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elderlyemo's reviews
84 reviews
Notice by Alan Garganus, Heather Lewis
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I don't know what I was expecting going into this book but it isn't what I got.
First of all - this book is very well written with some stunning and shocking statements about sex, sexuality and sexual abuse. I found the writing style entirely compelling and I read this book cover to cover in a couple of hours despite the subject matter.
I just didn't really understand why this book was written. The ending was very abrupt to me and nothing really seemed to be resolved, and there were moments in this book where I lost the plot a bit and didn't really understand what was going on which is a shame because where I did manage to get a hold of the plot it was a really compelling story.
This book is very unsettling, but I don't think it's as disturbing as many people make it out to be. I feel a little uncomfortable with the idea that this book is lumped together with monsters like Hogg but I suppose the spectrum of disturbing is entirely personal.
It's a good book and I'll never read it again. Three stars.
First of all - this book is very well written with some stunning and shocking statements about sex, sexuality and sexual abuse. I found the writing style entirely compelling and I read this book cover to cover in a couple of hours despite the subject matter.
I just didn't really understand why this book was written. The ending was very abrupt to me and nothing really seemed to be resolved, and there were moments in this book where I lost the plot a bit and didn't really understand what was going on which is a shame because where I did manage to get a hold of the plot it was a really compelling story.
This book is very unsettling, but I don't think it's as disturbing as many people make it out to be. I feel a little uncomfortable with the idea that this book is lumped together with monsters like Hogg but I suppose the spectrum of disturbing is entirely personal.
It's a good book and I'll never read it again. Three stars.
Marabou Stork Nightmares: A Novel by Irvine Welsh
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
So close to being a five star read!
I have always loved IW and his phonetically written books, but MSN is up there with the best of them. Written from the perspective of a man in a coma, it flits through a fantastical dream like world where the main character is looking for the titular Marabou Stork, and flashbacks where he comes out of the coma and the real story progresses.
I can see why people would find this book hard to read - not just because of the subject matter but the interesting format of the book - but I have read it three times now and I never get tired of the chaos.
This book is often touted as one of the most disturbing books ever written and don't get me wrong - it's messed up - but it's also a damning indictment of working class Britain and a painfully genuine representation of repression and addiction. I think depending on who you are and how you grew up, will depend on what you get out of this book but for me, its brutality is never vulgar.
It's astonishingly human, and that I think is what I've always loved about IW's books. So why isn't it five star? The last fifty pages of this book are easily five stars, but the beginning is slow and I think a lot of people would DNF it before it gets gorgeous.
Which is a shame because I definitely think this is an important, if not horrific, story that does need to be told.
I have always loved IW and his phonetically written books, but MSN is up there with the best of them. Written from the perspective of a man in a coma, it flits through a fantastical dream like world where the main character is looking for the titular Marabou Stork, and flashbacks where he comes out of the coma and the real story progresses.
I can see why people would find this book hard to read - not just because of the subject matter but the interesting format of the book - but I have read it three times now and I never get tired of the chaos.
This book is often touted as one of the most disturbing books ever written and don't get me wrong - it's messed up - but it's also a damning indictment of working class Britain and a painfully genuine representation of repression and addiction. I think depending on who you are and how you grew up, will depend on what you get out of this book but for me, its brutality is never vulgar.
It's astonishingly human, and that I think is what I've always loved about IW's books. So why isn't it five star? The last fifty pages of this book are easily five stars, but the beginning is slow and I think a lot of people would DNF it before it gets gorgeous.
Which is a shame because I definitely think this is an important, if not horrific, story that does need to be told.
Luster by Raven Leilani
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This one was a surprising five stars.
I went into Luster without knowing an awful lot about it and I must have missed the hype originally because I picked it up from library on a whim - and I am so happy that I did.
A brutal reflection on race, relationships and what it means to be a woman, I read it one sitting and annotated the living hell out of it. The introspection and unflinching ability of the protagonist to sit with feelings of inadequacy and discomfort, leant to one of the most honestly written books I've ever read.
Such an incredibly written book, I can't wait to see what RL writes next.
I went into Luster without knowing an awful lot about it and I must have missed the hype originally because I picked it up from library on a whim - and I am so happy that I did.
A brutal reflection on race, relationships and what it means to be a woman, I read it one sitting and annotated the living hell out of it. The introspection and unflinching ability of the protagonist to sit with feelings of inadequacy and discomfort, leant to one of the most honestly written books I've ever read.
Such an incredibly written book, I can't wait to see what RL writes next.