nijntjes's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
wonderreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
minareads1b360's review against another edition
challenging
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
thiszetasajerk's review against another edition
The Inheritance Games became available.
jansreading's review against another edition
4.0
Anticipating the movie American Fiction based on this book in January
writermattphillips's review against another edition
5.0
Sterling meta-fiction... an interesting and fascinating book.
wirawin_aria's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rachel_b_824's review against another edition
challenging
funny
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? Yes
4.0
leslieloo's review against another edition
3.0
TRIGGER WARNING: SEXUALLY EXPLICIT SCENES AND EXCESSIVE SWEARING IN SAMPLE MANUSCRIPT!!!!!
I don't have the best feeling about this book. I like the fact that it talks about the publishing industry, as I, a soon-to-be author, am working on getting published myself. This book is helping me understand what authors have to go through when it comes to getting your book rejected. One of the reasons why I haven't published my book yet is because of the fear of rejection, so I am relieved to know that rejection can play a huge role in the publishing industry. Of course there's self-publishing, but that's a lot more work for someone who is working on publishing her first novel.
There were some good parts I enjoyed, and there were some parts that I wanted to skip through. For example, some of the exerpts of Thelonius's stories: one of them being a page (or two) in half and another being a whole book. A story within a story. Although its a satire, which i like, I don't like going through the whole book. I am not a fan of that. But at the end of that book, it started to pick up at the end and some parts of it made me laugh out loud. So it wasn’t too bad.
The MC talked too unrealistically proper. I get that he was a professor, but do professors even talk like that in real life? Outside of their work? No offense to professors who do.
Another thing about the MC I don't like is how smart he thinks he is compared to everyone else. (Spoiler: he criticized one of his lovers for reading a book considered to be "ghetto literature"). He seemed unlikable, but at the same time, I could relate to him a little bit with being "not black enough" or "being a misfit". I like the fact that he's different from everyone else, but reading through his storytelling is confusing and boring. And, I get that this is experimental, but I don't like that the sequence of scenes are all over the place. For example, when the MC talks about his most popular novel, he switches to talking about his mother. I don't know if there is a purpose for that, but nonetheless, I don't like that.
I am glad that we have a clever black MC who wasn’t afraid to expose the truth about “ghetto lit” by writing his own novel of its genre. I was more interested in that part than anything else.
Overall, the book wasn't great in my opinion. It's too "mature" for me. I'm not up there yet. But, I would recommend it for more mature readers who don't mind being challenged.
Rating: 2.5
I don't have the best feeling about this book. I like the fact that it talks about the publishing industry, as I, a soon-to-be author, am working on getting published myself. This book is helping me understand what authors have to go through when it comes to getting your book rejected. One of the reasons why I haven't published my book yet is because of the fear of rejection, so I am relieved to know that rejection can play a huge role in the publishing industry. Of course there's self-publishing, but that's a lot more work for someone who is working on publishing her first novel.
There were some good parts I enjoyed, and there were some parts that I wanted to skip through. For example, some of the exerpts of Thelonius's stories: one of them being a page (or two) in half and another being a whole book. A story within a story. Although its a satire, which i like, I don't like going through the whole book. I am not a fan of that. But at the end of that book, it started to pick up at the end and some parts of it made me laugh out loud. So it wasn’t too bad.
The MC talked too unrealistically proper. I get that he was a professor, but do professors even talk like that in real life? Outside of their work? No offense to professors who do.
Another thing about the MC I don't like is how smart he thinks he is compared to everyone else. (Spoiler: he criticized one of his lovers for reading a book considered to be "ghetto literature"). He seemed unlikable, but at the same time, I could relate to him a little bit with being "not black enough" or "being a misfit". I like the fact that he's different from everyone else, but reading through his storytelling is confusing and boring. And, I get that this is experimental, but I don't like that the sequence of scenes are all over the place. For example, when the MC talks about his most popular novel, he switches to talking about his mother. I don't know if there is a purpose for that, but nonetheless, I don't like that.
I am glad that we have a clever black MC who wasn’t afraid to expose the truth about “ghetto lit” by writing his own novel of its genre. I was more interested in that part than anything else.
Overall, the book wasn't great in my opinion. It's too "mature" for me. I'm not up there yet. But, I would recommend it for more mature readers who don't mind being challenged.
Rating: 2.5