becandbooks's review
DNF @ ~20%
I was really hopeful about this book - a Pride and Prejudice retelling with two queer, Jewish men? Of course I wanted to love it.
But I just could not trudge through the writing style. Or Ari's apathy.
The pacing of this story was way too slow. 20% into the book I felt as though nothing of real interest had happened. There was nothing captivating or intriguing about the plot. And the characters themselves were not saving the story for me either.
Ari was, sadly, a very stagnant character to me. Apathetic in everything he did, from avoiding relationships (sorry guys, ghosting in a HUGE personal peeve), to not quitting his violin lessons for SIX YEARS because his teacher wouldn't 'let him'. I understand being a person who avoids things or struggles with the motivation of certain tasks. But Ari was this to an extreme and, along with the slow pacing and lack of story, frankly it was the opposite of entertaining.
Now, I do want to note that while this wasn't a book for me reviews of this book seem to be one of two things: DNFs or 4/5 stars. There are also a number of own voices reviews who speak positivly of the representation in this book. And so I want to link you to own voice reviews by Ryan and Kuzu. Because I am neither trans nor Jewish nor a queer male. And perhaps this is part of the reason I did not feel engaged in the story.
I will also note that a lot of reviews discuss the first half of the book being a slug, but then the story and writing improves.
Either way, this was not a story for me.
More reviews | Twitter | Pinterest | Reading is air in my lungs, fire in my blood, company in my thoughts. (M. Naidoo)
I was really hopeful about this book - a Pride and Prejudice retelling with two queer, Jewish men? Of course I wanted to love it.
But I just could not trudge through the writing style. Or Ari's apathy.
The pacing of this story was way too slow. 20% into the book I felt as though nothing of real interest had happened. There was nothing captivating or intriguing about the plot. And the characters themselves were not saving the story for me either.
Ari was, sadly, a very stagnant character to me. Apathetic in everything he did, from avoiding relationships (sorry guys, ghosting in a HUGE personal peeve), to not quitting his violin lessons for SIX YEARS because his teacher wouldn't 'let him'. I understand being a person who avoids things or struggles with the motivation of certain tasks. But Ari was this to an extreme and, along with the slow pacing and lack of story, frankly it was the opposite of entertaining.
Now, I do want to note that while this wasn't a book for me reviews of this book seem to be one of two things: DNFs or 4/5 stars. There are also a number of own voices reviews who speak positivly of the representation in this book. And so I want to link you to own voice reviews by Ryan and Kuzu. Because I am neither trans nor Jewish nor a queer male. And perhaps this is part of the reason I did not feel engaged in the story.
I will also note that a lot of reviews discuss the first half of the book being a slug, but then the story and writing improves.
Either way, this was not a story for me.
More reviews | Twitter | Pinterest | Reading is air in my lungs, fire in my blood, company in my thoughts. (M. Naidoo)
tanemariacris's review
4.0
It is a truth universally acknowledged that when a book takes your breath away at every other page with its utter gorgeousness, leaving you gaping in awe at the words, you are in danger of turning into a bubbling mess of excitement. And here I stand as proof of that.
From the first page, I was completely engrossed in the story thanks to the brilliant writing style and unique narrative perspective. Each sentence is filled with delightful, witty humour and a bittersweet irony that aims straight for the depths of the human experience.
We're always reaching out for something, trying to catch it in our hands, love or happiness, those bright little fireflies in the starless night of our minds.
Ari Wexler struggles with the same questions, insecurities, and obstacles that we all have to face during our lives. He is stuck in a job he doesn't truly enjoy, has to deal with a range of family issues, and feels trapped between the impossibility of finding love and the pressure exerted by the ones around him to be in a romantic relationship. After a long series of failures in the last department, he swears to give up on it altogether, but there is an emptiness inside him that threatens to become overwhelming. Encouraged by certain friends and family, and pushed to the limits by circumstances, he gradually gathers the courage to take some risks and gains a new outlook on how to lead his life. He undergoes an organic development from the scared, indecisive, lost noodle thinking he could not tolerate having what he could not tolerate losing to someone who is willing to accept that fear, not allowing it to stay in his way while making the most of what the world has to offer him. It's much easier hiding away, isolating oneself in a cocoon of solitude, and missed opportunities. But, as Kimmelman says to Ari, when doing that the thing you're keeping yourself from is fullness. So Ari decides to see where his interest in music might take him. This activity of his brings forth various views concerning art, including his teacher's passionate outbursts and polemic dialogues with other characters.
