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angelsbeforeman's reviews
1077 reviews
The Gentle Spirit by Fyodor Dostoevsky
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.5
oh, absolutely. loved it. amazing writing and amazing character analysis with themes of human psychology. typical dostoevsky excellence in such a short story ♡
The Dream of a Ridiculous Man by Fyodor Dostoevsky
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.75
one of my favourites from dostoevsky, despite how short it is ^_^
The House of the Dead by Fyodor Dostoevsky
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoevsky
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.75
really really really good. it's just so dostoevsky. using dostoevsky as a positive adjective here. not many people can write and analyse a character the way he does it. alexei is such an intriguing protagonist and narrator, because (like many other dostoevsky characters) he's a complicated person being swayed by societal phenomena and pressures, as well as his own passions and emotions. great exploration of themes such as human psychology, desire, passion, love, wealth, and relationships. the writing is just wonderful, because of course it is.
The Eternal Husband by Fyodor Dostoevsky
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
it's short, but intriguing nevertheless. mostly because dostoevsky's writing is amazing as always, along with the character analysis. it's very psychologically intriguing and i like stories that explore the themes of marriage, love, affairs, and human relationships. pretty good!
The Double by Fyodor Dostoevsky
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
i mean, it's very dostoevsky. when you look at the themes the book deals with, that is. despite not being quite as good as some of his other work, i really liked it still. that might be because i enjoy stories about things such as a character living a double life, or having a doppleganger or a twin. anything of the sort, truly. so this appealed to me and kept me engaged ^^ as always, dostoevsky knows how to write a character well, because the psychology of golyadkin is super intriguing. i can also definitely see what people mean when they talk about the gogol esque elements of the story.
The Adolescent by Fyodor Dostoevsky
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.25
pretty good, mostly because it's dostoevsky, and he'll never miss when it comes to writing a character well. the title of the book is very fitting, because dostoevsky wrote an adolescent perfectly. you just read about arkadi and everything makes sense. it's a coming of age novel in a complicated way, the way it would be for so many people. so, despite often being absolutely insufferable, i think you could call arkadi a relatable character. the writing was amazing. i can't say i enjoyed it as much as some other dostoevsky novels, just because it was a bit repetitive.
Skeleton Flower: Things That Have Been Released and Set Free by Kim Jonghyun
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
i reread this every once in a while and it always hits me the same emotionally. shinee are my ult group and i truly believe that jonghyun is a genius, not just when it comes to music but when it comes to any form of art at all. this is beautiful, i read it in both korean and the unofficial english translation by sigani_jina that you can read for free on ao3 ^_^ the book is honestly difficult to translate but the ao3 shawol did an amazing job ♡
Savory Baking: Recipes for Breakfast, Dinner, and Everything in Between by Erin Jeanne McDowell
informative
medium-paced
4.5
Sarong Party Girls by Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
calling this novel 'emma set in modern asia' is a set-up, because it made me have very high expectations, and the book couldn't live up to them. that's mostly because the storyline is incredibly boring and this book is overall forgettable. the protagonist, aka jazzy, is unbearable. she's not unlikable in a way where i actually care what happens to her and connect with her. no, she's just annoying and consistently makes bad and immature decisions that make no sense. she's by far the worst thing about the book. i appreciate the cultural elements of the story, but i'm not sure if it's well executed or not since i have no connection to singapore myself. so, i won't speak on it, but if it was well done then that's good.