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lethal_literary_lesbian's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
maxmflick's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bojangacic's review against another edition
4.0
Tetralogija kraćih romana sa kraja karijere Filipa Rota, među kojima je "The Nemesis", vidljiv su znak da je veliki majstor, kao i svaki čovek- podložan plimi vremena, počeo da usporava. Pogotovo nakon publikacije i negativne recepcije kod "The Humbling", Rotovog najslabijeg dela, mnogi oko njega su smatrali da je vreme za pragmatičan korak, prestati sa objavljivanjem i mogućim narušavanjem celokupnog utiska jednog velikog opusa. Oni koji su ga čitali mogu da zaključe kako Rot nije baštinio reč "kompromis" u svom vokabularu. Bio je svestan neminovnosti kraja, ali je imao još jednu stvar da kaže. Ta jedna stvar je bila "Nemeza".
Baki Kentor, dvadesettrogodišnji upravnik Njuarškog školskog igrališta, onemogućen da služi vojsku zbog problema sa vidom, zatiče se u pandemiji dečije paralize. Kroz oči slabovidog Bakija vidimo sav strah, paniku, predrasude, upiranje prstom i snagu dezinformisanosti u zajednici koja biva svakodnevno umanjivana- dete po dete.
"Nemeza" je vrlo smiren roman, nema taj standardni rotovsko-sintaksički tajfun, već nas jednostavnim, razložnim rečenicama od tačke A do tačke B vodi glas iskustva, polako i sigurno, sa moralnom dilemom glavnog junaka u fokusu: ostati i kompenzovati svoje odsustvo sa pacifičkog fronta, samim tim umiriti poljuljani osećaj muškosti, ili pobeći na sigurno.
Priča se završava dirljivom scenom, meditacijom o životnim izborima, prihvatanjem i odbijanjem sopstvenosti. dozvoljavanju drugima da nas istinski vole kada istu emociju ne iskazujemo prema sebi, kao i večitom pitanju: "Jel moglo drugačije?
"Nemeza" je dostojan završetak, beleži stavljanje tačke na veliko stvaralaštvo. Iako nije u vrhu, kada se poredi sa ostalim Rotovom delim, sve su šanse da je bolja od većine knjiga koje ćete ove godine pročitati.
Baki Kentor, dvadesettrogodišnji upravnik Njuarškog školskog igrališta, onemogućen da služi vojsku zbog problema sa vidom, zatiče se u pandemiji dečije paralize. Kroz oči slabovidog Bakija vidimo sav strah, paniku, predrasude, upiranje prstom i snagu dezinformisanosti u zajednici koja biva svakodnevno umanjivana- dete po dete.
"Nemeza" je vrlo smiren roman, nema taj standardni rotovsko-sintaksički tajfun, već nas jednostavnim, razložnim rečenicama od tačke A do tačke B vodi glas iskustva, polako i sigurno, sa moralnom dilemom glavnog junaka u fokusu: ostati i kompenzovati svoje odsustvo sa pacifičkog fronta, samim tim umiriti poljuljani osećaj muškosti, ili pobeći na sigurno.
Priča se završava dirljivom scenom, meditacijom o životnim izborima, prihvatanjem i odbijanjem sopstvenosti. dozvoljavanju drugima da nas istinski vole kada istu emociju ne iskazujemo prema sebi, kao i večitom pitanju: "Jel moglo drugačije?
"Nemeza" je dostojan završetak, beleži stavljanje tačke na veliko stvaralaštvo. Iako nije u vrhu, kada se poredi sa ostalim Rotovom delim, sve su šanse da je bolja od većine knjiga koje ćete ove godine pročitati.
firetresses's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
4.0
rgsvro's review against another edition
3.0
uma leitura muito interessante de fazer nesse momento, sendo ambientada em uma epidemia de pólio durante a segunda guerra mundial, mas tem um agravante para os sentimentos que a gente desenvolve durante o livro: nada sobre ele é tranquilizante. acredito que de toda forma qualquer coisa com essa temática que fosse lida no brasil de 2021 não tranquilizaria, mas não sei. é uma leitura interessante, sem dúvida! talvez até importante para quem não tenha noção tanto compromisso com o distanciamento social e outras medidas básicas para contenção da pandemia. enfim, um bom livro, uma boa apresentação ao philip roth (apesar de não convencional, por ter sido seu livro de "despedida"), mas intensifica todas as angústias nesse sentido.