Undoubtedly, one of the greatest things this book succeeds in achieving is revealing the thin line separating friendship from romance, how one merges into the other, dangerously shifting, igniting confusion, anxiety, and indicating the possibility of change. There are affectionate friends who openly declare their love for each other, cuddle and constantly kiss on the cheek. There are long-time friends who have been in love with each other but don't risk compromising their bond. There are people who started off by dating, ending up in a platonic relationship. Friendship can take a lot of forms, and have so many facets and underlying mysteries. To quote again this treasure of a book: There's nothing wrong with wrestling with a question of friendship and love and the distance between them. It's not a bad question. (...) it's delicate like the filament of a lightbulb. It can be seen at infinite angles, and at each angle lies a distinct world that blossoms into understanding and out of it again.
Did I mention that the protagonist is a trans male? And that pretty much everyone is part in some way of the LGBTQ+ community and is Jewish? There is also a character who is bipolar. Now, this right here is the diversity we need and deserve.
I loved seeing one of my favourite books being transposed into modern times in such a creative manner that gave it a sense of freshness while still maintaining the core of the story. The parallels between characters and events, the gender switches, the ever-present ridiculous and burdensome expectations or norms imposed on us, and society's flaws were all masterfully integrated into a whimsical, profound book that should get so much more recognition than it does.
From the first page, I was completely engrossed in the story thanks to the brilliant writing style and unique narrative perspective. Each sentence is filled with delightful, witty humour and a bittersweet irony that aims straight for the depths of the human experience.
We're always reaching out for something, trying to catch it in our hands, love or happiness, those bright little fireflies in the starless night of our minds.
Ari Wexler struggles with the same questions, insecurities, and obstacles that we all have to face during our lives. He is stuck in a job he doesn't truly enjoy, has to deal with a range of family issues, and feels trapped between the impossibility of finding love and the pressure exerted by the ones around him to be in a romantic relationship. After a long series of failures in the last department, he swears to give up on it altogether, but there is an emptiness inside him that threatens to become overwhelming. Encouraged by certain friends and family, and pushed to the limits by circumstances, he gradually gathers the courage to take some risks and gains a new outlook on how to lead his life. He undergoes an organic development from the scared, indecisive, lost noodle thinking he could not tolerate having what he could not tolerate losing to someone who is willing to accept that fear, not allowing it to stay in his way while making the most of what the world has to offer him. It's much easier hiding away, isolating oneself in a cocoon of solitude, and missed opportunities. But, as Kimmelman says to Ari, when doing that the thing you're keeping yourself from is fullness. So Ari decides to see where his interest in music might take him. This activity of his brings forth various views concerning art, including his teacher's passionate outbursts and polemic dialogues with other characters.
Undoubtedly, one of the greatest things this book succeeds in achieving is revealing the thin line separating friendship from romance, how one merges into the other, dangerously shifting, igniting confusion, anxiety, and indicating the possibility of change. There are affectionate friends who openly declare their love for each other, cuddle and constantly kiss on the cheek. There are long-time friends who have been in love with each other but don't risk compromising their bond. There are people who started off by dating, ending up in a platonic relationship. Friendship can take a lot of forms, and have so many facets and underlying mysteries. To quote again this treasure of a book: There's nothing wrong with wrestling with a question of friendship and love and the distance between them. It's not a bad question. (...) it's delicate like the filament of a lightbulb. It can be seen at infinite angles, and at each angle lies a distinct world that blossoms into understanding and out of it again.
Did I mention that the protagonist is a trans male? And that pretty much everyone is part in some way of the LGBTQ+ community and is Jewish? There is also a character who is bipolar. Now, this right here is the diversity we need and deserve.
I loved seeing one of my favourite books being transposed into modern times in such a creative manner that gave it a sense of freshness while still maintaining the core of the story. The parallels between characters and events, the gender switches, the ever-present ridiculous and burdensome expectations or norms imposed on us, and society's flaws were all masterfully integrated into a whimsical, profound book that should get so much more recognition than it does.
ettegoom's review
4.0
This one was odd. I couldn't decide whether I lived it or hated it, or just found it boring. But I did find myself thinking back to it and rooting for Ari. I think in the end I really liked it, but I can't help wondering whether people working the New York Jewish community are really like Abe...?
