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gannent's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
4.5
Wow!!! Such a cool book. It took me a little bit to get into it but definitely worth it. A magical and larger than life world with mysterious groups and people. It sucked me in.
astreetcarnamedmaguire's review
4.0
Interesting fictional deep dive into aestheticism and how black artists and members of artistic circles are systemically erased from history.
In the beginning, I thought it was difficult to grasp the art theory that's discussed a lot but once I let that go, it became a lot more enjoyable.
In the beginning, I thought it was difficult to grasp the art theory that's discussed a lot but once I let that go, it became a lot more enjoyable.
miffy4real's review
5.0
i've been waiting forever to read this on a friend's recommendation ------ pearlescent, delicious, truly, truly wonderful. read it in big gulps on the tube and almost missed my stop. i want a million more shola books --- what an amazing author
jennymills21's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Writer is so wrapped up in writing about pretentious people that she failed to notice her own overpowering pretension. Put me on a reading pause for a fucking month. If she got paid by the five dollar word, she’d be a billionaire.
katwhite's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
ameliahill's review
3.0
nice but uses big words for no reason & felt like i needed to do history revision to understand what was happening , might just not be smart enough for it lol
sophie275's review against another edition
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
marmoo's review against another edition
5.0
This gorgeous and sometimes manic novel is an immersive and intertextual exploration of nostalgia, aesthetics, and decadence filtered through a lens of race and gender.
As the narrator Mathilda explains, “I could rove over the past and seek out that lost detail to contribute to the great constitution: exhume a dead beautiful feeling, discover a wisp of radical attitude pickled since antiquity, revive revolutionary but lustrous sensibilities long perished.”
There’s a lightness to the narrative as the Mathilda alternately flits to, slogs through, and flees from various social niches. The book is incisive in its observations of the group dynamics at play without getting bogged down by the competing social norms that threaten to subsume the protagonist’s own keenly developed sensibilities.
The novel is sharply observant too in its exploration of whose artistic sensibilities are valued and why. As one conjured bit of scholarship observes, “The working-class eccentric is depicted as stupid and ‘mad,’ the noble eccentric is portrayed just a little left of the Artist and the Genius.”
In addition being intellectually rewarding, it’s also a pleasure to read, with memorable characters, transportive sensory descriptions, and a meandering but still gripping plot.
As the narrator Mathilda explains, “I could rove over the past and seek out that lost detail to contribute to the great constitution: exhume a dead beautiful feeling, discover a wisp of radical attitude pickled since antiquity, revive revolutionary but lustrous sensibilities long perished.”
There’s a lightness to the narrative as the Mathilda alternately flits to, slogs through, and flees from various social niches. The book is incisive in its observations of the group dynamics at play without getting bogged down by the competing social norms that threaten to subsume the protagonist’s own keenly developed sensibilities.
The novel is sharply observant too in its exploration of whose artistic sensibilities are valued and why. As one conjured bit of scholarship observes, “The working-class eccentric is depicted as stupid and ‘mad,’ the noble eccentric is portrayed just a little left of the Artist and the Genius.”
In addition being intellectually rewarding, it’s also a pleasure to read, with memorable characters, transportive sensory descriptions, and a meandering but still gripping plot.
nstew16's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
hildegardvonbingen's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
My favorite contemporary fiction book from the last few years