"Há uma epidemia e Bucky necessita de uma razão para ela. Tem de perguntar por quê. Por quê? Por quê? O fato de que ela não tem sentido, que é acidental, ilógica e trágica não o satisfaz. O fato de que é um vírus que se prolifera não o satisfaz. Ao contrário, ele busca desesperadamente uma causa mais profunda, esse mártir, esse maníaco à procura de uma razão e descobre o porquê em Deus ou nele próprio, ou misticamente, misteriosamente, na terrível ligação dos dois como um só exterminador."
"Há uma epidemia e Bucky necessita de uma razão para ela. Tem de perguntar por quê. Por quê? Por quê? O fato de que ela não tem sentido, que é acidental, ilógica e trágica não o satisfaz. O fato de que é um vírus que se prolifera não o satisfaz. Ao contrário, ele busca desesperadamente uma causa mais profunda, esse mártir, esse maníaco à procura de uma razão e descobre o porquê em Deus ou nele próprio, ou misticamente, misteriosamente, na terrível ligação dos dois como um só exterminador."
bookswithcesco's review against another edition
3.0
This was an OK book. It does a lot on a stylistic level really well. However, I wasn’t a fan of the narration technique here. It lead to most of the plot twists being heavily foreshadowed early on and I felt like I didn’t need to continue the story after I basically figured it all out by the end of half of the first part. Maybe I’m just a detective when it comes to books, or it’s just extremely predictable on purpose? I don’t know.
The characters were pretty cool and I enjoyed the few that didn’t die off immediately. On a story level I enjoyed it a lot. Everything else I didn’t vibe with.
The characters were pretty cool and I enjoyed the few that didn’t die off immediately. On a story level I enjoyed it a lot. Everything else I didn’t vibe with.
sophsoph1414's review against another edition
3.0
short thoughts:
- bucky cantor: do i feel bad for him? do i just want to shake him by the shoulders and tell him to wake up and get over it…? sorry not sorry…(even though i know he would just wallow in self pity no matter what)
- interesting contrast between Arnie and Bucky’s outcomes with polio, and i love the God-like description of Bucky as the “primordial man” with his javelin to show that the Chancellor boys never once thought he “betrayed them”. also interesting to think about Arnie’s description of Bucky and Bucky’s hatred/resentment of God. He basically “becomes” God himself to the boys, the thing/being he hates by the end of the book.
- really great story talking about polio and its effects on specific areas/communities. Poses questions into values and morals, differences in opinions when it comes to pandemics and sickness- how should we go about them? did Bucky do the right thing? Would shutting down Chancellor any earlier really helped? Does maintaining all sense of normalcy trump the very real risk of contagion during a pandemic?
- bucky cantor: do i feel bad for him? do i just want to shake him by the shoulders and tell him to wake up and get over it…? sorry not sorry…(even though i know he would just wallow in self pity no matter what)
- interesting contrast between Arnie and Bucky’s outcomes with polio, and i love the God-like description of Bucky as the “primordial man” with his javelin to show that the Chancellor boys never once thought he “betrayed them”. also interesting to think about Arnie’s description of Bucky and Bucky’s hatred/resentment of God. He basically “becomes” God himself to the boys, the thing/being he hates by the end of the book.