lesbiankarlmarx's review
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
mckenzierichardson's review
2.0
The Right Thing to Do at the Time by Dov Zeller
For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle
I received this book through LibraryThing is exchange for an honest review.I wanted to like this book. I wanted to like it so much. A modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice? With queer characters? Sounds great. However, it just did not live up to the promise of success.My main problem with the book was the writing. It was unnecessarily complicated and drawn out. This book did not need to be nearly as long as it was. It's roughly 100 pages longer than Pride and Prejudice itself. The book would have been stronger if it had been more concise and cut out some of the unnecessary threads. There is so much in the novel that isn't really important or even resolved. This made reading it such a chore. It just went on and on and went nowhere. Along with this, I am pretty confident in saying that this is the first novel I have read with footnotes. I was conflicted about them. They gave some good background information on various Jewish holidays and Yiddish phrases, but they really pulled you out of the story. Yet, if I didn't read them, I felt like I was missing out on information. In my opinion, the footnotes were not needed and instead disrupted the narrative. The information could have easily been worked into the narrative or even simplified and included in parentheses within the text.I will say that I did like the representation of queer characters and relationships. None of the characters are cut and dry. It was interesting to see the unique struggles Ari had being a trans man in comparison to the non-trans characters and how it effected relationships with other characters.However, I found that I absolutely hated Ari. What a horrible reimagining of Elizabeth Bennet, one of the greatest heroines in literature who is not afraid to speak her mind even within an oppressive society. Then you have Ari, who can't make a decision to save his life. Everyone calls him a "noodle" throughout the book, which holds true, but making your main character a "noodle" is a horrible way to keep readers interested in your book. I hated him so much. Even by the end, I just could not like him. I am also a bit conflicted on whether a reader should have read Pride and Prejudice before reading this book. There are interesting subtleties with the characters and it's kind of fun to figure out who is who (Mr. Wexler makes a great Mrs. Bennet). However, as someone who loved Pride and Prejudice, this just felt like blaspheme. To take such a great work and turn it into this mess was a disappointment. This book was not well-constructed. I loved the idea of a genderqueer Pride and Prejudice, but that was all it had going for it. While I think this book had a very interesting premise, it was just a complete mess in my opinion. I trudged through it after reading multiple reviews saying it was dull at first but picked up as you went on. I kept reading, but by page 300 I knew nothing would redeem the book and just pushed through to the end. As I said before, the main idea of this book was good, but the execution did not make it a successful novel.
For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle
I received this book through LibraryThing is exchange for an honest review.I wanted to like this book. I wanted to like it so much. A modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice? With queer characters? Sounds great. However, it just did not live up to the promise of success.My main problem with the book was the writing. It was unnecessarily complicated and drawn out. This book did not need to be nearly as long as it was. It's roughly 100 pages longer than Pride and Prejudice itself. The book would have been stronger if it had been more concise and cut out some of the unnecessary threads. There is so much in the novel that isn't really important or even resolved. This made reading it such a chore. It just went on and on and went nowhere. Along with this, I am pretty confident in saying that this is the first novel I have read with footnotes. I was conflicted about them. They gave some good background information on various Jewish holidays and Yiddish phrases, but they really pulled you out of the story. Yet, if I didn't read them, I felt like I was missing out on information. In my opinion, the footnotes were not needed and instead disrupted the narrative. The information could have easily been worked into the narrative or even simplified and included in parentheses within the text.I will say that I did like the representation of queer characters and relationships. None of the characters are cut and dry. It was interesting to see the unique struggles Ari had being a trans man in comparison to the non-trans characters and how it effected relationships with other characters.However, I found that I absolutely hated Ari. What a horrible reimagining of Elizabeth Bennet, one of the greatest heroines in literature who is not afraid to speak her mind even within an oppressive society. Then you have Ari, who can't make a decision to save his life. Everyone calls him a "noodle" throughout the book, which holds true, but making your main character a "noodle" is a horrible way to keep readers interested in your book. I hated him so much. Even by the end, I just could not like him. I am also a bit conflicted on whether a reader should have read Pride and Prejudice before reading this book. There are interesting subtleties with the characters and it's kind of fun to figure out who is who (Mr. Wexler makes a great Mrs. Bennet). However, as someone who loved Pride and Prejudice, this just felt like blaspheme. To take such a great work and turn it into this mess was a disappointment. This book was not well-constructed. I loved the idea of a genderqueer Pride and Prejudice, but that was all it had going for it. While I think this book had a very interesting premise, it was just a complete mess in my opinion. I trudged through it after reading multiple reviews saying it was dull at first but picked up as you went on. I kept reading, but by page 300 I knew nothing would redeem the book and just pushed through to the end. As I said before, the main idea of this book was good, but the execution did not make it a successful novel.
kitnotmarlowe's review
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
as a rule, i am not a person who cries. not at media, not at any basic human emotion because there is something DEEPLY wrong with me. i cry the way we incorrectly assume medieval peasants took baths--twice a year whether i want to or not. and while i'm not sure i cried reading this book (i finished it in a bath of which the temperature was best suited to boiling a lobster alive, so there was a fair amount of moisture on my face to begin with), i came pretty damn close.
