Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

Either/Or by Elif Batuman

24 reviews

astoriareader's review

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slow-paced
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No

1.0

MY THOUGHTS
  • I blindly went into this book, as I kept seeing praise & good reviews for it. Apparently, it’s a sequel.
  • This book DRAGS at such a slow pace. It also is not structured well, and it has extremely long chapters.
  • Pedantic, pretentious. No idea why so many college lectures & quotes from other books are in this?? 
  • Felt absolutely no connection to the main character.
  • Tries to be a coming-of-age story if a Harvard student in her sophomore year.
  • I have no idea how I finished this book.
  • This is the most boring fictional book that I’ve read. 

TL;DR: ⭐️this took me 9 days to finish 😂i usually fly through books. the most boring fictional book that i’ve ever read. 

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boogiebeez's review

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challenging funny hopeful informative reflective relaxing tense fast-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

5.0

her majesty elif batuman back at it again with A BANGER.

I am actually Selin (it is rare that I relate to book characters this much). I often felt like the observations and witticism she made  are similar to how i regard the world but way more efficiently articulated. safe to say that I loved this book and will gobble up anything else written by Ms Batuman 

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theabee's review

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challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5


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brynpemery's review

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emotional funny hopeful 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

4.75

This was delightful. I also really enjoyed The Idiot and was surprised it had a sequel, but this really worked for me.

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mlovesbooks's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective medium-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

Oh Selin.

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seanamcphie's review

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funny informative reflective medium-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

5.0


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waybeyondblue's review

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adventurous funny hopeful 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? No

4.5


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karabeavis's review against another edition

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funny informative reflective 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

I struggled with this one. On the one hand, the writing is incredible, and sure. Phrases like “the tap coughed” are brilliant and stuck in my mind. It’s set in Harvard and the ins and outs of a peer group of talented, precocious students from all over the world: this should be an interesting premise.  

I found the book excruciating at times. For me, the main character is hard to identify with and have empathy for. Despite having a cool mum who is a no—nonsense doctor, in regular contact, the protagonist is hapless, and
Spoiler the sex she finally has is absolutely awful. There doesn’t seem to be a single pleasurable encounter. Pleasure doesn’t come into it. The character is totally neurotic, an American thing I observe in American sitcoms etc. It’s hard to like her.
. It’s set in the 1990s — my adolescent period too. This character is empowered in some ways but also naive! She wants to live a little, which is the point of the last third of the book.

Back to the writing which is layer upon layer of cultural literature references: the book is thoroughly researched and clever. I loved the description of Selin’s time spent at her grandmother’s house in Turkey. 

Overall highly esoteric and inwardly gazing. I like the sophisticated world the character moves in, but at the same time, I loathe it. I wanted to love this. there’s a buzz around it and many adore it!

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tatjanasbooks's review

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing tense 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

5.0


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moonbeamreads's review against another edition

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Big tw: rape and dubious consent regarding most of the sex scenes


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