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isobelline's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Shallow, self-absorbed, petty, pretentious. Full of questionable takes (á la "gay men are gay because it's easier with men than with women") and first world problems. I sincerely don't understand how anyone can call this a feminist novel.
How Should a Person Be? Hopefully, nothing like the author of this book.
How Should a Person Be? Hopefully, nothing like the author of this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
mmefish's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
A book about shallow, plainly stupid and ignorant privileged white people who care for nothing in the world besides their egos. A great example of how out of touch with reality someone can be.
Includes golden thoughts like: "Autism is an advantage because autistic people luck shame and empathy";
and: "there are POOR people!!! And they are still people, just like us!!! Incredible!!"
Includes golden thoughts like: "Autism is an advantage because autistic people luck shame and empathy";
and: "there are POOR people!!! And they are still people, just like us!!! Incredible!!"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Sexual content
Moderate: Drug use
green_rabbit's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The title and the book play really well together. Sheila Heti plays with the idea of answering the question and making the question feel pointless. Her writing style is so fascinating because I’m mesmerized by all the qualities—weird and disturbing— of the characters and the plot is so loose and meandering until the end, when I finally understand.
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism
savvylit's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.5
How Should a Person Be? is oddly captivating metafiction. The concept is interesting - philosophical conversations among creatives. It's definitely a mark of adulthood to have deep conversations with your friends about the meaning of life, and to be searching for some meaning together. It was somewhat fun to feel like a voyeur experiencing Heti's conversations secondhand. However, I'm not sure that these conversations are enough to make a book worth reading.
Additionally, this is a plotless, character-focused book with very few likable characters. Sheila portrays both herself and her close friends as unabashedly vain and pretentious. Their attitude towards money and labor is particularly cavalier and seems to reflect an unwritten privilege. Perhaps this book is just too honest; real people are indeed flawed and Heti doesn't hold back in revealing her own flaws.
Overall, I thought How Should a Person Be? was well-written and nominally interesting. However, I wouldn't recommend it nor be interested in revisiting it again in the future.
Additionally, this is a plotless, character-focused book with very few likable characters. Sheila portrays both herself and her close friends as unabashedly vain and pretentious. Their attitude towards money and labor is particularly cavalier and seems to reflect an unwritten privilege. Perhaps this book is just too honest; real people are indeed flawed and Heti doesn't hold back in revealing her own flaws.
Overall, I thought How Should a Person Be? was well-written and nominally interesting. However, I wouldn't recommend it nor be interested in revisiting it again in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Drug use and Racism
leenvanhoudt's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Ableism and Gore
ecn's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The writing is interesting but good GAWD are the characters insufferable. The casual ableism/racism of their neolib life makes me want to throw up. How many times did I have to hear the author use the r word in such a causal way just to find out that she’s still figuring out ~how a person should be~
I read this book purely to read a book I paid money for. I don’t think I got anything from it nor do I plan to read it again.
If you like unlikeable characters, maybe you’ll like this
I read this book purely to read a book I paid money for. I don’t think I got anything from it nor do I plan to read it again.
If you like unlikeable characters, maybe you’ll like this
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Racism