the right thing to do at the time is a story about love, friendship, and the nebulous fog between the two of those which sometimes spills over to both, and other times remains an undefinable dimension which needs no further explanation. it is a story about trying to love your life and find joy and meaning in places you thought were puddles but are actually wells. it is, first and foremost, a story imagining pride & prejudice as aided through the wisdom the great talking butter dish.
the characters are perfect, the fact that we don't even meet talia and helen until about a quarter of the way through is perfect (and, until the 75% mark i wasn't entirely convinced that helen was going to be a red herring and we were going to completely subvert the pride & prejudice narrative and have ari and itche run off into the sunset together), the gender bending works really well! (more on that later), and i deadass scream-laughed multiple times while reading. i highlighted entire paragraphs on my kindle! it's really just a tremendously fun reading experience!
now, i consider myself something of a connoisseur of pride & prejudice-related media despite not actually having read the original book. so i will be talking with utmost confidence out of my ass when i say that helen zonkerman....perfect darcy. she's perfect! i'm sick of pretending that darcy is just an aloof rich guy! he's got depth! it isn't enough for him to be handsome with 15 thousand a year, he also has to be a bit of a freak! and i don't mean in That Way, i mean that the ideal darcy ought to be possessed with the self-aware anxiety of a thomson's gazelle that KNOWS it's in a natgeo documentary about cheetahs! darcy is a prey animal with so much awkwardness it has nowhere to go but wait like a dormant volcano until the inevitable I THINK YOU'RE HOT BUT YOUR FAMILY IS POOR AND EMBARRASSING scene. just, an incredible weirdo who learned about human social cues from an etiquette manual that is at least 70 years out of date regardless of period. what i'm saying is that helen zonkerman is the gazelle in a cheetah documentary. she's not quite mean to ari, at least not in any way that matters, she just doesn't know how to talk or really interact with him. she's perfect i love her. mathilda merman is also SO funny as the collins-expy. i guess dov zeller just has a knack for writing the most awkward women on the face of the planet.
the rest of the gender-bending makes the story even more delightful, if possible. mr & mrs bennet work BETTER i think if he's obsessively demanding alka-seltzer so he doesn't keel over and die and she's locked in her study thinking about dialectics or whatever. it works SO well! the whole p&p framework maps so perfectly that the situations which are adapted from the original novel work without needing too much fiddling with but never feel like they're bullet points which dov zeller is crossing off to remind the reader that Yes this is pride & prejudice. the interweaving of plot points with major holidays! y e s
the plot thread of ari's menial drudgery at the music library with his tyrannical boss turning into his archival project with the niggunim and realizing that he loves music because it makes him feel deeply and makes others feel deeply, and the possibility of music as historical preservation in the face of great persecution...i am feeling every emotion known to man right now and a few that i am only just discovering. not only is this plotline filled with excellent writing, it helps make ari's character more expansive. he subverts the lizziefication that has been slowly encroaching on romance media since 2005 pride & prejudice. at the beginning of the novel, ari is a sad sack. he's depressed, he's working a job he hates, he really only has One Friend, his family's overbearing, he's not a romance novel protagonist. he's not someone who always has a quip ready to fire back when someone cuts their eye at him, and he isn't someone confident enough to fight for what's important to him. the music plotline gives him a life outside of his love story and outside of his family, it's the one thing which he can truly call his own, and yet it is not his own, because it belongs also to the grand tradition and people of which he is a part. and the whole relationship between ari and bubbie pearl and all the stuff about aging and loneliness and familial obligation!
i'd be remiss if i didn't at least shout out the footnotes. semi-intrusive footnotes in fiction are a top 10 literary device for me. probably even top 5. i love a silly footnote, i love a snide footnote, i love a sad footnote, and an informative footnote. the footnotes here are mainly of the informative variety and end up providing support to the story, but still manage to convey the effortless wit found in the rest of the book.
the only other piece of media that has given me the same rush of madcap bittersweet chaos energy in recent memory is moonstruck (1987) dir. norman jewison. make of that what you will.
the right thing to do at the time is a story about love, friendship, and the nebulous fog between the two of those which sometimes spills over to both, and other times remains an undefinable dimension which needs no further explanation. it is a story about trying to love your life and find joy and meaning in places you thought were puddles but are actually wells. it is, first and foremost, a story imagining pride & prejudice as aided through the wisdom the great talking butter dish.
