The Red Feather sisters in Tommy Orange's 'Wandering Stars' listen to this book on a road trip so when I finished that book I picked up this one and sThe Red Feather sisters in Tommy Orange's 'Wandering Stars' listen to this book on a road trip so when I finished that book I picked up this one and so glad I did. I haven't been gripped this strongly by a novel in a long time....more
Tried to enjoy it like so many others have but couldn't get over the tortured plot and mediocre writing.Tried to enjoy it like so many others have but couldn't get over the tortured plot and mediocre writing....more
The premise of this remake was weak, even in its historical context, but might have made for a better book if the plot weren't so tortured and the wriThe premise of this remake was weak, even in its historical context, but might have made for a better book if the plot weren't so tortured and the writing less turgid and less peppered with cliches (blood frequently runs like ice water in people's veins, people admired are put on pedestals, and emotions are felt with every fibre of one's being). Sadly, this is two for two misses in this remixed classics series, so I won't try a third....more
Clever premises but on the whole the writing is way too earnest (a weakness all too common in YA lit), which was much exacerbated by the audio performClever premises but on the whole the writing is way too earnest (a weakness all too common in YA lit), which was much exacerbated by the audio performance, as in "Don’t LET the TOM Bu-CHAN-ans of the WORLD TELL you what to think!" Ugh....more
I really appreciated the sex-forward, sex-positive, sex-saturated aspect of this novel and even more appreciated the frank portrayal of bisexual romanI really appreciated the sex-forward, sex-positive, sex-saturated aspect of this novel and even more appreciated the frank portrayal of bisexual romance and sex. I enjoyed most of the food, wine, and European art and architecture lessons. But the storyline was pretty thoroughly uninteresting....more
Loved it. We need more stories about our non-binary sibs. MW Cartozian Wilson performed the audiobook very well, though didn't distinguish different vLoved it. We need more stories about our non-binary sibs. MW Cartozian Wilson performed the audiobook very well, though didn't distinguish different voices too well, so it was sometims confusing when listening to know who was talking....more
Absolutely brilliant. I finally read this classic after it was recommended in the New York Times multiple review, "22 of the Funniest Novels since CatAbsolutely brilliant. I finally read this classic after it was recommended in the New York Times multiple review, "22 of the Funniest Novels since Catch 22" (). ...more
Everett has redeemed Twain's problematic novel by giving a realistic account of the violence and degradation of chattel slavery, by abandoning Twain'sEverett has redeemed Twain's problematic novel by giving a realistic account of the violence and degradation of chattel slavery, by abandoning Twain's misguided attempt to make a slave narrative a comic adventure story, and by giving Jim/James not only a rich interior life but also an arc of self-awareness and radicalization. As recommended by NYTimes critic Dwight Garner, I re-read the original side-by-side with this retelling, and the contrast is, indeed, revelatory.
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