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kmthomas06's review against another edition
3.0
I read an uncorrected proof via Edelweiss.
I both liked this and found it extremely annoying at the same time. I think a lot of it had to do with the formatting and I hope once this is actually published there will be better indicators to the readers when Stevens is switching between her narrative, one of her short stories, and the unfinished novel she's working on because I spent a lot of pages figuring out which one was which a lot when reading. That said, I liked the disjointedness of the narrative (which surprised me), I just want a better marker for when the narrative is switching up.
Stevens herself can grate a bit. She's very much what you think of when you think "twenty-something rather insecure MFA graduate working on first novel." But she is incredibly honest (or seems to be) and I cannot but applaud that sort of raw honesty about one's self. Stevens can be annoying, whiny, and unlikable and she doesn't sugarcoat that. She also isn't hiding her failure here and I liked that best of all. She is very clearly writing an entire book about this really weird and rather foolish idea she actually acted on and then failed at it pretty spectacularly. I think she is strongest when it's her narrative; I found the fiction she includes of that sort of pretentious overly sexual blather that MFA programs are churning out by the literary review full and I find utterly ridiculous and boring most of the time (because do you know the people in those stories? I don't and I don't want to either). I read this for the premise; the idea of a writer going off to live in the middle of nowhere and Stevens delivered beautifully for that part of the story.
I both liked this and found it extremely annoying at the same time. I think a lot of it had to do with the formatting and I hope once this is actually published there will be better indicators to the readers when Stevens is switching between her narrative, one of her short stories, and the unfinished novel she's working on because I spent a lot of pages figuring out which one was which a lot when reading. That said, I liked the disjointedness of the narrative (which surprised me), I just want a better marker for when the narrative is switching up.
Stevens herself can grate a bit. She's very much what you think of when you think "twenty-something rather insecure MFA graduate working on first novel." But she is incredibly honest (or seems to be) and I cannot but applaud that sort of raw honesty about one's self. Stevens can be annoying, whiny, and unlikable and she doesn't sugarcoat that. She also isn't hiding her failure here and I liked that best of all. She is very clearly writing an entire book about this really weird and rather foolish idea she actually acted on and then failed at it pretty spectacularly. I think she is strongest when it's her narrative; I found the fiction she includes of that sort of pretentious overly sexual blather that MFA programs are churning out by the literary review full and I find utterly ridiculous and boring most of the time (because do you know the people in those stories? I don't and I don't want to either). I read this for the premise; the idea of a writer going off to live in the middle of nowhere and Stevens delivered beautifully for that part of the story.
aclockworkreader_'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.5
djecak's review against another edition
5.0
I expected this book to have a higher rating on Goodreads. I really loved it and would recommend it to everybody.
sadie_glutz's review against another edition
4.0
A 3-month stay on a deserted island has always been on my bucket list, and this memoir just solidified that wish.
asurges's review against another edition
4.0
Why, as human beings, are we drawn to books about voluntary isolation? Nell Stevens was offered a fellowship to *anywhere* in the world, and she chose Bleaker island, part of the Falklands, to write her novel. If you want to read about what it means to develop as a writer and a person, then this is an excellent pick. Stevens mixes in a couple of short stories, some past events, and parts of her (not very good) novel. She's funny at times, thoughtful much of the time, and downright crazy in some parts, as most of us would be in the same situation. Enjoyable read.
amycrea's review against another edition
3.0
To be fair, I loved the parts of the book that took place on Bleaker Island. But there's a fair amount of backstory that didn't feel necessary, and I didn't love the fiction samples.
cwileygo's review against another edition
4.0
An aspiring writer myself, I enjoyed Nell's POV. The fiction chapters felt disjointed but I understand and appreciate why they were included. All in all a decent book. Still not convinced you need multiple degrees to publish a novel but "to each their own." Bravo for completing it.
coriwiden's review against another edition
5.0
The reviews that I’d read before made me regret the purchase, but I gave it a chance, and I’m so glad I did! I found myself really connected to the author, and thought it was impeccably engaging and well written. Also, a nice change of pace from the usual travel memoirs.