carlin

the cover is a little bit misleading, but got really into this after about a hundred pages <3

really enjoyed the character work here and there's some really great scenes. I think my favourite character was Poor Wee Chickie who really elevates this as a whole

This is totally a me thing but I had a bit of a love-hate relationship with the use of dialectal Scots. On the one hand it's so important to me and found it really comforting, but on the other some of it was a bit obvious (she looked as wispy as the haar but was as strong as aberdonian granite) and some was a bit over used (everyone and everything is gallus). I think I just need to read more books in Scots

The writing style as well was a bit underwhelming from what I had imagined of a Booker prize winning author, but perhaps that prize isn't just for high-brow books

Edit: from researching, a shame to see him talk about how he had to elevate himself to middle class to be able to write working class books :(

Edit: also wow the cover is by the same guy that did the frank ocean blond album cover! I kind of get why you'd want this cover even if it's not really giving what the book is like

PS douglas stuart seems so obsessed with downy hair at the bottom of your spine ahahah

the cover is a little bit misleading, but got really into this after about a hundred pages <3

really enjoyed the character work here and there's some really great scenes. I think my favourite character was Poor Wee Chickie who really elevates this as a whole

This is totally a me thing but I had a bit of a love-hate relationship with the use of dialectal Scots. On the one hand it's so important to me and found it really comforting, but on the other some of it was a bit obvious (she looked as wispy as the haar but was as strong as aberdonian granite) and some was a bit over used (everyone and everything is gallus). I think I just need to read more books in Scots

The writing style as well was a bit underwhelming from what I had imagined of a Booker prize winning author, but perhaps that prize isn't just for high-brow books

Edit: from researching, a shame to see him talk about how he had to elevate himself to middle class to be able to write working class books :(

Edit: also wow the cover is by the same guy that did the frank ocean blond album cover! I kind of get why you'd want this cover even if it's not really giving what the book is like

PS douglas stuart seems so obsessed with downy hair at the bottom of your spine ahahah

pretty good! I thought this was well structured and found myself interested in both strands of the story

the book is largely about the experience of immigration and being an immigrant and felt this was fairly well developed if a bit trite. I think generally the authorial voice was a bit basic and so this kinda applies to all areas

I found the symbolism regarding cats and snakes compelling, if a bit unclear. This is the first book for my new LGBT reading group so I'm glad we'll have lots to talk about :)

PS as this was for the reading group, I was a lot more consistent about getting through this than I otherwise would be

I appreciate the meditativeness but leaves me wanting more after reading three banger stories by Le Guin

finished reading this today so that I didn't have to bring an almost finished book on holiday. Probably not the correct choice, I should've just bought a book if I needed to on holiday ahah

Absolutely love her writing style, everyone I've recommended this to I've described it as a weird person in a weird world. Now I've read it I wish I was a bit more tentative about my recommendation ahaha

definitely literary fiction and definitely a comedy. Lots of this will stick in my mind and can see myself re-reading eventually

I don't think the epilogue was needed. Half off for the ending and its pacing, but also maybe it was how I ended up reading it today

Reading this book was inspired by two things: A desire to read challenging literature and wanting to get ahead of the discourse tsunami that will be emerald fennel's wuthering heights in January 2026

One the former front this definitely is a challenging read. Not only is the vast majority of the book narrated 👵 to the main character👨‍🦱, but also the narrator 👵 relates stories told to her and letters that she's read so there's a lot of nested framing. Also there is a pretty decent chunk of this in northen dialect which is less comprehensibly scribed than in Trainspotting. Finally we also have the naming conventions of the era (mister vs master) and a strong reliance on pronouns where keeping track is demanding in itself.

On the latter front, the movie looks like it will be bad. However it also is easy for this story to come across as racist, narratively, so I think it was doomed from the get go.

I thought the writing was of a high quailty, but mostly enjoyed it the less baggage there was about the framing (i.e. before the narration starts at the beginning and the monologues that the characters fall into throughout).

