Krista’s review of The Librarianist > Likes and Comments
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I did not know he had a new one out. I usually enjoy his work.
Brian wrote: "I did not know he had a new one out. I usually enjoy his work."
If you liked him before, I'm sure you'll like this, too. ;-)
Glad to hear it, Krista! Nice review!
Krista wrote: "Brian wrote: "I did not know he had a new one out. I usually enjoy his work."
If you liked him before, I'm sure you'll like this, too. ;-)"
Wow, this sounds like the perfect book (for me)! Thanks for a tremendous review, Krista! It's given me a wonderful glimpse into The Librarianist (which, despite coming out early-July, still isn't listed on Kobo).🤨
Krista, I loved Undermajordomo Minor and was a little disappointed by French Exit. I liked The Sisters Brothers well enough. Given that, would you recommend it for me?
Thank you for the wonderful review!
Jodi wrote: "Wow, this sounds like the perfect book (for me)! Thanks for a tremendous review, Krista! It's given me a wonderful glimpse into The Librarianist (which, despite coming out early-July, still isn't l..."
Oh, I hope you get it and love it!
MargaretDH wrote: "Krista, I loved Undermajordomo Minor and was a little disappointed by French Exit. I liked The Sisters Brothers well enough. Given that, would you recommend it for me?
Thank you for the wonderful ..."
The Sisters Brothers was probably my favourite deWitt - and I didn't love French Exit - so with that in mind, I'll state (with false confidence) that you should like this very much. It has the outsized characters and the quippy conversations, but it's also a really perceptive character study: it's got the sizzle and the steak.
Krista wrote: "The Sisters Brothers was probably my favourite deWitt - and I didn't love French Exit - so with that in mind, I'll state (with false confidence) that you should like this very much."
Thanks, Krista! I really wanted to like French Exit, so I'm definitely willing to give deWitt another try.
Excellent study of a man who appeared to have a quiet life to people who observed him. I found it very engaging and also moving.
Great review, Krista. The passages you selected were the ones I found most arresting or resonant as well, and I think your observations about Bob’s essentially being an untroubled introvert are accurate. That’s part of what struck me about him. He’s not reactive or oversensitive to others’ misperceptions—which, I think, is pretty unusual whether one’s an introvert or extrovert.
I don’t know if there’s a German word for the nostalgic feeling you refer to, but there is a Portuguese one: saudade.
I very much liked his being “okay” with the way his life had unfolded, the sense of having been of service. (One could argue that he lacked a certain curiosity, and was the polar opposite of intense. Intensity does cause suffering, I’d say, so he coasts along much more easily than many. He’s like a practising Buddhist without having undergone the training! An old soul, perhaps?!) The resolution felt good and true—in keeping with his character and essential kindness.
I’ll admit to having far less patience with Ida & June, however. Thought the segment with them would never end and came very close to bailing. What do you think its purpose was?
Canadian Reader (notifications on the blink) wrote: "Great review, Krista. The passages you selected were the ones I found most arresting or resonant as well, and I think your observations about Bob’s essentially being an untroubled introvert are acc..."
Thanks, CR. It's been a few months since I've read this, but I still have a soft spot for Bob; I think he's just a great and relatable character - much like a Buddhist! (Do you believe he really wouldn't have recognised the ex, though?) As for Ida and June, I reckon that's just deWitt giving long-time readers like myself the kind of sassy banter we've come to expect from him. ("Saudade" is a bautiful word and sentiment.)
Krista wrote: "Canadian Reader (notifications on the blink) wrote: "Great review, Krista. The passages you selected were the ones I found most arresting or resonant as well, and I think your observations about Bo..."
Yes, his not recognizing Connie was a little hard to buy! Perhaps he’s an unobservant type. I have known people like that. Still, I find I can recognize people I haven’t seen for some time who are some distance away (on the street, for example) purely by their gait or stance. I don’t think Connie spoke, did she? The voice ought to have given it away.
I suspect you might be right about giving loyal readers something to delight them. Perhaps he just enjoys imagining these conversations. I was fine with the dialogue elsewhere, but Ida and June were a bit too much of a segue for me! 😉
Great review. I actually loved the section with Ida and June and wished it was longer lol.
What other reviewers didn't like about this book (too slow, too quiet) is what I actually liked the best! In our hyper-fast world, it's nice to slowly move through Bob's life.
