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wohnen's reviews
108 reviews
Tigers are Better-Looking: With a selection from The Left Bank by Jean Rhys
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
Into the Shadows by Jordan Weisman
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
so much fun. a collection of short stories with an overarching plot that culminates in the final story. embodies everything i love about shadowrun. tomorrow i'm sifting through my stored books to find everything from this series i've collected. nice to have something light but exciting to read. i had been avoiding them because i was unsure how pulpy they would be, but a lot of the writing is solid and this could easily be turned into a great adaptation. the kind of book that makes you wish you were a screenwriter with infinite resources to produce something culty and close to perfection. picked this up in my home town visiting my oldest friend and finished on my parents couch after easter dinner.
Desolation by Yasmina Reza
dark
funny
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
i don't know about this one. it's satire but it overstays its welcome. some passages made me giggle but i was waiting for it to be over by the last third. finished it laying on a couch in the house of my oldest friend after a walk through the bush.
Normal People by Sally Rooney
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
finished this in two days, because i started it at night illuminated only by a solar powered camp light. i woke up, made a breakfast of turkish coffee and menemen, and finished the book. it made me feel a lot, and it made me reflect on my own life and relationship. i think i need more time and distance to process it fully, because it hit very close to home and it brought closer to the surface someone i am already aching for. incredible prose and deft weaving of perspectives and personhoods. explores complex emotions and interpersonal connections with great clarity. made me feel both lonely and less alone.
The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
made me giggle a lot. the whole thing is a frenzied hallucinatory noir pastiche. i don't understand how anyone can call this slow paced. some parts drag on and some i couldn't get enough of. prose reminded me of the way william gibson draws you into a world, and there are some shockingly poignant passages. my first pynchon. commentary on communication, paranoia, the development and power of narrative, self, relation, belief, power, grief. there's an incredible density to it interspersed with overwhelming spectacle. finished this while camping, listening to a chorus of birds as the air cools with the setting sun.
Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? by Raymond Carver
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
i finished this book sitting on a rock at a waterfall. i was alone when i started it and now there are people along the river but far enough away. i can only hear the water falling over the rocks.
i think i liked this better than 'what we talk about when we talk about love', because of the variety of subjects, but both left me breathless. i'm looking forward to sinking into the water.
i think i liked this better than 'what we talk about when we talk about love', because of the variety of subjects, but both left me breathless. i'm looking forward to sinking into the water.
Bear and His Daughter by Robert Stone
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
absolutely unrelenting. waterwitched this and purchased it due to a back cover comparison to raymond carver, who i am in love with at the moment.
this was brutal and i had to put it down a few times to catch my breath. the eponymous story was a punch in the stomach.
this was brutal and i had to put it down a few times to catch my breath. the eponymous story was a punch in the stomach.
What We Talk about When We Talk about Love by Raymond Carver
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
rolled this dice on raymond carver after recognising the name. ordered two more of his books halfway through reading this. finished the book while drinking, as is appropriate. can't wait for more.