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wretchedtheo's reviews
450 reviews
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
HAHAHAHAHA
Some books are just not meant to be adapted for children. Great fun for any TBK fans looking for a laugh, though.
Some books are just not meant to be adapted for children. Great fun for any TBK fans looking for a laugh, though.
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
5.0
The only book I've ever read in all my 21 years of living that, once I finished it, I immediately picked up again for a reread. Dostoevsky's last novel makes readers' hearts soar on one page and puts stitches in their sides on the next. Ecstasies of passion and agony mix with snide irony and drama so over the top you feel like you're watching the Kardashians. Achingly verosimile portrayal of a dysfunctional family, each brother's specific brand of trauma and suffering leaps off the page, making people who have experienced similar dynamics within their own families feel seen. The eldest feels the most injured, he acts out for all the world to see; the middle child suffers in silence while trying to hold the family together; and then the youngest, somewhat sheltered by his age and by distance from the abusive parent, tries his best to play therapist to issues he cannot fully understand while still being forced to watch his two elder brothers, whom he loves, destroy themselves. It is a dynamic so vital and so universal that it has not lost its relevance in 140 years and I dare to say it never will.
And the brothers are not the only characters that shine with vivid colors and chaotic brilliance. The vivacious Grushenka, Katya proudly and willfully tearing herself apart, the pain-ridden Snegiryovs, devious Rakitin and the spiteful Smerdyakov... not one of these creatures is neglected. Each one is a joy to read about. What is their deal????
The Brothers Karamazov made my jaw drop with shock and delight in book two and only kept getting better and better from there until I was sobbing helplessly in the last chapter. And the fact that this masterpiece, this hymn to struggle and hope, this hilarious philosophical treatise WAS INTENDED AS ONLY THE PREQUEL TO A SECOND WORK THAT DOSTOEVSKY REGARDED AS THE MORE IMPORTANT ONE...I will never be over this. I am in truly Dostoevskian agonies thinking about it.
And the brothers are not the only characters that shine with vivid colors and chaotic brilliance. The vivacious Grushenka, Katya proudly and willfully tearing herself apart, the pain-ridden Snegiryovs, devious Rakitin and the spiteful Smerdyakov... not one of these creatures is neglected. Each one is a joy to read about. What is their deal????
The Brothers Karamazov made my jaw drop with shock and delight in book two and only kept getting better and better from there until I was sobbing helplessly in the last chapter. And the fact that this masterpiece, this hymn to struggle and hope, this hilarious philosophical treatise WAS INTENDED AS ONLY THE PREQUEL TO A SECOND WORK THAT DOSTOEVSKY REGARDED AS THE MORE IMPORTANT ONE...I will never be over this. I am in truly Dostoevskian agonies thinking about it.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Slick and satisfying thriller.
The Essential Dykes to Watch Out for by Alison Bechdel
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Massive, foundational and downright addictive.
Ghost World by Daniel Clowes
reflective
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
3.75
Let me just say I get it. I understand what Ghost World has to say. I really do. But the art style is just so ugly, and it's hard to enjoy a story that's just two people bitching constantly up until the last two chapters.
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
dark
reflective
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
3.0
Unimpressive.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
mysterious
tense
slow-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
2.75
Predictable twist, indifferent style.
Set in Stone by Stela Brinzeanu
adventurous
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? It's complicated
1.5
The poorly written product of a lukewarm liberal selling out her own culture for western attention, Set in stone was conceptually attractive to me (I'm, sapphic Romanian and love historical fiction) but failed to deliver.
First of all, the two lovers have no personality or chemistry. A lesbian romance set in a repressive medieval environment should be brimming with passion and bewitching attraction; SHOW ME why these two ladies can't bear to be appart despite all the obstacles in their path! But no. Their romance comes out of nowhere and is so boring.
The story is full of cultural inaccuracies and inconsistencies, too many to list here. The author cherrypicks from Moldovan culture whatever is convenient for her story and ignores the rest. Milquetoast liberalism and white feminism pervade the story, accompanied by good old racism. Ah yes, the rich white girl is just as oppressed as the rroma slave - a bellydancing and fortune telling stereotype. Ugh.
First of all, the two lovers have no personality or chemistry. A lesbian romance set in a repressive medieval environment should be brimming with passion and bewitching attraction; SHOW ME why these two ladies can't bear to be appart despite all the obstacles in their path! But no. Their romance comes out of nowhere and is so boring.
The story is full of cultural inaccuracies and inconsistencies, too many to list here. The author cherrypicks from Moldovan culture whatever is convenient for her story and ignores the rest. Milquetoast liberalism and white feminism pervade the story, accompanied by good old racism. Ah yes, the rich white girl is just as oppressed as the rroma slave - a bellydancing and fortune telling stereotype. Ugh.
Looking for Alaska by John Green
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Unexpectedly solid read in spite of the manic pixie dream girl trope.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Unapologetically and heartbreakingly honest. I keep crying thinking about the main character's relationship with his best friend Rowdy.