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isabelthearcher's reviews
167 reviews
Fiesta: The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-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
1.0
dnf - did not finish at 100 pages.
I picked up this book for two reasons:
1. Jess Mariano says to Rory Gilmore in Gilmore Girls, "Hemingway only has lovely things to say about you."
Personally I do not understand this comment having read half this book, but hopefully it was directed to another of Hemingway's novels as the depiction of women in this book was far from ideal.
2. Jack Edwards said Hemingway was one of the main reasons he moved to Paris.
Now, I can understand that. Hemingway makes me want to pack up all my stuff and move all over the world, despite his sub-par writing abilities.
I tried. I tried so hard. I just don't get it. Hemingway's prose is beautiful and I love the way he describes places, especially Paris, but everything else was make-you-fall-asleep boring!
I didn't dislike this book per say, I just got so bored of reading about Jake being sad about Brett and Cohn acting as though he's the only man in the world all whilst drinking their sadness away at a multitude of bars.
I enjoy 'no plot' books, but only when the characters have depth and are interesting to read about, these aren't. I guess Hemingway was trying to capture the mundane in this book, but I can't do it, my own life is mundane, I want books I read to be exciting.
I think I would pick up another Hemingway again, just because of his descriptive writing style, which I really enjoyed. However, I don't regret not finishing this book, according to some other Goodreads reviews... nothing else of particular note happens in this book.
I picked up this book for two reasons:
1. Jess Mariano says to Rory Gilmore in Gilmore Girls, "Hemingway only has lovely things to say about you."
Personally I do not understand this comment having read half this book, but hopefully it was directed to another of Hemingway's novels as the depiction of women in this book was far from ideal.
2. Jack Edwards said Hemingway was one of the main reasons he moved to Paris.
Now, I can understand that. Hemingway makes me want to pack up all my stuff and move all over the world, despite his sub-par writing abilities.
I tried. I tried so hard. I just don't get it. Hemingway's prose is beautiful and I love the way he describes places, especially Paris, but everything else was make-you-fall-asleep boring!
I didn't dislike this book per say, I just got so bored of reading about Jake being sad about Brett and Cohn acting as though he's the only man in the world all whilst drinking their sadness away at a multitude of bars.
I enjoy 'no plot' books, but only when the characters have depth and are interesting to read about, these aren't. I guess Hemingway was trying to capture the mundane in this book, but I can't do it, my own life is mundane, I want books I read to be exciting.
I think I would pick up another Hemingway again, just because of his descriptive writing style, which I really enjoyed. However, I don't regret not finishing this book, according to some other Goodreads reviews... nothing else of particular note happens in this book.
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
informative
medium-paced
5.0
What is History, Now? by Suzannah Lipscomb, Helen Carr
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
Small Island by Andrea Levy
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Exquisite!
It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
audiobooks are my new best friend.
hated gavin's voice in this, I can't lie.
deffo the best book in the trilogy.
hated gavin's voice in this, I can't lie.
deffo the best book in the trilogy.
The Cutting Season by Attica Locke
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A brilliant book. Incredible atmosphere and depth.
I adored the characters, writing style and the plot was ok.
I love how it interweaved the past with the present and how to deal with those legacies.
The murder mystery was ok, not my favourite crime fiction idea, however it was redeemed by the gripping atmosphere and the characters that made you fall into their world.
I adored the characters, writing style and the plot was ok.
I love how it interweaved the past with the present and how to deal with those legacies.
The murder mystery was ok, not my favourite crime fiction idea, however it was redeemed by the gripping atmosphere and the characters that made you fall into their world.
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Not one of the greatest books of all time (I do remember trying to read this book after TATBILB came out and absolutely hating it), but enjoyable after watching and adoring the amazon prime series! I think if I read this book, I would have found Belly insufferable, but Lola Tung's voice in the audiobook (the actress who plays Belly in the show) made it ok.
Questionable elements? Yes. However it was a fun little read and I am going to read the whole trilogy even just to hear Christopher Briney's voice in the last audiobook ;)
Questionable elements? Yes. However it was a fun little read and I am going to read the whole trilogy even just to hear Christopher Briney's voice in the last audiobook ;)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer
Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
4.0
The play annoyed me, but I cannot wait to write killer essays about it and Beckett's existentialist friends.