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davidaguilarrodriguez's Reviews (186)
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Iconic revenge tale, really fun and adventurous and bloody
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a book! Hugo’s writing is powerful, moving, and genuinely SWEEPING. He tries to capture all of society, from the lowest outcast to the Church and the military and even the literal King of France, in a haunting Gothic tale of doomed love focused on characters and events swirling around one location: Notre Dame de Paris. Yes, the cathedral is maybe the main character of the book, but that’s not to say the other characters aren’t mind blowingly fantastic. Claude Frollo - the devil. Phoebus - the literal worst. Quasimodo - my heart breaks for him. Esmeralda - tbh one of the dumbest and most annoying characters ever. Gringoire and Djali - hilarious and the best. And on and on, such a wonderful and terrifying and beloved and detestable cast of characters.
I actually have never seen the Disney movie, but this book is TRAGIC. In the Shakespearean sense. A towering, terrifying, haunting, beautiful work of Romanticism — it is so dark, but also so funny, so informative, and moving. I just read the synopsis of the Disney movie because after the end of the book I thought “now how on earth did they think this was appropriate for children??” Apparently the movie barely has anything to do with what happens in the book. Shame, because this is a great one, though certainly no Disney movie!
I actually have never seen the Disney movie, but this book is TRAGIC. In the Shakespearean sense. A towering, terrifying, haunting, beautiful work of Romanticism — it is so dark, but also so funny, so informative, and moving. I just read the synopsis of the Disney movie because after the end of the book I thought “now how on earth did they think this was appropriate for children??” Apparently the movie barely has anything to do with what happens in the book. Shame, because this is a great one, though certainly no Disney movie!
informative
medium-paced
I learned a lot! Never sure how to rate books like this, but it served the purpose I was looking for
informative
medium-paced
Some good stuff, but very strange areas of focus for a book that’s supposed to be a general intro to poetry
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Yes, let’s get rid of them all!
informative
medium-paced
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
This is the best thing I’ve read from Hemingway. Have always been turned off by his of-the-era racism, misogyny, and homophobia, but that’s just par for the course and I try to overlook it.
The writing here is crisp and clear and he recounts one of the golden ages that any artist would love to have been a part of. Gertrude Stein seems as horrible as she must have been - a rich dilettante who saw herself as a the gatekeeper of modernism. Others come and go, and it’s a treat to get impressions from that scene. The tragic figure here is Fitzgerald, of course, who never lived to see his work get the proper respect it deserved.
The writing here is crisp and clear and he recounts one of the golden ages that any artist would love to have been a part of. Gertrude Stein seems as horrible as she must have been - a rich dilettante who saw herself as a the gatekeeper of modernism. Others come and go, and it’s a treat to get impressions from that scene. The tragic figure here is Fitzgerald, of course, who never lived to see his work get the proper respect it deserved.
informative
fast-paced
Love reading about Frida, but the stuff about the guy’s dad was meh
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Really informative and a pleasure to read. Made me want to read everything ever written by Sartre and de Beauvoir. Hate Heidegger! Gave me a new appreciation for Camus, who I was previously less impressed by. The MVP though was Merleau-Ponty.
Vive l’existentialisme!
Vive l’existentialisme!
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Very funny. Obviously of a different time, but great writing holds up and it still holds up as a satire of its time.