted to like this - I really love her as an artist, and think the work she creates is stunning, and I sympathise with what she went through over the past few years. However… this book was not very great, sure it had good moments but…. overall felt like it was trying to be introspective and deep and interesting and failing to do so. Even just the way she describes her work, like the characterisation of an ‘actual job’ ? Bizarre as it feels like she is just discrediting people who have the same interest and work passion as her… like artists..,? Ultimately so much of it unfortunately falls into the category of white woman feminism that only seems to be able to discuss how misogyny affects her directly, rather than anything slightly deeper. So much of her frustration seemed to come from just not having inspiration like yes darling, you reap what you sow, that’s apart of work, it’s ups and downs. I don’t know what else to say, just felt very… meh.
The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
In the Margins: On the Pleasures of Reading and Writing by Elena Ferrante
4.0
there is something so special about writers writing about writing! this is so brilliant she is so brilliant