Vanshika
I liked thow this story was told but the ending was massively dissatisfying. Ending is kind of a big part for thrillers no. It fails to answer some really important question and does so not because the authors wanted an ending open to interpretation but they just couldn't tie up all the loose threads neatly. The readability of book this suggested that when i get to the ending i would be excited about all the reveals and all the intresting questions that the author is asking will be answered in a spectacular way but insted what happened was that the author answered all the least intresting questions & left all the intresting ones unanswered.
As someone who has not read a lot of true crime, i do not how this book stands against the rest in the genre so i am not sure how to rate it. Three star rating because I just remember how chaotic I felt the structure was. This book does what a lot of non-fiction does. It jumps back and forward through time. Now, with standard non-Fiction, this can make the book tedious or complicated, but overall, I can keep up with the events of the story. With true crime, it is a bit harder, as there are a myriad of dates, locations, victims, investigators, etc., that we are keeping tracking of on top of the timeline. I constantly found myself getting out of the flow state of reading because it was quite difficult to keep track of all the key pieces of information provided in this book, simply because of the scattered way in which it was pieced together. Which brings me to the overall structure of this book which bounced all over the place. In fact, I would say there was very little structure overall to the book, which made it hard to follow but i was still able to connect with it. Looking forward to searching about more true crimes which could be 5 star reads.
Wanted to reread this one because i thought i might be able to appreciate it more since i am a full grown up now and all but my opinion remains unchanged. I still didn't like reading about characters whose main traits are self-sabotaging behaviours, shrugging every three sentences, and saying “I don't know” 24*7. None of the side chracters were fleshed out at all. just archetypes. three stars are for Rooney's style of writing. Zero stars for creating a relationship where there is miscommunication just for the sake of drama.
There is no literary joy quite like the joy of an author dropping you into a short story in the middle of a scene engrossing you in the narrative in such a way that most authors are not able to do in pages and pages and pages. I am always in AWE when an author can make me care so deeply about the characters in just a couple of pages. There is an instant connect in a great short story with the narrative that is so soul-satisfying. All the stars in the world.
2.75 rated up.
I picked this up bcs i wanted to read something just light and fluffy but this was too light and fluffy. It was basically a hallmark movie. The whole point of reading a romance book instead of watching a movie is that the character exploration in a book can go much deeper, but this was kind of formulaic. The MCs were both good but i couldn't believe that the most interesting thing that happened to a international taylor swift esque pop-star in her entire life is her car breaking down in small town Kentucky
The trouble with this book for me was that because of the hype that this book has my expectations were high and this book didn't live up to them. Yeah, the prose is pretty but it is also tedious. This book wants to be a deeply philosophical love story and some scenes were really moving especially during the first part of the book but what was more prevalent than these true moments of beauty were the moments when both the main characters's thoughts were not intriguing at all. There were entire paragraphs that I wanted to skip. At around the 90 per cent mark, I wanted to DNF it because there was a scene after a fight that goes like this
“She wanted to stab him and stab herself and stab her mother and especially to stab Marc; she couldn't stop the images of herself, stabbing and stabbing and stabbing until her hands were soaked with tears and blood. She would do all of it, she thought, and then use the carnage to paint something new, something brilliant, and with Aldo's blood especially— from the vessels of his lovely wounds—she would paint a sky mixed with gold, dotted with constellations.”
like yes let's ignore this very obvious sign of her deteriorating mental health because love. bah! gimme a break.
but hey this book has about 10000 5-star reviews so it works for some people! might work for you hence 3 stars
This was a perfect introduction to Dostoyevsky. I was touched by how bittersweet and tender White Nights is. This beautiful but heartbreaking story will hold a special place in my heart.
It's extraordinary the way Dostoyevsky could make me feel so much identification with his characters even when they are a century and a half away.
So many people in the world can totally relate to the Dreamer character... And the way Nastenka treats him, well, it mirrors what happens in real life too... Fairy tale endings don't exist.
Also, Dostoevsky's solitary, unattached dreamer willfully retreated from engagement with others and the world, while Nastenka is literally “pinned” to her grandmother's skirt and strict guardianship. Her narrative is one of development and action.
