Reviews

Les Lionnes by Lucy Ellmann

badpriestess's review against another edition

challenging reflective medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

thehappypoet's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

pleasereadittome's review against another edition

The novelty wore off.

neolx's review against another edition

I liked the bits about the mother mountain lioness, and understood what she was getting at otherwise, but 1,000 pages of plotless stream of consciousness (of which almost 200 pages worth is “the fact that”) is a lot to ask of a reader who isn’t retired or wealthy enough to sit around reading all day.

drews1's review against another edition

5.0

There are already a lot of really fantastic reviews so I'll just say that it definitely lived up the hype. Structurally very interesting and much more emotionally poignant that I expected.

fionagdonnelly's review against another edition

5.0

i think i know this woman now more than i know myself

bexlrose's review against another edition

1.0

FINALLY finished reading Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellmann. Buckle up because I haven't been this angry about a book in a long while. It was over 1000 pages of pure stream-of-consciousness. 1000 PAGES. Fuck you Ellmann, I want my life back. At 200 pages I'd have given it 4 stars, I thought it was fab at that point, after another 100 pages I was beginning to think it was toss, after another 200 pages I felt like I was embarking upon an act of self flagellation. I put it down after 500 pages and didn't pick it up again for 6 months because, ya know, good books are out there. I thought I'd better finish it because otherwise I wouldn't be able to write this seething review and tell you all how awful it is. Not gonna lie, I skim-read the last 500 pages and I'M NOT EVEN SORRY. Here is my full review in 3 words:
Utter pretentious wank.

Ellmann thinks she's shit-hot, and I'm sure she's a complete genius, I mean you'd really have to be to write this book (that or demented) but just because you CAN write a 1000 page novel about someone's day that starts every new thought with the words 'the fact that' DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD. I hear the author was condescending about crime fiction in an interview too which just filled me with rage considering how if any police officers read her book she could legitimately be charged with wasting police time.

1.5 stars (she made a few good points and there was a metaphor about a lioness running throughout which, whilst in itself was deeply boring, did make for a good allegory)

e11en's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty and Gun violence

jenno's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

What is there to say about this? I know I wouldn't gotten through it if it wasn't for the audio because it is so hard to read and stay focused. And in the end it just does end so what was the point in writing ~1000 pages? That's how I feel anyway. Wouldn't recommend because I spent so many hours with this and while it made me laugh at times it just blabber most of the time. And nothing really comes of it.

kelly_virginia's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? No

3.0