the characters are perfect, the fact that we don't even meet talia and helen until about a quarter of the way through is perfect (and, until the 75% mark i wasn't entirely convinced that helen was going to be a red herring and we were going to completely subvert the pride & prejudice narrative and have ari and itche run off into the sunset together), the gender bending works really well! (more on that later), and i deadass scream-laughed multiple times while reading. i highlighted entire paragraphs on my kindle! it's really just a tremendously fun reading experience!
now, i consider myself something of a connoisseur of pride & prejudice-related media despite not actually having read the original book. so i will be talking with utmost confidence out of my ass when i say that helen zonkerman....perfect darcy. she's perfect! i'm sick of pretending that darcy is just an aloof rich guy! he's got depth! it isn't enough for him to be handsome with 15 thousand a year, he also has to be a bit of a freak! and i don't mean in That Way, i mean that the ideal darcy ought to be possessed with the self-aware anxiety of a thomson's gazelle that KNOWS it's in a natgeo documentary about cheetahs! darcy is a prey animal with so much awkwardness it has nowhere to go but wait like a dormant volcano until the inevitable I THINK YOU'RE HOT BUT YOUR FAMILY IS POOR AND EMBARRASSING scene. just, an incredible weirdo who learned about human social cues from an etiquette manual that is at least 70 years out of date regardless of period. what i'm saying is that helen zonkerman is the gazelle in a cheetah documentary. she's not quite mean to ari, at least not in any way that matters, she just doesn't know how to talk or really interact with him. she's perfect i love her. mathilda merman is also SO funny as the collins-expy. i guess dov zeller just has a knack for writing the most awkward women on the face of the planet.
the rest of the gender-bending makes the story even more delightful, if possible. mr & mrs bennet work BETTER i think if he's obsessively demanding alka-seltzer so he doesn't keel over and die and she's locked in her study thinking about dialectics or whatever. it works SO well! the whole p&p framework maps so perfectly that the situations which are adapted from the original novel work without needing too much fiddling with but never feel like they're bullet points which dov zeller is crossing off to remind the reader that Yes this is pride & prejudice. the interweaving of plot points with major holidays! y e s
the plot thread of ari's menial drudgery at the music library with his tyrannical boss turning into his archival project with the niggunim and realizing that he loves music because it makes him feel deeply and makes others feel deeply, and the possibility of music as historical preservation in the face of great persecution...i am feeling every emotion known to man right now and a few that i am only just discovering. not only is this plotline filled with excellent writing, it helps make ari's character more expansive. he subverts the lizziefication that has been slowly encroaching on romance media since 2005 pride & prejudice. at the beginning of the novel, ari is a sad sack. he's depressed, he's working a job he hates, he really only has One Friend, his family's overbearing, he's not a romance novel protagonist. he's not someone who always has a quip ready to fire back when someone cuts their eye at him, and he isn't someone confident enough to fight for what's important to him. the music plotline gives him a life outside of his love story and outside of his family, it's the one thing which he can truly call his own, and yet it is not his own, because it belongs also to the grand tradition and people of which he is a part. and the whole relationship between ari and bubbie pearl and all the stuff about aging and loneliness and familial obligation!
i'd be remiss if i didn't at least shout out the footnotes. semi-intrusive footnotes in fiction are a top 10 literary device for me. probably even top 5. i love a silly footnote, i love a snide footnote, i love a sad footnote, and an informative footnote. the footnotes here are mainly of the informative variety and end up providing support to the story, but still manage to convey the effortless wit found in the rest of the book.
the only other piece of media that has given me the same rush of madcap bittersweet chaos energy in recent memory is moonstruck (1987) dir. norman jewison. make of that what you will.
rdebner's review
funny
lighthearted
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? No
3.75
remusritch's review
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
bluebirdost's review
clunky writing from the start with odd narration and a ton of footnotes. an unlikeable main character whose life is boring and slow paced. it didn't seem like the author knew enough about pride and prejudice to execute this modern day adaption. i'm honestly surprised i made it as far as a did since i wanted to dnf at 30 pages
thelostshoe's review
5.0
It's good. You need to be comfortable with Jewish and Jewish-ness. It's very Jewish. There's no side-stepping it and it's good to see. I've never read Pride and Prejudice so I can't say whether it hits the nail in the comparison between it and this story. But it's on its own a good story and enjoyable.
I enjoyed my time with this story. It took me SO LONG to write this because EVERY TIME I would go to write/add this to this blog.. blogger would have issues OR NETGALLEY WOULD.
This was downloaded through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Recommend? Yes. If you've read this lemme know what you thought about it!
I enjoyed my time with this story. It took me SO LONG to write this because EVERY TIME I would go to write/add this to this blog.. blogger would have issues OR NETGALLEY WOULD.
This was downloaded through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Recommend? Yes. If you've read this lemme know what you thought about it!