flara's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moon Tiger is written in a language rich on associations that seemingly have nothing in common. Fragments of different timelines are scattered across the book. The opening is slightly difficult to follow because out of the blue you will get bombarded by different character names, historical references and other things you never heard off. Lively's sentences are rich, I think that's the best way to describe it. She joins mythology, politics, geographical places and feelings in lengthy and elaborate sentences. If your attention slips away for just a couple of these (somewhat) pretentious references, you will miss the point of the sentence all together. First it took me some getting used to. But once I finished the book and tried to read another one, no matter which one, it seemed bland in comparison. The events that take place in the book are captured only fleetingly, but Lively's writing gives them dimension. I would like to see Moon Tiger adapted for screen, I think it would make for an interesting film.
Claudia, the main heroine, is not a likeable character. I found her privileged and self-absorbed, but at least she never pretended to be any other way. I liked that about her. She was realistic, deeply flawed, but at the same time she was self-aware and unapologetic. Claudia's story is a myriad of regrets and revelations. There is incest, miscarriage, loss, war trauma, affairs. I didn't expect to like the book at the beginning, mainly due to how annoying I found Claudia to be. But as the story untangled, so did my scepticism.
Claudia, the main heroine, is not a likeable character. I found her privileged and self-absorbed, but at least she never pretended to be any other way. I liked that about her. She was realistic, deeply flawed, but at the same time she was self-aware and unapologetic. Claudia's story is a myriad of regrets and revelations. There is incest, miscarriage, loss, war trauma, affairs. I didn't expect to like the book at the beginning, mainly due to how annoying I found Claudia to be. But as the story untangled, so did my scepticism.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Miscarriage, and War
Moderate: Death and Grief
Minor: Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Violence, Colonisation, Incest, and Infidelity
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