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thealena's reviews
90 reviews
Das größte Rätsel aller Zeiten by Samuel Burr
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Veritas: A Harvard Professor, a Con Man and the Gospel of Jesus's Wife by Ariel Sabar
challenging
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Weiße Nächte: Eine Liebesgeschichte by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Hermann Röhl
reflective
sad
slow-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
I am pretty sure I was told that this was a masterpiece about (unrequited) love, about yearning, hope and human relationships. It apparently includes an intelligent, charming young man who falls in love.
However, in my edition of White Nights, I encountered a young man who seems to suffer from maladaptive daydreaming and extreme loneliness who then meets a much younger girl, and spends many pages of monologue informing her about his (non existent) life. Although she barely gets a word in, he falls in love with her (perhaps because she is the only person who has managed to endure his endless pretentious (and desperate) attempts to describe his life story which could probably be summarised in about two sentences). Nastenka, on the other hand, oh dear. She is 10 years younger than our main character and randomly starts crying during most conversations, sometimes we don’t even know why?! She seems to be quite desperate to leave her grandmother (which I do understand) but come on, don’t mess with anyone’s feelings like that?!?! I just hope that someone gave that guy a diagnosis and treatment and/or a listening ear!
Now I wonder whether this represents Dostoyevsky‘s other work because if so I might have to give it a pass…
However, in my edition of White Nights, I encountered a young man who seems to suffer from maladaptive daydreaming and extreme loneliness who then meets a much younger girl, and spends many pages of monologue informing her about his (non existent) life. Although she barely gets a word in, he falls in love with her (perhaps because she is the only person who has managed to endure his endless pretentious (and desperate) attempts to describe his life story which could probably be summarised in about two sentences). Nastenka, on the other hand, oh dear. She is 10 years younger than our main character and randomly starts crying during most conversations, sometimes we don’t even know why?! She seems to be quite desperate to leave her grandmother (which I do understand) but come on, don’t mess with anyone’s feelings like that?!?! I just hope that someone gave that guy a diagnosis and treatment and/or a listening ear!
Now I wonder whether this represents Dostoyevsky‘s other work because if so I might have to give it a pass…
Die drei !!! Der Ball der Baronesse by Maja von Vogel
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Greta and Valdin by Rebecca K Reilly
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
An Uneasy Inheritance: My Family and Other Radicals by Polly Toynbee
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
I really enjoyed this memoir! Polly Toynbee is a wonderful narrator, I imagine she is a great bed time storyteller! (I listened to the audiobook version of this book!) The content was very entertaining and the little fun anecdotes and name droppings (Lord and Lady Glenconner, Boris, The Cambridge Five etc) undergirded a highly informative discussion on (the middle) class and family dynamics over multiple generations!