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What Members Thought
so disappointing.
i started out with very high hopes, had been reading a lot of old and manly novels and was very much in the mood to read something by a contemporary female author. i was living in san francisco and kept seeing this book in the hands of strangers everywhere i went - on the BART, on the light rail, in the park, etc.. although initially turned off by the glowing reviews (i tend to be suspicious of books raving about the next new young protege who writes better than your mama at th ...more
i started out with very high hopes, had been reading a lot of old and manly novels and was very much in the mood to read something by a contemporary female author. i was living in san francisco and kept seeing this book in the hands of strangers everywhere i went - on the BART, on the light rail, in the park, etc.. although initially turned off by the glowing reviews (i tend to be suspicious of books raving about the next new young protege who writes better than your mama at th ...more
Imagine you have the option of entering two different living rooms.
One is a den of complete comfort. Old, worn sofas and recliners, an out-dated television, chipped tables, maybe a cross-stitched picture or two on the walls. The house will smell an interesting mixture of homemade bread and sweat, the sweat of hard-working, physical mid-western people.
Now the other is a stream-lined, modern, hip area. Strict adherence to a color scheme, shiny leather furniture, glass tables. The wall hangings ar ...more
One is a den of complete comfort. Old, worn sofas and recliners, an out-dated television, chipped tables, maybe a cross-stitched picture or two on the walls. The house will smell an interesting mixture of homemade bread and sweat, the sweat of hard-working, physical mid-western people.
Now the other is a stream-lined, modern, hip area. Strict adherence to a color scheme, shiny leather furniture, glass tables. The wall hangings ar ...more
SO good. Can't believe it took me this long to read. Reminded me of a much more readable Salman Rushdie crossed over with Jonathan Safran Foer. I thought the ending felt a little rushed, but overall it was a really enjoyable read. Heartily recommended.
...more
Uh-oh, another beloved tome that everyone loves but me. I can approach this one of two ways: I can soldier on, hoping that it gets better or just magically "clicks" for me, or I can DNF.
So, I negotiated a minimum page count with myself, (10% of the book), skimmed a bit more, skipped to the end, and then .. DNFed. There are so many other books I want to read!
I don't even feel guilty. This book gets lauded so much, my little one star won't have any effect. It's guilt-free DNFing.
So, I negotiated a minimum page count with myself, (10% of the book), skimmed a bit more, skipped to the end, and then .. DNFed. There are so many other books I want to read!
I don't even feel guilty. This book gets lauded so much, my little one star won't have any effect. It's guilt-free DNFing.
“Find out what...more
I have a complicated relationship with this book. Everything I love about the characters, I also hate.
Zadie creates characters fully imbued with the conflict and hypocrisies that arise from a combination of transnational, immigrant, multi-racial and religious identities. The insane ways these identities can manifest are clearly evident in each character, but at the same time those very complicated characters are incredibly stereotypical.
Two examples: Samad and (Clara's Mother).
Samad:
It's impo ...more
Zadie creates characters fully imbued with the conflict and hypocrisies that arise from a combination of transnational, immigrant, multi-racial and religious identities. The insane ways these identities can manifest are clearly evident in each character, but at the same time those very complicated characters are incredibly stereotypical.
Two examples: Samad and (Clara's Mother).
Samad:
It's impo ...more
I enjoyed the book, but I felt as though Smith was trying "to be an author." There were times when I could tell she was conscious of what she was trying to do, conscious of the symbolism, and conscious of her readership. That said, I'm glad to have read it.
...more
what i read i liked, i just couldn't find myself caring all that much, at a time when i had too many things on my plate to deal with reading something for "fun" that i had to work to enjoy. i think i would like it better now, and constantly think of picking it up. i never seem to have time for it though, as it doesn't fit into any of my general areas of interest - it's too thoughtful to be an easy read, it's not factual enough to fulfill my non-fiction-ness, it's not a memoir, and it ain't a tra
...more
I'll admit I started this book a few years ago and couldn't get through it. But I picked it up again and couldn't put it down! The stories are rich and multi-dimensional and give an amazing portrait of an increasingly diverse England. The character's decisions seem real and you get this sense of honesty from the author.
...more
May 30, 2007
Jessica Haider
rated it
really liked it
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review of another edition
Shelves:
1000_books,
bipoc-author,
1001-books,
fiction,
islam,
angry-wednesday-bookclub,
london-calling
Jan 25, 2008
Ann
marked it as to-read
Nov 13, 2010
Kelly
marked it as to-read
Jun 02, 2013
Katy
marked it as to-read
Jan 30, 2016
Jess
marked it as to-read
Jan 17, 2017
anne
marked it as to-read
Jan 16, 2018
Natalya
marked it as to-read
Dec 08, 2018
Kevin Dugan
marked it as to-read
