jujuwithbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
paradoxicalcreature's review against another edition
3.0
Ok so giving it 3 stars for the moment because I haven't finished it and I needed to return it and I got a shit ton of others I'm reading atm BUT!!! I will pick it up again and finish it cause I really loved it so far! Rowdy broke lesbian poets is a big yes and I love love love Eileen's writing
paulus_on_the_rocks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Lu en trad FR
J'ai parfois eu un peu de mal sur certains passages mais franchement bien
Beaucoup aimé ce qu'elle écrit sur l'alcoolisme et son père
Le chapitre "1969", fabuleux
Est-ce que je le conseille ? Oui, en VO peut-être, la traduction donne envie de découvrir le texte tel quel
J'ai parfois eu un peu de mal sur certains passages mais franchement bien
Beaucoup aimé ce qu'elle écrit sur l'alcoolisme et son père
Le chapitre "1969", fabuleux
Est-ce que je le conseille ? Oui, en VO peut-être, la traduction donne envie de découvrir le texte tel quel
jane04's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
emma_hensley's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.0
ebau's review against another edition
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
2.5
earlyandalone's review
This wasn't what I was expecting, because I think I was expecting something more along the lines of Patti Smith's Just Kids. This is not that. Chelsea Girls, instead, is completely its own thing, which is pretty amazing.
I tend to be fascinated by what's now called the "autobiographical novel," and I feel like Chelsea Girls did it before anyone else (or at least decades before it was trendy). I kept thinking "Oh, wow, Eileen Myles had such an interesting life," but would then catch myself and remember that Eileen the CHARACTER was the one with the interesting life I was reading about. It's not necessarily Eileen the writer's life, and the fact that I don't know what's fact and what's pure fiction makes it more fun, in a way.
I also expected this to be another NYC coming-of-age story, and in some ways it was, but it was more a story of coming-of-age just outside of Boston in the 1960s and 70s, which I loved reading about, living in Boston myself. There's a good amount of stream-of-consciousness writing here that I skimmed because that's not always my jam, but I also really enjoyed the conversational tone, the dips in and out of different vocal patterns and thoughts. I'm glad I finally got around to reading this one!
I tend to be fascinated by what's now called the "autobiographical novel," and I feel like Chelsea Girls did it before anyone else (or at least decades before it was trendy). I kept thinking "Oh, wow, Eileen Myles had such an interesting life," but would then catch myself and remember that Eileen the CHARACTER was the one with the interesting life I was reading about. It's not necessarily Eileen the writer's life, and the fact that I don't know what's fact and what's pure fiction makes it more fun, in a way.
I also expected this to be another NYC coming-of-age story, and in some ways it was, but it was more a story of coming-of-age just outside of Boston in the 1960s and 70s, which I loved reading about, living in Boston myself. There's a good amount of stream-of-consciousness writing here that I skimmed because that's not always my jam, but I also really enjoyed the conversational tone, the dips in and out of different vocal patterns and thoughts. I'm glad I finally got around to reading this one!
aristctledante's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
2.75
i don’t think i’m in the right headspace to have read this rn LOL i’ll probably give her poetry a shot
sleeprunreadrepeat's review
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0