In terms of the story, I eventually realised that its mostly just an exercise in elaborating on the crazy family tree that develops by the end of the story. We know already the births and deaths, but how they manifest is interesting enough to keep you reading

I think overall it was a decent read, but I think there's other classics you should get to first before this one

PS every summer solstice, since 2021, I have devoted the day to reading and I finished this book as part of my tradition this year :)

--- spoilers ---

There is a non-racist reading of this story — particularly in it being a ghost story — but as it stands, the story is a morality tale about how you shouldn't let foreigners into your family as they will seize it from you. (in this case it's also anti-adoption)

Finally, this must've been huge for the enemies-to-lovers girlies

it's a 30°C day and I read this with my feet in a river. I feel that's resonant

--- spoilers ---

left me depressed and contemplative

it's a 30°C day and I read this with my feet in a river. I feel that's resonant

--- spoilers ---

left me depressed and contemplative

really beautiful but wanted it to be gay (.5 off 😅)

very much hope there's April in Paris fanfic <3

Reading this book was inspired by two things: A desire to read challenging literature and wanting to get ahead of the discourse tsunami that will be emerald fennel's wuthering heights in January 2026

One the former front this definitely is a challenging read. Not only is the vast majority of the book narrated 👵 to the main character👨‍🦱, but also the narrator 👵 relates stories told to her and letters that she's read so there's a lot of nested framing. Also there is a pretty decent chunk of this in northen dialect which is less comprehensibly scribed than in Trainspotting. Finally we also have the naming conventions of the era (mister vs master) and a strong reliance on pronouns where keeping track is demanding in itself.

On the latter front, the movie looks like it will be bad. However it also is easy for this story to come across as racist, narratively, so I think it was doomed from the get go.

I thought the writing was of a high quailty, but mostly enjoyed it the less baggage there was about the framing (i.e. before the narration starts at the beginning and the monologues that the characters fall into throughout).

In terms of the story, I eventually realised that its mostly just an exercise in elaborating on the crazy family tree that develops by the end of the story. We know already the births and deaths, but how they manifest is interesting enough to keep you reading

I think overall it was a decent read, but I think there's other classics you should get to first before this one

PS every summer solstice, since 2021, I have devoted the day to reading and I finished this book as part of my tradition this year :)

--- spoilers ---

There is a non-racist reading of this story — particularly in it being a ghost story — but as it stands, the story is a morality tale about how you shouldn't let foreigners into your family as they will seize it from you. (in this case it's also anti-adoption)

Finally, this must've been huge for the enemies-to-lovers girlies

Reading this book was inspired by two things: A desire to read challenging literature and wanting to get ahead of the discourse tsunami that will be emerald fennel's wuthering heights in January 2026

One the former front this definitely is a challenging read. Not only is the vast majority of the book narrated 👵 to the main character👨‍🦱, but also the narrator ���� relates stories told to her and letters that she's read so there's a lot of neated framing. Also there is a pretty decent chunk of this in northen dialect which is less comprehensibly scribed than in Trainspotting. Finally we also have the naming conventions of the era (mister vs master) and a strong reliance on pronouns where keeping track is demanding in itself.

On the latter front, the movie looks like it will be bad. However it also is easy for this story to come across as racist, narratively, so I think it was doomed from the get go.

I thought the writing was of a high quailty, but mostly enjoyed it the less baggage there was about the framing (i.e. before the narration starts at the beginning and the monologues that the characters fall into throughout).

In terms of the story, I eventually realised that its mostly just an exercise in elaborating on the crazy family tree that develops by the end of the story. We know already the births and deaths, but how they manifest is interesting enough to keep you reading

I think overall it was a decent read, but I think there's other classics you should get to first before this one

PS every summer solstice, since 2021, I have devoted the day to reading and I finished this book as part of my tradition this year :)

--- spoilers ---

There is a non-racist reading of this story — particularly in it being a ghost story — but as it stands, the story is a morality tale about how you shouldn't let foreigners into your family as they will seize it from you. (in this case it's also anti-adoption)

Finally, this must've been huge for the enemies-to-lovers girlies

finished reading this today so that I didn't have to bring an almost finished book on holiday. Probably not the correct choice, I should've just bought a book if I needed to on holiday ahah

Absolutely love her writing style, everyone I've recommended this to I've described it as a weird person in a weird world. Now I've read it I wish I was a bit more tentative about my recommendation ahaha

definitely literary fiction and definitely a comedy. Lots of this will stick in my mind and can see myself re-reading eventually

I don't think the epilogue was needed. Half off for the ending and its pacing, but also maybe it was how I ended up reading it today

finished reading this today so that I didn't have to bring an almost finished book on holiday. Probably not the correct choice, I should've just bought a book if I needed to on holiday ahah

Absolutely love her writing style, everyone I've recommended this to I've described it as a weird person in a weird world. Now I've read it I wish I was a bit more tentative about my recommendation ahaha

definitely literary fiction and definitely a comedy. Lots of this will stick in my mind and can see myself re-reading eventually

I don't think the epilogue was needed. Half off for the ending and its pacing, but also maybe it was how I ended up reading it today