ferris_mx's review against another edition
5.0
Really brings home the AIDS crisis. The randomness, the powerlessness, the pervasiveness.
Sad how much plot eventually stemmed from toxic insecurity.
Sad how much plot eventually stemmed from toxic insecurity.
sedge's review against another edition
5.0
It’s hard to know where to begin when describing this book because encased me so deeply in the tragic plight of man whose struggles I will never come close to understanding.
As a reader, you are tethered closely enough to the story to know how ferocious the HIV and AIDS epidemic was in America in the 1980’s and how it wreaked such havoc on an already marginales community. However, you are still held at out at a slight distance by shear fact that you can’t comprehend the sadness this would have caused. This dynamic is reflected through on of the central female characters as she witnessed the struggles of her brother and his friends but was never able to completely understand their pain. Her own suffering was no less traumatising, it just existed in a different realm to theirs.
As a whole, this is just a very well devised and researched novel. It contains so many beautiful passages and character nuances that it’s really easy to use to the elegance of the writing to distract oneself from the tragedy of the plot. The duel narrative and character crossover kept things interesting and I enjoyed how the theme of motherhood was explored in conjunction with each characters development.
It was just extremely throughly provoking and I guess that’s what most books should aim to achieve, right?
I would want every single person ever in the whole world to read this book. It tells a very important story. It’s fantastic.
As a reader, you are tethered closely enough to the story to know how ferocious the HIV and AIDS epidemic was in America in the 1980’s and how it wreaked such havoc on an already marginales community. However, you are still held at out at a slight distance by shear fact that you can’t comprehend the sadness this would have caused. This dynamic is reflected through on of the central female characters as she witnessed the struggles of her brother and his friends but was never able to completely understand their pain. Her own suffering was no less traumatising, it just existed in a different realm to theirs.
As a whole, this is just a very well devised and researched novel. It contains so many beautiful passages and character nuances that it’s really easy to use to the elegance of the writing to distract oneself from the tragedy of the plot. The duel narrative and character crossover kept things interesting and I enjoyed how the theme of motherhood was explored in conjunction with each characters development.
It was just extremely throughly provoking and I guess that’s what most books should aim to achieve, right?
I would want every single person ever in the whole world to read this book. It tells a very important story. It’s fantastic.
madewellreads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Makkai brings to life the trauma of the AIDS epidemic during the 1980s- early 1990s. I have engaged in historical accounts from this era, but Makkai humanizes this history with complex, nuanced, flawed characters who just wanted to live. Makkai reminds us that men who slept with other men (the group most directly impacted in the U.S. at the height of the epidemic) during this time were not a monolithic group. Not all identified as gay; not all wanted to get tested for HIV. Some fought back; others retreated.
rachelmay1's review against another edition
4.0
A slow burn that provided a window into a time period I knew little about. The 80s are celebrated so much and this perspective showed an important viewpoint on something I never knew much about.
julietted_'s review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
steve_sanders's review against another edition
5.0
The 80’s narrative thread is simply phenomenal. Maybe the best fiction I’ve ever encountered about the early days of the epidemic. The 2015 Paris plot line wound up feeling a little padded and anticlimactic in comparison. But a must-read nevertheless.
beelzebean's review against another edition
5.0
Being only a kid in the 1980's and the early 90's, I did not directly experience the AIDS epidemic. But at that age, I remember there being a running joke in schoolyards to claim that another kid had AIDS, then running away screaming from them. I don't think kids around me truly knew what AIDS was, only that it was a contagious disease, and jokes accusing someone of being gay were extremely common. See any comedy skit produced during that time.
This book gives a very human and very tragic view into the gay scene in Chicago during the AIDS crisis. It's SO human that it's clear that Makkai put some research into real personal stories of that time. It is a well written book full of loss, but also love, friendship and nostalgia. When Yale says "I was living in the Golden Age and didn't even know it!" I felt it deeply in my gut.
To be honest, parts of this book was slow moving and perhaps it was a few pages too long, but overall, I'm glad to have read it. I loved the art elements, Nora's story, and the travel back and forth through time. Maybe more embellishments on Paris would have been nice, but I'm a sucker for that type of thing.
I can only imagine that those who experienced the AIDS crisis first hand will feel this book deeply.
This book gives a very human and very tragic view into the gay scene in Chicago during the AIDS crisis. It's SO human that it's clear that Makkai put some research into real personal stories of that time. It is a well written book full of loss, but also love, friendship and nostalgia. When Yale says "I was living in the Golden Age and didn't even know it!" I felt it deeply in my gut.
To be honest, parts of this book was slow moving and perhaps it was a few pages too long, but overall, I'm glad to have read it. I loved the art elements, Nora's story, and the travel back and forth through time. Maybe more embellishments on Paris would have been nice, but I'm a sucker for that type of thing.
I can only imagine that those who experienced the AIDS crisis first hand will feel this book deeply.
sjfrancis's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0