Even the narrator's final words were
“As if I would recall my resentment, Nastenka! Or would cast a dark cloud across your bright untroubled happiness, or would inflict misery on your heart with my bitter reproaches, stinging it with hidden pangs, making it beat anxiously in your moment of bliss? That I would crush even one of those tender blossoms which you wove into your dark curls as you approached the altar with him . . . oh, never, never! May your sky always be bright, and your sweet smile always be radiant and serene, yes, and may you be blessed for the moment of bliss and happiness you gave to another lonely, grateful heart! My God! One whole moment of bliss! Is that not sufficient for a man's entire life?”
really enjoyed reading this for many many reasons.
1. Reading is an excursion into the world that a character inhibits and it's
a really wonderful wonderful experience to go into the world of a character as fully
realized as May Attway is. She captivated my imagination from the first chapter itself.
2. as a tree-hugging nature enthusiast, I was delighted to google the various trees she talks about throughout the story.
3. the beautifully subtle, quiet, meditative and introspective prose of this novel.
4. The writing is also so astutely observational that I highlighted many passages in this book. perhaps the biggest sign of a great book (to me).
5. her father's memorial tree research Chapters were always a highlight. They had my heart.
This whole book was a joy to read.
I don't even remember how I came across this book but really really glad I did.
This book is thoroughly mediocre and merits about 2.5 stars. Around the 150-page mark, I also thought of DNFing it because there is so much telling and not nearly enough showing. This is a literary fiction about intergenerational relationships but the people in it felt so one-dimensional, bland and clichéd. like characters I would expect from YA books. We're told again and again how the Padavano sisters are so close yet all their actions show the exact opposite of that. As an elder sibling, I was particularly pissed at Julia's actions. It almost felt like Napolitano wrote one character and then split her 4 ways. The capacity for empathy for Will has only been bestowed upon Sylvie and not his wife Julia. The capacity to stand up to their mother has only been bestowed upon CeCe and not on Julia/Sylvie. All of the stakes in this are not that deep and could be overcome in about half a second if any of these people had even a passing interest in each other, let alone the kind of all-consuming sisterly love we're told they do. rounding up my rating to three because there were some moments I enjoyed and the prose wasn't half bad.
This book is intense, short, and perfect. The narration here has a brilliant, effortlessly flowing, and smooth quality. It has made me very excited about delving into two or three additional works by Gary Indiana. Especially the first half of this book is so Holden Caulfieldy in that it's very bitchy, raw and deeply felt. The voice here has found the perfect balance in being rough around the edges with an emotional sensibility deep within and that just is so incredibly hard to nail. It was nailed in this book and as a result, no single word in this book feels like it can be dropped from the page.
I've always believed Hanuman Chalisa to be the “Christmas” of Hinduism. No matter where you find yourself on the spectrum of religious belief, you will probably have chanted Hanuman Chalisa when you experienced eerie or creepy things around you. I have always revered Hanuman Chalisa for its poetic and melodic verses that express deep devotion to Lord Hanuman, and Lord Hanuman's devotion to Shri Ram. This book is very easy to read and has a very lucid narrative style. It offers a detailed reflection on the widely embraced religious hymn, making it highly suitable for any modern reader. After reading it, you are sure to feel a deeper connection whenever you read or listen to the Hanuman Chalisa in the future.
2.5 Thoroughly average! If you've read romances before there is nothing new in this book. not a single original dialogue that you wouldn't have read before. As a consequece There are many better versions of this book out there. There is just so much telling and not even a little bit of showing. The Author says the MC is a charismatic guy well we dont see that anywhere. This book has fanfiction level of depth to it in that sense. Telling only works if these chracters had been fleshed out in some canon literature and then the reader would take it from there. I just decided to put all the flaws aside and finished the story only because it was easy to read and the MCs were not so annoying that you couldn't bear to read another word about them.
I mean what can i add meaningfully to the discourse about this book? So many people have written so intelligently about the wonderfulness of this book and I am sure I can have nothing better to add. Even though the old English language challenged my comprehension a bit, I never wished for this book to end. It gave me literal butterflies.
This book was honestly a dream.
End of Ramble.
