This quote sums Still Life up for me, by an author who, in the last few sentences of this novel, transforms it into autobiographical territory by assuThis quote sums Still Life up for me, by an author who, in the last few sentences of this novel, transforms it into autobiographical territory by assuming the role of her protagonist:
鈥淲hat I do isn鈥檛 a kind of anything. It鈥檚 pure, unadulterated emptiness.鈥�
YEP
Other annoyances: - we receive almost no emotional insight from the protagonist, Edith, about any of her huge choices that are covered in the novel, including (a) transitioning, (b) maybe not transitioning, (c) sleeping with a friend, which deeply hurts her ex, (c) any other life event, including writing books, moving, etc. She sure talks about these things, but there鈥檚 a total lack of depth, which just makes for a boring read.
- Edith is constantly dropping references - writers, philosophers, artists - in conversation, to which her companions reply with some iteration of 鈥淗a, you鈥檙e so clever鈥� and the conversation stops. Extremely Grad School writing!
- people compliment Edith for her cleverness, which is not displayed outside these lines. 鈥淲ere you always this charming?!鈥� someone asks at the end of a charmless scene. 鈥溾€楨motional physics鈥�? See, THIS is why she鈥檚 a writer! Me, I鈥檇 never come up with that!鈥� someone crows, being impressed by a phrase that goes nowhere and does nothing.
- Edith is SO PASSIVE but annoyed by everyone. Just an unpleasant person to spend time with! She needs to be convinced to come to a wedding by the BRIDE?! Don鈥檛 go! Or go! This is not that interesting!
- the standards of quotation marks and attributing words to a speaker have a rich tradition because they make a text readable.
- Edith, about describing herself in a dating profile: 鈥淭he ironic detachment people expected from trans girls鈥� 鈥� to me, this is what the author thinks she鈥檚 doing while simply under-developing absolutely everything but the congratulations her proxy receives within the story....more
An excellent listen, especially if, like me, you are an elder millennial who tangibly remembers the gross, exciting days of Vice magazine鈥檚 ascension An excellent listen, especially if, like me, you are an elder millennial who tangibly remembers the gross, exciting days of Vice magazine鈥檚 ascension and indie sleaze. With that part aside, Farrell鈥檚 perspective on consumption culture, Mormonism, and prison reform are welcome and engaging, and woven into her memoir not as excuses, but realizations. It鈥檚 great....more
I鈥檓 not sure why this author chose to take an already-complex core narrative and continually add more characters, add more personal issues, add more pI鈥檓 not sure why this author chose to take an already-complex core narrative and continually add more characters, add more personal issues, add more perspectives 鈥� especially because the text was rife with reminders and summaries, as if she didn鈥檛 trust the reader to remember. (Which, fair, I guess 鈥� pretty sure we met a new character in the second-to-last chapter.) The end result was a super uneven resolution, with 鈥渕ysteries鈥� solved that were dropped in the first chapter, and a number of storylines that asked us to forget character development in order to appreciate the tidy bow. This book over-promised and under-delivered, while spoon-feeding social awareness and littering in late reveals that only served to make a convoluted reading experience.