- really great story talking about polio and its effects on specific areas/communities. Poses questions into values and morals, differences in opinions when it comes to pandemics and sickness- how should we go about them? did Bucky do the right thing? Would shutting down Chancellor any earlier really helped? Does maintaining all sense of normalcy trump the very real risk of contagion during a pandemic?
amris's review against another edition
emotional
sad
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, and Sexual content
elanna76's review against another edition
2.0
I don't have much to add to the comment I impulsively wrote while reading.
Seriously pal, there are a bloody polio epidemic AND a world war, and this guy manages to make it about himself and his neurosis.
Don't get me wrong, Philip Roth can write and he caught my attention since the start, with a vibrant depiction of a North American urban jewish community. I expected so much more, that when I realised that it was actually all about a relatively a young American kinda white man's internal dissatisfactions, I felt like someone had just thrown a bucket of ice water over my head. The only other novel I can remember that gave me this feeling was The Historian, that awful realisation that it was all about... not Balcan history of the last century with its tragic secrets, not the plight of minorities in the terrible war of the Nineties, but actually THAT, for fucks' sake.
It's not respected literary company to be found in, no sir, not in my eyes.
It's such a pity that there were so many directions this book could have taken, all more worthwhile than the Portnoyesque mental wanks I had to endure from circa a third of the way into the story. There was the conflict with the Italians, but no, let's focus on the protagonist's internal conflict with his own choices. There was the tendency of the terrified parents to look for a scapegoat with all the implications it could have had for the protagonist, given his role as children's mentor and the decisions he had to make. Instead, why not focus on his internalised guilt about being healthy and about accepting a way out of the community, Roth must have thought. THAT was a clear case of an "it looked like a good idea" moment, if ever there were any. Not your garden variety, mind, I am talking about bad narrative decisions with fangs and talons, the kind that keeps mawling your empathy for a main character until you start thinking that making of him an actual scapegoat and burning him in a wicker frame would be a perfectly sound ending.
I endured to the end, for the sole (and, with hindsight, reckless) reason that I want to finish my annual reading challenge. Something that I rarely do, and this frustrating experience reminded my that I should stick to my policy of dumping books that give me less than they take as soon as I realise my mistake.
And no, I don't want to spoil it for you, but sadly they don't burn the guy alive in the end.
Seriously pal, there are a bloody polio epidemic AND a world war, and this guy manages to make it about himself and his neurosis.
Don't get me wrong, Philip Roth can write and he caught my attention since the start, with a vibrant depiction of a North American urban jewish community. I expected so much more, that when I realised that it was actually all about a relatively a young American kinda white man's internal dissatisfactions, I felt like someone had just thrown a bucket of ice water over my head. The only other novel I can remember that gave me this feeling was The Historian, that awful realisation that it was all about... not Balcan history of the last century with its tragic secrets, not the plight of minorities in the terrible war of the Nineties, but actually THAT, for fucks' sake.
It's not respected literary company to be found in, no sir, not in my eyes.
It's such a pity that there were so many directions this book could have taken, all more worthwhile than the Portnoyesque mental wanks I had to endure from circa a third of the way into the story. There was the conflict with the Italians, but no, let's focus on the protagonist's internal conflict with his own choices. There was the tendency of the terrified parents to look for a scapegoat with all the implications it could have had for the protagonist, given his role as children's mentor and the decisions he had to make. Instead, why not focus on his internalised guilt about being healthy and about accepting a way out of the community, Roth must have thought. THAT was a clear case of an "it looked like a good idea" moment, if ever there were any. Not your garden variety, mind, I am talking about bad narrative decisions with fangs and talons, the kind that keeps mawling your empathy for a main character until you start thinking that making of him an actual scapegoat and burning him in a wicker frame would be a perfectly sound ending.
I endured to the end, for the sole (and, with hindsight, reckless) reason that I want to finish my annual reading challenge. Something that I rarely do, and this frustrating experience reminded my that I should stick to my policy of dumping books that give me less than they take as soon as I realise my mistake.
And no, I don't want to spoil it for you, but sadly they don't burn the guy alive in the end.