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nathanielpr's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Engaging and often poetic prose. A strange post-modern half-fever dream about the disconnect between language and self, self and self, etc. etc.
gregz_newdorkreviewofbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Very entertaining. Some day soon, Lerner is going to write a novel that blows our collective minds.
theodreh's review against another edition
Was this book good or am I just also an American drinking and smoking a lot in a European country?
admorobo's review against another edition
funny
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
3.0
eyoung19's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-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
3.25
elisabutter's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
d0mpl1ng's review against another edition
dark
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
ncteisen's review against another edition
5.0
The main character is anxious, drugged out, a little pretentious, and kind of an asshole... And I still identified with him and enjoyed reading his neurotic thoughts throughout this book.
Not as good as 10:04, but if you liked that you would probably like this.
Not as good as 10:04, but if you liked that you would probably like this.
longcommutelit's review against another edition
5.0
UGH. Gutted to be finishing the last of Lerner’s novels for now, but what a great one to end on. Was reading the reviews and the criticisms are mostly centered on how insufferable Adam Gordon is as a character (aka Ben Lerner lol). It helps to have read Topeka School first with a younger Adam, but despite how terrible he could be, there was something so unmistakably human in his flaws. The story is less about a character as a fraud and more so about an artist reconciling with the importance of the story he puts forth in the face of every other human’s experience.