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Brian
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Apr 10, 2023 02:47PM
I did not know he had a new one out. I usually enjoy his work.
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Brian wrote: "I did not know he had a new one out. I usually enjoy his work."If you liked him before, I'm sure you'll like this, too. ;-)
Glad to hear it, Krista! Nice review!Krista wrote: "Brian wrote: "I did not know he had a new one out. I usually enjoy his work."
If you liked him before, I'm sure you'll like this, too. ;-)"
Wow, this sounds like the perfect book (for me)! Thanks for a tremendous review, Krista! It's given me a wonderful glimpse into The Librarianist (which, despite coming out early-July, still isn't listed on Kobo).🤨
Krista, I loved Undermajordomo Minor and was a little disappointed by French Exit. I liked The Sisters Brothers well enough. Given that, would you recommend it for me?Thank you for the wonderful review!
Jodi wrote: "Wow, this sounds like the perfect book (for me)! Thanks for a tremendous review, Krista! It's given me a wonderful glimpse into The Librarianist (which, despite coming out early-July, still isn't l..."Oh, I hope you get it and love it!
MargaretDH wrote: "Krista, I loved Undermajordomo Minor and was a little disappointed by French Exit. I liked The Sisters Brothers well enough. Given that, would you recommend it for me?Thank you for the wonderful ..."
The Sisters Brothers was probably my favourite deWitt - and I didn't love French Exit - so with that in mind, I'll state (with false confidence) that you should like this very much. It has the outsized characters and the quippy conversations, but it's also a really perceptive character study: it's got the sizzle and the steak.
Krista wrote: "The Sisters Brothers was probably my favourite deWitt - and I didn't love French Exit - so with that in mind, I'll state (with false confidence) that you should like this very much."Thanks, Krista! I really wanted to like French Exit, so I'm definitely willing to give deWitt another try.
Excellent study of a man who appeared to have a quiet life to people who observed him. I found it very engaging and also moving.
Great review, Krista. The passages you selected were the ones I found most arresting or resonant as well, and I think your observations about Bob’s essentially being an untroubled introvert are accurate. That’s part of what struck me about him. He’s not reactive or oversensitive to others’ misperceptions—which, I think, is pretty unusual whether one’s an introvert or extrovert. I don’t know if there’s a German word for the nostalgic feeling you refer to, but there is a Portuguese one: saudade.
I very much liked his being “okay” with the way his life had unfolded, the sense of having been of service. (One could argue that he lacked a certain curiosity, and was the polar opposite of intense. Intensity does cause suffering, I’d say, so he coasts along much more easily than many. He’s like a practising Buddhist without having undergone the training! An old soul, perhaps?!) The resolution felt good and true—in keeping with his character and essential kindness.
I’ll admit to having far less patience with Ida & June, however. Thought the segment with them would never end and came very close to bailing. What do you think its purpose was?
Canadian Reader (notifications on the blink) wrote: "Great review, Krista. The passages you selected were the ones I found most arresting or resonant as well, and I think your observations about Bob’s essentially being an untroubled introvert are acc..."Thanks, CR. It's been a few months since I've read this, but I still have a soft spot for Bob; I think he's just a great and relatable character - much like a Buddhist! (Do you believe he really wouldn't have recognised the ex, though?) As for Ida and June, I reckon that's just deWitt giving long-time readers like myself the kind of sassy banter we've come to expect from him. ("Saudade" is a bautiful word and sentiment.)
Krista wrote: "Canadian Reader (notifications on the blink) wrote: "Great review, Krista. The passages you selected were the ones I found most arresting or resonant as well, and I think your observations about Bo..."Yes, his not recognizing Connie was a little hard to buy! Perhaps he’s an unobservant type. I have known people like that. Still, I find I can recognize people I haven’t seen for some time who are some distance away (on the street, for example) purely by their gait or stance. I don’t think Connie spoke, did she? The voice ought to have given it away.
I suspect you might be right about giving loyal readers something to delight them. Perhaps he just enjoys imagining these conversations. I was fine with the dialogue elsewhere, but Ida and June were a bit too much of a segue for me! 😉
Great review. I actually loved the section with Ida and June and wished it was longer lol.
What other reviewers didn't like about this book (too slow, too quiet) is what I actually liked the best! In our hyper-fast world, it's nice to slowly move through Bob's life.
