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sfoxofs's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
piltdownworship's review against another edition
4.0
“The sun still shone grudgingly; no spots of rain fell. Orvil began to be seriously affected by the communion wine. He was eaten up with an extreme melancholy. The hopelessness gnawed at him, until he shook his head violently from side to side in a wild effort to rid himself of it. This unwise action brought him off his bicycle. He felt the wheels slithering to one side, and the ring of the bicycle bell as it struck a stone.
He lay on the dusty road for some moments, without attempting to get up. He was quite unhurt, but had begun to cry bitterly. He was crying for all the tortures and atrocities in the world. His tears made damp chocolaty lumps out of the feathery dust.”
“Again Orvil had the feeling of not being able to get any help, of the futility of trying. He knew at this point he was expected to say that school was all right, that he was really being silly, that everything was fine; but instead, he looked away through the trees and forced himself to say;
“I want to die.”
The man looked disgusted.
“That sounds very silly and melodramatic,” he said coldly.
“I don’t understand how to live, what to do,” said Orvil in a rising voice, taunted by these words.”
He lay on the dusty road for some moments, without attempting to get up. He was quite unhurt, but had begun to cry bitterly. He was crying for all the tortures and atrocities in the world. His tears made damp chocolaty lumps out of the feathery dust.”
“Again Orvil had the feeling of not being able to get any help, of the futility of trying. He knew at this point he was expected to say that school was all right, that he was really being silly, that everything was fine; but instead, he looked away through the trees and forced himself to say;
“I want to die.”
The man looked disgusted.
“That sounds very silly and melodramatic,” he said coldly.
“I don’t understand how to live, what to do,” said Orvil in a rising voice, taunted by these words.”
thursday_nxt's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
4.5
praddington's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
readingbrb's review
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia, Racial slurs, and Violence
Minor: Incest
sevenlefts's review against another edition
3.0
I came across a mention of Denton Welch on the blog Band of Thebes. I'd never heard of him, and I'm really glad I read this.
The novelette at the beginning is a great coming of age story, set at a resort hotel during a teenager's summer school holidays. It's one of those stories where seemingly insignificant events can be imbued with deep layers of meaning -- in the way teenagers do.
I liked the "I Left My Grandfather's House" memoir that appeared at the end of the book. It was strange to think about Welch writing down his memories of his 1933 walking tour of southern England after the accident that left him incapable of such a journey. His memory and attention to detail is phenomenal.
A great couple of works that will stick with me for a while, I think.
The novelette at the beginning is a great coming of age story, set at a resort hotel during a teenager's summer school holidays. It's one of those stories where seemingly insignificant events can be imbued with deep layers of meaning -- in the way teenagers do.
I liked the "I Left My Grandfather's House" memoir that appeared at the end of the book. It was strange to think about Welch writing down his memories of his 1933 walking tour of southern England after the accident that left him incapable of such a journey. His memory and attention to detail is phenomenal.
A great couple of works that will stick with me for a while, I think.
kyra_ann_writes's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
3.25