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nigel_hakeem's reviews
115 reviews
Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Chabon explores all the cliches of a university writing professor but never comes across as cliche. A very fun novel with great characters. Makes you want to grab a beer at the campus pub and talk about art all night.
Rock Springs by Richard Ford
4.0
If you wanna read stories about down-on-their-luck men in the 80s, this is the collection for you.
Really enjoyed the realist style and you can see the Carver influence on Ford. The first-person voice would start blurring together across stories, but it was an engaging voice. Often the stories felt like they were going off track and meandering, but they would always find their way and there was a fullness to each of the characters, that was appreciated.
Some highlights were Sweethearts, Winterkill, and especially Empire.
Really enjoyed the realist style and you can see the Carver influence on Ford. The first-person voice would start blurring together across stories, but it was an engaging voice. Often the stories felt like they were going off track and meandering, but they would always find their way and there was a fullness to each of the characters, that was appreciated.
Some highlights were Sweethearts, Winterkill, and especially Empire.
Real Life by Brandon Taylor
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
5.0
What an amazing novel! Painted such a clear picture of life in academia and the pitfalls that come with it. What could have been a passable campus novel became so much more. The best parts of the book were when the main character, Wallace, was left to think and ruminate on his own. His thoughts about being black in a group of white friends, the small uncomfortable and unspoken moments that would quietly eat away at him were heartbreaking. I had to put the book down several times because of how angry I was at the people around him. Other parts were hard not to skip ahead because I wanted to know what was going to happen so badly.
Taylor changes tenses 3 times in the book and though this sounds like it would be confusing, it fits with the narrative really well and shows what a fantastic writer he is; and this is his debut!
I can't wait to read more from Brandon Taylor and this book is an instant classic. A must-read for anyone in grad school.
Taylor changes tenses 3 times in the book and though this sounds like it would be confusing, it fits with the narrative really well and shows what a fantastic writer he is; and this is his debut!
I can't wait to read more from Brandon Taylor and this book is an instant classic. A must-read for anyone in grad school.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Classism
Minor: Vomit