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avgastright's review against another edition
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It’s 3:29 in the morning and I am supremely dissatisfied. My poor dog has been burrowing into my leg all night and I have been ignoring him out of excitement that there would be SOME sort of a confrontation scene to resolve all the tension but there was NOTHING. In the end, nothing is accomplished. Judith still isn’t certain if Malcom cheated on her, Willy is dead and Judith was never forced to make up her damn mind, her career is probably in shambles, her marriage is in shambles… I mean the bulk of the novel occurs AFTER the ending. Forgive me if I seem pissy, but a shining review from the one and only Markus Zusak made me excited for a little more of a resolution than that. I will say, though, the very last page was great. I love that Judith got past her inhibitions and went to sleep with her daughter, something she has hinted at wanting to do for the entirety of the novel. The fact that she finally has worked up either the courage to, or has lost the fear of doing so implies that perhaps she will finally confront the demons she left behind when she went back to Nebraska.
The main thing I’m devastated about is Judith’s father. He was my favorite character throughout, so I was terribly sad that he ends his arc with a certain moral ambiguity. On one hand, he was my favorite character because he loved the simple life and in many ways the life he chose reflected what Judith clearly wanted to pursue as her life was losing its luster. He was peaceful and wise and altogether very ~vibey~. I was devastated to learn that he was a cheater and he was sleeping with his students. But getting his daughter into STANFORD is a plus. I get that many people would be sad that Judith does in fact leave Nebraska and Willy and the romantic simple life she so easily could have had, but honestly I agree with what her father did. He nudged her towards something more; encouraged her without pushing too hard so as to influence her own decision-making to pursue the limits of her potential. While Judith’s mid-life crisis situation is sad to watch unfold, she deserved to give herself the chance to be as successful and learned as she could. It’s true, Willy would have held her back. Sure, she would have been happy. But her life would have been plagued with what ifs and missed opportunities.
Anyways. This was flat, but I suppose I still enjoyed it.
The main thing I’m devastated about is Judith’s father. He was my favorite character throughout, so I was terribly sad that he ends his arc with a certain moral ambiguity. On one hand, he was my favorite character because he loved the simple life and in many ways the life he chose reflected what Judith clearly wanted to pursue as her life was losing its luster. He was peaceful and wise and altogether very ~vibey~. I was devastated to learn that he was a cheater and he was sleeping with his students. But getting his daughter into STANFORD is a plus. I get that many people would be sad that Judith does in fact leave Nebraska and Willy and the romantic simple life she so easily could have had, but honestly I agree with what her father did. He nudged her towards something more; encouraged her without pushing too hard so as to influence her own decision-making to pursue the limits of her potential. While Judith’s mid-life crisis situation is sad to watch unfold, she deserved to give herself the chance to be as successful and learned as she could. It’s true, Willy would have held her back. Sure, she would have been happy. But her life would have been plagued with what ifs and missed opportunities.
Anyways. This was flat, but I suppose I still enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
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