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sagemage's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
nerdyperfect's review against another edition
1.0
Awful, awful, awful. I hate abandoning a book but when you have made it more than half way through a story like this and the only reaction you can muster is one of distaste and an overwhelming wish to watch paint dry, you know you must walk away.
balancinghistorybooks's review against another edition
1.0
I fully understand that Zoo Time is a satirical work - hey, I'm all for satire - but something about it just tries far too hard. I didn't enjoy Jacobson's prose style (something which several people have told me about other works of his), and the protagonist is, let's face it, an egotistical dick. I didn't enjoy this at first, but I persevered to page fifty, and then wondered why I'd bothered, as the end result was the same: to Oxfam goes this book.
borisfeldman's review against another edition
1.0
A worthy nominee for worst book of 2012.
The English Philip Roth? Only in his own mind.
I've read all of Jacobson's prior works. Generally, they've gotten worse over time. Here, he has reached his literary nadir. Self-indulgent. Cute, in an artificial-sweetener kind of way.
No doubt, it will be short-listed for this and that, because he's now An Important Author.
It should be short-listed for the remainder table at The Strand.
The English Philip Roth? Only in his own mind.
I've read all of Jacobson's prior works. Generally, they've gotten worse over time. Here, he has reached his literary nadir. Self-indulgent. Cute, in an artificial-sweetener kind of way.
No doubt, it will be short-listed for this and that, because he's now An Important Author.
It should be short-listed for the remainder table at The Strand.
rogerb's review against another edition
3.0
Well - Jacobson writes terrifically well and makes me laugh. So why did it take me about 6 weeks too actually finish this thing?
I didn't like any of the characters but perhaps I'm not supposed to. I think perhaps writers writing about writers is just a tiny but self-absorbed. Isn't some of the stuff about sex a little bit teenage?
It's very high-quality but I don't agree with the cover reviews.
I didn't like any of the characters but perhaps I'm not supposed to. I think perhaps writers writing about writers is just a tiny but self-absorbed. Isn't some of the stuff about sex a little bit teenage?
It's very high-quality but I don't agree with the cover reviews.
werds's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. I mean: there were good points about literature and book writing and reading and some hit close to home. And there's a red haired Vanessa in it, which is nice. But no-one was likeable. At all.
http://recenseernogeenkeer.wordpress.com/2013/08/14/zoo-time/
http://recenseernogeenkeer.wordpress.com/2013/08/14/zoo-time/