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rubygranger's reviews
299 reviews
Nettle-Eater by Tom Hirons
5.0
This is an EXCELLENT, lucid piece of writing. Clever, lyrical and equal parts grounded and whimsical. Experimental writing at its best.
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.25
The first half of this book was EXCELLENT - and the reason that it has merited the star rating it has - I love the flaneur narrator, the Oxford setting and the complex family workings at play. Brideshead Revisited, like The Go-Between, is a cutting examination of wealth inequality and pressures in early 20th century England.
HOWEVER, the second half of the book was actually just really boring (I'm sorry!). We end up following the narrator into his adult life as an artist and, while there are echoes of his youth, it's pretty minor. It's almost like two different books. The ending redeems it, but I wish we'd seen more of Sebastian, because he's easily the most interesting character and just seems to disappear.
It's sacrilegious to say, but, in my opinion, you could just read book one of this and not miss out on much!
HOWEVER, the second half of the book was actually just really boring (I'm sorry!). We end up following the narrator into his adult life as an artist and, while there are echoes of his youth, it's pretty minor. It's almost like two different books. The ending redeems it, but I wish we'd seen more of Sebastian, because he's easily the most interesting character and just seems to disappear.
It's sacrilegious to say, but, in my opinion, you could just read book one of this and not miss out on much!
The Lifeboat Clique by Kathy Parks
3.0
I am drawn to books about bullying and so pre-ordered this book as soon as I heard about it. I enjoyed the storyline and found that the stranded at sea scenario was remarkably plausible... If I am completely honest, I was expecting them to reach survival just a few days after the tsunami! My only issue was the fact that there was a very limited description of Denver's bullying and due to this fact it wasn't necessarily what I was expecting. I know I am being generic in stating this, but I just adored the character, Audrey, and could happily have read a novel entirely devoted to her!