Spoilers, aka notes for myself for book club: - there鈥檚 so much about race and heritage, yet no acknowledgement of Chinese ancestry, which is central to Mr. Lin鈥檚 (initial) story - why weren鈥檛 any personal scenes about Marble鈥檚 adoption shared? These theoretically crucial moments were only referenced, and nothing about being part of a Black family beside her childhood hunch! - the one obvious relationship between black cake and geographical heritage just isn鈥檛 discussed with a food writer who specializes in exactly that - B&B never really have a conversation - that we鈥檙e privy to, anyhow - to clear the air or renew their relationship - the hardship of Bennie鈥檚 time away from the family is all sort of antithetical to her mother鈥檚 revealed narrative - like, amends could have been made from what we鈥檝e been told by the characters! - this whole book uses lurking as a love language 鈥� it鈥檚 not showing care! It鈥檚 showing stubbornness! - oh good lord the whole thing with the pregnant gf and then naming the kid after B (I have already forgotten his name) - get out of town! He has anger issues surfing won鈥檛 cure! - I don鈥檛 know if this author understands the concept of virality online, which I only say because it comes up A LOT...more
Sally Rooney is so skilled at making you feel with her characters - the hurt, the hope, the longing, the loathing. I found the writing style she choseSally Rooney is so skilled at making you feel with her characters - the hurt, the hope, the longing, the loathing. I found the writing style she chose for Peter really, really off-putting 鈥� which, shoot, is a great way to express his hidden internal turmoil, so I guess I applaud it. But that style, coupled with Peter鈥檚 insistence that the clear, correct, happy solutions presented to him are wrong, actually, for Reasons, frustrated me in a way that I never fully overcame. That said: ugh, even when Sally is making me feel bad, I know she鈥檚 achieving her goal!...more
A great audiobook listen! Mason鈥檚 style is so satisfying 鈥� like if Amor Towles and Kevin Wilson had a baby. Lightly unnerving, moving, fantastical andA great audiobook listen! Mason鈥檚 style is so satisfying 鈥� like if Amor Towles and Kevin Wilson had a baby. Lightly unnerving, moving, fantastical and beautiful, with depth and hope. My expectations were high after reading North Woods - phew and yay. ...more
What an absolute nothingburger of a book. I thought perhaps the author was gearing up for some sort of parallel examination of how Mary Jane provided What an absolute nothingburger of a book. I thought perhaps the author was gearing up for some sort of parallel examination of how Mary Jane provided the steady, quiet labor of a housewife in contrast to her bohemian employers, but instead her mom just dampens her own judgement once Mrs. Cohn starts behaving more like she believes she should, and that鈥檚 considered a melding of the worlds. Sexism, racism, antisemitism - and what a lot of explicit antisemitism there was! - and general judgmental hatred (couched in white suburban churchgoing) went unaddressed. Very White 鈥淚 noted racism, which is all the healing needed鈥� nonsense. Woof. Even fake versions of Cher deserve better!
1.5 stars if I could, because it was鈥� pleasant. Dull, but pleasant. Also: why wasn鈥檛 this marketed as YA?...more
A story of place, reverence and respect, and who decides which people deserve the latter two. The narrative was meaty and well-served by the differentA story of place, reverence and respect, and who decides which people deserve the latter two. The narrative was meaty and well-served by the different voices and time periods, and my engagement wasn鈥檛 contingent on solving the mystery 鈥� it focused the story, but there was narrative beyond it, thank goodness. And while I love stories about the suffering of rich people, it would have been cool for a man to feel a single repercussion in this book. Clearly sexism is the primary through line in the narrative, but sheesh 鈥� the misogyny was the hardest part to read鈥� in a book about missing children. The solution was compelling, but probably the least interesting part 鈥� mysteries! What a genre!...more
This book is a feat of storytelling, and also feels totally indescribable, if almost unfinished (but only in plot! For sure all author goals were achiThis book is a feat of storytelling, and also feels totally indescribable, if almost unfinished (but only in plot! For sure all author goals were achieved). Maybe it鈥檚 an achievement in setting? Of character creation? Of character abandonment? Of humor writing? Certainly the most fully Pitbull has ever been rendered in a novel!
Every perspective was a gift, and there were so many observations that felt culturally monumental (emotional crippling via machismo! Female prospects in a patriarchal religious world! Pop culture as a life plan!). And poor Izzy - a sympathetic dope who only understands grandiosity - whose potential for growth is always countered by the prescient narrator that reminds you he is, in fact, not growing. So much of everything, in short, but maybe also too experimental to feel completely satisfying. (I鈥檝e also never seen Scarface or read Moby Dick, so perhaps my perspective is moot!)
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