dreamofbookspines's review against another edition
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Enjoyably sad, with a bonus hit of nostalgia for those of us who were in the bay area/SF in the 80s/90s/2000s. I do have some opinions on Wolf sleeping with his dead girlfriend's little sister - B R U H .
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide and Violence
cheyenneisreading's review
5.0
Jennifer Egan writes in a diversely personal way. She gives her characters a sense of reality and devastation. Phoebe is an entertaining character to read about and her sister, Faith, is an interesting type as well. Her stories read very smooth and crisp that it becomes a separate reality.
jcschildbach's review against another edition
4.0
This is my least favorite thing I've read by Egan, and I still liked it quite a bit. Her writing is great, as usual. And many of her favorite themes are here--regarding identity and how one develops, regarding memories and our often distorted sense of them, shifts in perspective that come with maturity, trying to recapture certain feelings or feeling disappointed at unmet expectations, and, of course, suicide. I was much more enthralled by the parts of the book when the main character, Phoebe, was involved in her own life and observations, and not obsessing so much about her dead sister, Faith--although I suppose the memory of Faith is a constant presence. Egan has an incredible gift for expressing emotional states that are hard to pin down. Much of Phoebe's emotional life is about feeling adrift, alone, and out of place--feeling eclipsed by some idea of what her sister was, and what she meant in the lives of others--and Egan captures those emotions beautifully. What I really have mixed feelings about, I suppose, are the scenes of Phoebe's connection with Wolf. On some level, it seems to take up a great deal of space in the book. Then again, it makes sense that such an episode in one's young life would be weighted so heavily. Definitely worth the read, if for no other reason than to enjoy the way Egan paints a scene or hits the reader with the perfect description of a mood we've all felt, but can't really explain.
offbalance80's review against another edition
1.0
After a promising start, this book failed to go anywhere. I lost all patience with the annoying main character, and really had no interest in her quest to find "answers" about her sister after awhile. Her naivete grew wearying, and I longed for the ability to reach between the pages and slap her.
Egan has a gift for description, but needs work on her pacing. Perhaps that improved with her subsequent works.
Egan has a gift for description, but needs work on her pacing. Perhaps that improved with her subsequent works.
dllh's review against another edition
2.0
Having read and liked a couple of others by Egan lately, I delved back to her early work. From the beginning, this one was sluggish and just felt really uninspired to me. It was a labor to get through, and I found myself skimming at times just to advance toward the end. The prose was fine but not beautiful, and the story just didn't land for me. If this had been my first Egan, I doubt I'd have read more.
lanagabriela99's review against another edition
5.0
The best books are the ones you go into with zero expectations but that you end up absolutely loving. For me, The Invisible Circus was one of those books. For a while, I feared I would have to remove a star because , but thankfully, this was averted. This has everything I love--the 60s, the 70s, political intrigue, dark secrets, traveling through Europe, a protagonist in search of something lost forever. Easily one of my favorites.
Spoiler
I feared Phoebe and Wolf would end up together, happily ever aftergrazanne's review against another edition
3.0
Written 1/2001: Follows the thoughts, feelings and actions of Phoebe, who is trying to find herself and come out of her dead sister's shadow. To do so, she relives her sisters last months in Europe. A beautiful journey into the mind of a girl trying to break through so many things. While longing for another life, she realizes how precious hers is.
numbuh212's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5