Reviews

The Shelf Life of Happiness by Hillary Locke, David Machado

malayaa's review against another edition

1.0

I was really excited to read this book, eventhough it had an average of 3.89 out of 5 ratings before I got it. I was optimistic that this would be a good read and I would enjoy it. Reading this book from the start is a little bit of slow and boring and I thought it would progress. However, I found that reading every word of this book is like dragging yourself or forcing yourself to swallow the food you don't want to eat. There are also a lot of curse words, which is fine if it is used appropriately in context or to reiterate a feeling but in this book curse words were used too much that they just added to that sinking feeling I have been having from reading the book, it made the experience worse. I was hoping I could find happiness by reading this book, but what it gave me is this loathing feeling with a sense of despair. Not good for a title with the word "happiness" in it.

If you are looking for a book that will make you hate every page and waste your time, I recommend this book.

archangelesq's review against another edition

3.0

Very middle of the road on this one for me. I definitely did not hate it, but I wanted more from it. I would recommend it, however, based on the message I took from it, don't assume you know the best way to make yourself happy. Try new things. Fail. Learn. Try again. You may think your dream job will make you happy, but actually it is an online chicken farming game. You never know.

ana_oxford's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense medium-paced

3.75

zhalia14's review against another edition

5.0

This was a beautifully written tribute to our ability to hope, even in a blind, illogical way. Even in the dark, we always believe there is light just around that bend that we cannot see.
I was worried that the narrator's asides to his friend would be distracting, but I felt that they contributed much to the story and drew me in even more.

linesuponapage's review against another edition

3.0

Intriguing idea rating your happiness. I feel as if, as Daniel did in a way, that rating it makes it less than what it really is. Can you decide as
Doroteia did that your happiness comes from acceptance and not hope?

This novel seemed a little dark. The children laden with such anxiety and stress so early in their lives. I'm not sure if I loved this book or hated, it because it was so depressing, so I gave it a 3 in hope that it will grow in me over the days as I think about the message I got from it.

Over all the imagery David Machado produces was excellent. Xavier's apartment like his feelings helped you to understand his unhappiness. Almodovar's role in prison as Daniel's muse to express his experiences and feelings was brilliant. I just wish I could find out if Daniel gets his job or not. I guess that's for us to decide- do we let him accept his in employment or hope for his employment so he is happy again???

raghuiyer's review against another edition

4.0

A thought provoking book. A little dark at times, but definitely makes you think about life, happiness and loss.

jobatkin's review against another edition

1.0

I kept waiting for this to get better but was disappointed. The story is written from the point of view of a deluded but good-hearted father in Portugal, who basically refuses to give up on his dream of finding another job even when everything around him is pointing to a different future. The other characters are all far more interesting and likeable than the main character but the story failed to grab me.

leitheoirrialta's review against another edition

5.0

Vi o filme primeiro. O filme é bom, mas o livro é melhor, um bocadinho mais ... escuro. Gostei das personagens, com todos os seus defeitos. E alguém mais reparou nas (pequenas) referencias a José Saramago?
Enfim, merece a pena ler este livro, e muito.

annabarbarabittner's review against another edition

4.0

Słyszałyście/-liście o indeksie szczęścia? Na tej właśnie tabelce David Machado zasadził pomysł na swoją powieść. Trzech kolegów boryka się z kryzysem gospodarczym w Portugalii. Almodôvar stracił pracę i siedzi w więzieniu po tym jak zdecydował się na napad na stację benzynową. Daniel również stracił pracę w biurze podróży i z całych sił próbuje się gdzieś zaczepić. Xavier natomiast od lat nie wychodzi z mieszkania, boryka się z agorafobią i depresją. Daniel jako narrator opowiada historię przyjaciół, często prowadząc wewnętrzny dialog z Alomodôvarem, który od momentu pójścia do więzienia nie utrzymuje z nikim kontaktu. To właśnie Xavier trafia na tabelę krajów ułożonych według poczucia szczęścia ich obywateli, a pokazując ją Danielowi daje mu impuls do przemyśleń. U Daniela nic się nie układa - pieniądze kończą się w zastraszającym tempie, żona i dzieci przeprowadzają się do teściów na północ Portugalii, a on ciągle wysyła aplikacje i przegląda ogłoszenia.

Ciąg dalszy: https://przeczytalamksiazke.blogspot.com/2021/08/sredni-wspoczynnik-szczescia-david.html

erictb's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Trafficking