Reviews

Witte nachten by André Aciman

el_tuttle's review against another edition

5.0

If your heart aches as you remember youthful long nights of getting to know someone, where the air is full of flirtatious wit and all characters involved are toeing the line without overstepping, this book is for you. Don't be fooled by reviews suggesting the book is longer than the story; it is the depth that Aciman gives his characters, combined with his beautiful prose, that makes a story where not much happens absolutely worthwhile.

thebernie's review against another edition

3.0

This book is an odd thing to say the least. It's like reliving all the bad relationships you almost ever had but never quite made it. It's truthful yet untruthful and spends too much time distracting the reader. And leaves you in the lurch, when it's done dragging you through the slop.

geoffry's review

4.0

"Zij was de meteoor, ik het gapende gat." Witte nachten is een allesverzengende romance tussen twee (te) zelfzekere mensen die in de liefde constant aan zichzelf twijfelen.

Dit boek ging weliswaar geregeld over mijn hoofd, gezien de twee hoofdpersonages (de enige twee personages tout court, eigenlijk) elkaar het hof proberen maken met Händel-preludes, Rohmer-films en quotes uit Mozarts Don Giovanni. Enorm pretentieus op het eerste zicht, maar Aciman verweeft het in zo'n prachtige dialogen dat je het graag op je laat afkomen.

thehighepopt's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-paced

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

1.5

It's like the author went to a party, saw a beautiful woman, then jerked off into a book every day for a week.  All manic pixie dreamgirl, no dialogue that isn't repeating what the MC said.  Nothing goes anywhere or does anything. The best part is you can read the first sentence of a paragraph, skip the rest, and miss nothing.

quinndm's review against another edition

2.0

Self-indulgent. Laborious. And exasperating!... but, also, beautifully written.

There is a moment in the book when the character thinks, feels, he’s being pitiful. And, the truth is: he is. But he’s also frustrating, and confusing, aggravating, and not that enjoyable to read about.

Aciman is a true master of simile and description, of memory and emotion, but even his power with words can’t keep this story together. It drags. It lags. It falters. He spends too much time on the inane, and neglects the true heart of the book: the character’s relationship with his father.

Aciman is a literary role model, and this book proves our idols can’t always be perfect. But it is this misstep that makes me admire him even more.

bellaroobookworm's review against another edition

5.0

Whoa. That was a whirlwind, and I don't know how to feel.

First off, I know that this book isn't everyone's cup of tea. Not everyone wants to be trapped in the mind of a man whose thoughts move faster than a whirling dervish. But the beauty of Aciman's novel is that the protagonist thinks the same thoughts that everyone who has experienced love has thought, if maybe to a higher degree. There's pain and glee and heartbreak and beauty, all wrapped together, and trying to tease them apart does no good.

The name Clara has forever been changed for me. Aciman's book was one of the most engaging things I've read in a long, long time.

gkcf's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

suchikaashyap's review against another edition

4.0

A very beautiful book where nothing happens and a result everything does. There was an element of being dragged out towards the end that seemed to sour the taste a wee bit but there were enough beautiful lines and sense of mystique about the book to keep the reader guessing provided you are patient.
It is one of those books that will keep a reader engaged or not at all and would entirely depend on their mood at the time.
You might find Clara prickly or smart, cruel or clever, sarcastic or funny. Oskàr as she calls him engages in a mental dialogue throughout the book and either you take to it or not at all.
Eight beautiful white nights or one big mental dialogue, the decision is yours.

la_ooo_ra's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

2.0

smupple's review against another edition

emotional tense medium-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

2.5