3.75
I can see 16 year old teen detectives obsessed me giving this book five stars but now i relate more to the older sibling chracter and can't condone the stupid shenangins the young'ns get up to in order to advance the plot. also i had been listing to Album Guts by Olivia rodrigo these past few days and the vibe of that album elevated this book's reading experience quite a bit. Still a good mystery novel and if youve never been exposed to these tropes maybe even a bangin' one.
Leave it to Vonnegut to be able to take this huge sweeping look at all levels of society in less than 300 pages. The surprising power of his prose, the haunting beauty of his scenes, his tongue-in-cheek satire, balanced by a thorough sadness, and his sheer unwavering truth all make this book one hell of a literary achievement. honestly, it hit me like a truck.
I am completely in love with Murakami's prose. always have been from the first time I picked one of his books years ago. His writing style pulls me effortlessly into the narrative like no other author's does. It makes me relive the sense of awe I had as a child when I was picking up books for the first time and understanding just how evocative words could be, How an author could create an ambience just with words, a world that I would just want to escape into and how magical a feeling is that.
The main USP of this book for me is the fact that i can't really think of another thriller story quite like this. The themes that this book explores are entirely it's own. Now sometimes a good premise is all a novel has and the author fails to deliver on a brilliant idea and i am so glad this was not the case here. The journey that this book takes you on, it's worth exploring for yourself. Also, This book mixes together a variety of genres (sci-fi, mystery, thriller, romance) and does so very seamlessly.
Secondly, The plot of this book is so fast paced and relentless, Even if you aren't fully invested you will want to keep reading because its so fun to read. The action never stops, and the intensity just builds and builds. I loved my time with this book.
Eh. It wasn't what i expected going into a tale of greek classics. I was really disillusioned by the tonal clashing in this book. There is this mixture of very flowery romantic prose combined with classical greek themes. The myths are so streamlined in the entire book in the favour of the romance that it feels like Achilles and Patroclus are mere names and not the legends that people have reading about for millenias. I really wanted the richness of the story not just the romance. Even Patroclus's love and devotion for Achilles which is sublime works against the narrative in the second half because the destruction that Achille's actions cause are even more devastating as we have only been seeing him through that lens. There is something just a tiny bit wrong with the authorial choices in this book. Even judging it as a solo existence book, it does not live up to the hype.
This was fantastic!!! I especially loved how I was transported into the story of these chracters slowly. The story had a tremendous amount of emotional depth and nuance which unfolds at such a brilliant, perfect pace that disovering the intricacies of each chracter feels truly insightful and real. The chracters had several moments with each other that were so touching and moving that i could feel i was there with them right in the middle of this beautiful beautiful piece of writing. Will and Rosie's love for one another is always palpable even when they're absent from each other's lives and that is a true testament to the its-always-been-you trope. This book delivered perfectly on everything i could have asked for after reading the blurb. still can't believe it was a debut novel.
This was an unexpectedly amazing re read because when i first read this book in 2020 I was left a little underwhelmed by the exploration of politics and the over idealisticness of the chracter's outlook was a bit of let down for me but reading it today i was purely able to tap into the whole escapism part of a romance like this. Focusing on just the relationship turned this one into a real page turner for me when previously i wasnt a fan of this book. So i feel like i can't rate it out of 5.
I have not read many short story collections but even then I knew that the book I held was written by a master of her craft. The characters that inhabit these stories feel like they enter your head fully formed even if you have only read a page of their story and that in itself is praise-worthy. I am still trying to find the right words for how masterfully she has explored the themes of this book. Suffice it to say that I will most definitely be reading more of Evans. I can't get enough of her voice and you should definitely read this.
I really enjoyed this book - finished it in a day. The pacing in this book is immaculate. The plot progresses forward at perfect times. I had enjoyed Kuang's writing in The poppy war but the sequels weren't as good as the first book.
(I finished them only out of curiosity, then put them aside and forgot about them.) Compared to those, Yellowface feels more polished and mature.
In the beginning, you see June as not entirely heartless but you slowly see more and more of her duplictous, self-centered nature and her deceitful manipulations and how she is always prepared with justifications for her actions.
She thought was just exploiting the industry for personal gains but that got me thinking can anyone remain truly principled in a brutally capitalist publishing industry?
the micro aggressions and the dismissive attitude of the main chracter, the spiralling paranoia and instability , the unsparing commentary about the publishing industry - all brilliant.
