ghahn3's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
bookwormbarney's review against another edition
3.75
hallelujah! i finished the damned book in time! it’s actually really good and interesting to study, but god was this draining to read (and sit through lectures on).
maddie__13's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.0
I just didn't get it, the stories of the characters were okay but the Newsreel and The Camera eye sections... I have no idea what they add to the book, the only reason I kept on reading is because I have to finish for this semester otherwise I would've stopped at page 30
corrompido's review against another edition
Did not finish reading it, really liked parts of it - but some of the experimental parts were not doing it for me and I had to get it back to the library. Could see trying it again someday.
fimfin's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
stewreads's review against another edition
3.0
On one hand, I think this book suffers from being a fragment of a trilogy that was originally published as one single volume. It ends abruptly, many threads go unresolved, and it feels very much like a part of something greater.
On the other hand, I'm glad they split this thing up because I don't think I could do 900 pages of this at once.
This was more experimental than I expected. Chapters told from a wide variety of perspectives are broken up by interludes of ambiguous stream-of-consciousness scenes, as well as collages of news clippings that serve to created a historical mood and setting rather than advance the plot (insomuch that there is a "plot" here). The main chapters feature a series of interweaving narratives that cover the lives of Americans from various upbringings/cultural backgrounds. These stories are interesting, but some are much stronger than others - I braced myself every time a new narrative started because there was a 50% chance it would take quite a while to become engaging.
Overall, I liked this novel and I plan to read the rest of the series (or the rest of the big ass book, to be technical). But... I'm not sure when I'll feel the urge to pick up the second installment. I don't know what I was hoping for with this one, but it didn't grip me as much as it could have.
3.5 stars.
On the other hand, I'm glad they split this thing up because I don't think I could do 900 pages of this at once.
This was more experimental than I expected. Chapters told from a wide variety of perspectives are broken up by interludes of ambiguous stream-of-consciousness scenes, as well as collages of news clippings that serve to created a historical mood and setting rather than advance the plot (insomuch that there is a "plot" here). The main chapters feature a series of interweaving narratives that cover the lives of Americans from various upbringings/cultural backgrounds. These stories are interesting, but some are much stronger than others - I braced myself every time a new narrative started because there was a 50% chance it would take quite a while to become engaging.
Overall, I liked this novel and I plan to read the rest of the series (or the rest of the big ass book, to be technical). But... I'm not sure when I'll feel the urge to pick up the second installment. I don't know what I was hoping for with this one, but it didn't grip me as much as it could have.
3.5 stars.