Loretta > Recent Status Updates

The first few chapters were great, including when she starts making incredibly bad decisions in Monrovia. But now it's a slog and I'm hating that this book has been held out (by some? not universally?) as some sort of perimenopausal revelation. ugh. I'll keep slogging. Maybe it will get redeemed.

Putting this into the abandoned shelf. Too dense and incomprehensible for me.

I actually thought I'd read this (because at some point, perhaps accidentally, I marked it as 'read'). But I have absolutely never read this, and am reading it now in preparation for reading James. Also did the thing where I read the introduction so as to be prepared for the jarring things (and yeah, they are jarring even in the first 5 chapters). Also clear from the first 5 chapters: it's a classic for a reason.

This is going to be a slow read, with an online substack/book club. This book has been intimidating me for way too long, and two chapters in I can tell I'm going to love it.

I'm reading a library e-book and it got whooshed back to the library before l finished. I’ve put it on hold but chances that I'll remember anything are slim. preliminary thoughts:

It reminds me of Birnham Woods in the subject matter and politics, but grittier and more morally compromised.

It starts off verrry sloooow but now I’m invested. The MC is morally grey, maybe black, and likely unreliable.

Wow that opening chapter sucked me in HARD (I’m e-reading rather than audio). I am invested. It might have helped that I read Witness for the Dead first, because I’m not frustrated with the complicated name and title conventions.

This has been on my to-read for ages and I finally started and oh HOLY CRAP yes this is so gooood I can tell by the second chapter this will be one of those books. Oof.

whoof, this one is a dramatic change in tone from the Charm of Magpie books. It's kind of bleak and dark. Pausing because that's not quite where I'm at...

I'm both liking this read/audiobook, and kind of avoiding it. I never saw the movie. Given the era, and Highsmith's reputation (never read her either yet - but I saw the Talented Mr Ripley) I have a feeling it's not going to end well. And the characters and their relationship, while incredibly well drawn, make me...anxious. Not in a good way. I'll finish it but...a little at a time.