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dwrevans's reviews
186 reviews
Les Enfants Terribles by Jean Cocteau
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Interesting and weird but didn’t love it
The Time of the Hero by Mario Vargas Llosa
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
dark
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Citizens: Why the Key to Fixing Everything is All of Us by Jon Alexander
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.25
Fiesta: The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
adventurous
funny
sad
medium-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
4.0
Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
What a banger! I did not expect this to be so good but I loved the main character and their heartbreaking, beautiful, and interesting reflection on life very much in a man's world but being brutally intelligent. It follows.a very privileged protagonist, one that's sometimes cruel and mean, but ultimately the victim of their own heart/love/heartbreak. Great little whole-life novel that stayed with me.
Boyhood Island by Karl Ove Knausgård
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I find it really hard to explain why this autobiographical/auto-fiction has been so captivating but it just is. This was, like the previous two books, so reflective, and sad, and honest it dredged up a whole raft of memories and thoughts about life, childhood, and memory for me a gave me a real messy set of feelings and reflections.
I found it to be genuinely quite a tough read in parts as it was just so sad in such a simple and pure way, but otherwise I really savoured this book and all it had to offer. At its best moments it was like enjoying a good meal in a sunny garden or a sweet and crisp beer in the sunshine - completely nourishing and restorative. Ignoring some grim parts of the last 20 pages, I think this book is one of those that has really made an impact on me. I loved it!
I found it to be genuinely quite a tough read in parts as it was just so sad in such a simple and pure way, but otherwise I really savoured this book and all it had to offer. At its best moments it was like enjoying a good meal in a sunny garden or a sweet and crisp beer in the sunshine - completely nourishing and restorative. Ignoring some grim parts of the last 20 pages, I think this book is one of those that has really made an impact on me. I loved it!
Human kind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.25
Absolutely fascinated by this subject and really enjoyed diving into this book and reading through the case studies and debunking that Bergman does to make his case that we are in fact aulturistic and social creatures at heart but can be pushed to behaving awfully by various things - with perception playing a large role in this.
I find myself being a little cautious of his conclusion, I agree mostly, but this book felt like it relied overly on psychology experiments and debunking to make its point. What I would have loved is a deeper exploration of the implications around the self-fulfilling function of our perceptions of others around us and perhaps how modern society and economics shapes that. Anyway, really enjoyable read either way.
I find myself being a little cautious of his conclusion, I agree mostly, but this book felt like it relied overly on psychology experiments and debunking to make its point. What I would have loved is a deeper exploration of the implications around the self-fulfilling function of our perceptions of others around us and perhaps how modern society and economics shapes that. Anyway, really enjoyable read either way.
It's Not That Radical: Climate Action to Transform Our World by Mikaela Loach
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
All About Love: New Visions by bell hooks
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
Really transformative for my own thinking and have felt like this is a book I am constantly thinking about! Everything happening seemed to come back to … well love, which is hardly unsurprising as it’s such a bedrock of life yet not something I’ve really read or discussed enough.
A few parts felt like opinion presented as fact with no citations or evidence and I am a bit wary of the book’s age. Still, I found it to be a great one for exploring new topics and leading to interesting conversations!
A few parts felt like opinion presented as fact with no citations or evidence and I am a bit wary of the book’s age. Still, I found it to be a great one for exploring new topics and leading to interesting conversations!