hollyshackzalez's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
autumnhab's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
3thingsaboutthisbook's review
4.0
📕Syntax does not mean language and language does not mean communication. You can our letters together to create words and assign meaning to them, but if you can’t put those meaningful words together to convey your messages to another who could decipher them the same way, what’s the point of language or syntax
-
📗Prue and Ivan are two clueless birds who try to communicate with animals and knowledge itself, while failing to communicate with each other. They are these idealistic, hopeful souls who answer nature and mind’s biggest questions while they can’t answer their own tiny questions
-
📘’ ”I used to think....,” I trail off. “I used to think life would go like this: you get bashed around a bit, f*ck up, lose people, and in the process figure out what really matters. But now...” “it’s more like figuring out that your life was never even about you, to begin with. You are not the hero. You’re just someone in the cast” ‘
-
📗Prue and Ivan are two clueless birds who try to communicate with animals and knowledge itself, while failing to communicate with each other. They are these idealistic, hopeful souls who answer nature and mind’s biggest questions while they can’t answer their own tiny questions
-
📘’ ”I used to think....,” I trail off. “I used to think life would go like this: you get bashed around a bit, f*ck up, lose people, and in the process figure out what really matters. But now...” “it’s more like figuring out that your life was never even about you, to begin with. You are not the hero. You’re just someone in the cast” ‘
samnopal's review
3.0
Honestly have no idea what I think about this book. The ending largely saved it for me but I can't agree with my self on the big finale.
The Protagonists are vapid and disconnected from reality. The eventual denouement is largely dismissed by the world around him because he's "typically reserved and calm" so it's out of character for him to proposition a coworker, aggressively kiss a teaching assistant, and jealously punch out a gay writer? No. But at the same time I like that the world is messy and complicated and it was captured in people's reactions. He wasn't (maybe) completely nonredeemable.
The Protagonists are vapid and disconnected from reality. The eventual denouement is largely dismissed by the world around him because he's "typically reserved and calm" so it's out of character for him to proposition a coworker, aggressively kiss a teaching assistant, and jealously punch out a gay writer? No. But at the same time I like that the world is messy and complicated and it was captured in people's reactions. He wasn't (maybe) completely nonredeemable.
cally_reads's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
carocaro69's review against another edition
academia is almost as insufferable as the voice of this narrator
cheezh8er's review
5.0
Many thanks to a former teacher who continues to encourage life long learning in her work
bookishmama17's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
the_old_gray_cat's review against another edition
1.0
An unsuccessful professor faces the decline of his marriage and career at once. This book felt like a less joyous, less witty version of "Straight Man" by Richard Russo.