rdreading9's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
annarella's review against another edition
3.0
This is a well written book and I liked the storytelling. The perspective changed if reading it during the lockdown and after. I don't care for the characters but I liked the storytelling and the style of writing.
It reminded me of the Decameron by Boccaccio (but I found Boccaccio more entertaining)
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
It reminded me of the Decameron by Boccaccio (but I found Boccaccio more entertaining)
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
oddly's review against another edition
DNF at 25%.
Maybe something happens at some point in this book? I'm too bored to wait around and find out.
Maybe something happens at some point in this book? I'm too bored to wait around and find out.
brittaini's review against another edition
3.0
The jacket calls this book a masterpiece. Actually, it was ok.
anniesmanybooks's review against another edition
4.0
Part comedy of manners, pandemic novel, Russian classic, and literary satire. Funny, well drawn characters, and elegantly written, but a bit too long. Captures much of the Covid confusion and political upheaval of 2020 with a light but compassionate touch.
rebekahcraft's review against another edition
4.0
If you're ready to relive March 2020, this book fits the bill. The setting was the perfect spot to bring in an evolving cast of characters who were really richly drawn.
Parts of this book read like auto-fiction to me, and I enjoyed imagining it being set in Shteyngart's Dutchess county home.
Parts of this book read like auto-fiction to me, and I enjoyed imagining it being set in Shteyngart's Dutchess county home.
lawmaaa's review against another edition
Maybe I was not the right audience for this? Maybe it needed a better editor? Or a few more rewrites, at a minimum? There was potential with this conceit but I just didn’t enjoy the execution- I found the book too choppy and was not really invested in any of the characters.
marylandgeorgia's review against another edition
I have no idea what to rate this. For most of the book, I had no idea what was going on, but I still enjoyed it. Wonderful writing and I loved the description of the setting
jayda0418's review against another edition
1.0
I could barely make it through this book. All of the characters were insufferable, and the sentences were so long that I kept losing track of what was happening in the book. There were too many characters and too much going on that I literally cannot explain what happened in this book overall.
gvenezia's review against another edition
1.0
Soft-woke liberalism ruins all of the novel’s political, moral, and satirical potential. Outlandish drama and unconvincing obsession render it melodramatic. Redundant symbolism, punny puns, and obvious pandemic observations make it a chore.
To be fair, the setup as theater play and the first quarter establishing the group dynamics was promising (4/5 stars). Characters were differentiated well and the tone moved easily from satire to drama to comedy to initial pandemic experiences of uncertain vulnerability and tragedy.
However, as some of the initial conflicts came to a head and the plot developed, all was ruined by Shteyngart’s cringe symbolism, mundane pandemic observations, soft-woke liberalism, and random narrative shifts. It's 1/5 stars from here on out...
Toward the end Shteyngart starts narrowing in on one character, except it’s primarily through flashbacks and/or dreams, but they aren't differentiated all that well at first? Like the dreams don’t seem that crazy or meaningful? Feels more like the author had a daydream about the characters while going back and forth between several backstory ideas.
Eventually there’s supposed to be an emotional event, but the backstory was so confused and the relationship repair scenes so staged and superficial so as to take all wind out of any emotional payoff.
/rant
Anyway here’s a short selection of more 1-star worthy material:
One character develops a “kink” for his partner to wear a mask during sex. How unexpected and edgy!
There’s an ominous truck that gets read as a racist country person, but it basically amounts to nothing? There’s also no real escalation of the “threat"? It just shows up every now and again? Vroom Vroom Big Doom!
Bad 2020 puns:
Shteyngart mentions 2020 as the year of imperfect 2020 vision.
Lit 101 symbolism:
As tensions rise, a storm is coming. The tensions rise some more and later on we again hear the storm is coming. Then we also get mentions of the birds who also know that the storm is coming. Ah yes birds == bad omen. Storm == tension.
No really we’ve read other serious novels before, we get the symbolic idea:
"Karen lifted [Natasha] up. . . That wast the idea: that she would lift Natasha up."
To be fair, the setup as theater play and the first quarter establishing the group dynamics was promising (4/5 stars). Characters were differentiated well and the tone moved easily from satire to drama to comedy to initial pandemic experiences of uncertain vulnerability and tragedy.
However, as some of the initial conflicts came to a head and the plot developed, all was ruined by Shteyngart’s cringe symbolism, mundane pandemic observations, soft-woke liberalism, and random narrative shifts. It's 1/5 stars from here on out...
Toward the end Shteyngart starts narrowing in on one character, except it’s primarily through flashbacks and/or dreams, but they aren't differentiated all that well at first? Like the dreams don’t seem that crazy or meaningful? Feels more like the author had a daydream about the characters while going back and forth between several backstory ideas.
Eventually there’s supposed to be an emotional event, but the backstory was so confused and the relationship repair scenes so staged and superficial so as to take all wind out of any emotional payoff.
/rant
Anyway here’s a short selection of more 1-star worthy material:
One character develops a “kink” for his partner to wear a mask during sex. How unexpected and edgy!
There’s an ominous truck that gets read as a racist country person, but it basically amounts to nothing? There’s also no real escalation of the “threat"? It just shows up every now and again? Vroom Vroom Big Doom!
Bad 2020 puns:
Shteyngart mentions 2020 as the year of imperfect 2020 vision.
Lit 101 symbolism:
As tensions rise, a storm is coming. The tensions rise some more and later on we again hear the storm is coming. Then we also get mentions of the birds who also know that the storm is coming. Ah yes birds == bad omen. Storm == tension.
No really we’ve read other serious novels before, we get the symbolic idea:
"Karen lifted [Natasha] up. . . That wast the idea: that she would lift Natasha up."