thegloomyreader's review against another edition
1.0
1.5/5
How did such a beautiful movie like 'Desert Hearts' come from such a boring book? Maybe this isn't as terrible as I found it, but certainly not what I wanted or was excepting after having watched the movie. I didn't connect with any of the characters and there were too many instances that felt unnecessary. Just skip the book, and go straight to the movie!
How did such a beautiful movie like 'Desert Hearts' come from such a boring book? Maybe this isn't as terrible as I found it, but certainly not what I wanted or was excepting after having watched the movie. I didn't connect with any of the characters and there were too many instances that felt unnecessary. Just skip the book, and go straight to the movie!
genevebiollo's review against another edition
2.0
Very well written novel although the ending was quite bleak and almost too predictable… I felt as though there was not much character development or even much challenge brought towards the characters. This made it almost had to continue reading at certain points leading me to put down the book for sometime weeks at a time before giving it another try. The main characters were hop and skipping around for 3/4 of the novel until some sort of true conflict came about their relationship. And then boom out of nowhere the conflict is resolved haphazardly to the point of not even effecting the characters or the ending of the novel… it might as well have not even been included in the plot in the first place. I do love a will they, won’t they not slow burn romance, especially a lesbian one… but i was quite disappointed by this novel.
mysxka's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
atomic_tourist's review against another edition
4.0
I thought Desert of the Heart was eerily similar to The Price of Salt-- a sapphic romance with an older woman going through a divorce who finds solace in the arms of a much younger companion. What sets this novel apart from Patricia Highsmith's masterpiece is, in my opinion, the strong sense of place that it imbues on its readers: Evelyn sees the desert as an unwelcoming presence, something that makes her uncomfortable. She also sees Reno and especially the gambling scene as opulent, sinful, and frightening. Yet she finds herself drawn to the desert and to the casinos by Ann; it is easy to see how Ann represents everything scary and exhilarating to Evelyn. I was touched by the framing of this 'late coming out' story as a struggle between Evelyn's propriety and the openness of the desert. Nevada would be a beautiful place to experience a love like this!
starlessblossom's review against another edition
reflective
medium-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
3.75
jolimelon's review against another edition
3.0
If I’d read this book in the 60s, perhaps even the 80s, I’d have given it the full five stars. From my modern lens, however, I’ll generously give it three. Many aspects of the book have not aged well, so it struggles to stand the test of time, despite being very much ahead of it’s time when it was first published. That said, the groundbreaking historical content has certainly earned this novel a good rating for its legacy alone.
One comment I will make, which shocks me as much as it may others, is that the movie made all the right changes and choices. Aspects of this book easily go forgotten after you’ve finished reading it, unlike the memorable scenes and imagery of the film. The long pages of Ann’s tedious work grow dull after some time, making me feel as if I’ve been picking up endless shifts at the casino alongside her. Perhaps the most unfortunate aspect of all is that the nature of sapphic relationships are compared to mother/daughter relationships at every corner and it gets more uncomfortable each time. Ann and Evelyn supposedly look so much alike that it’s a frequent occupant of their own thoughts and mentioned by every other character that encounters them. It begins to head into oedipal territory (and is even referred to as such) as the book goes deeper which is another major reason why the film wins over the novel in this case.
But I do believe that this book is worth a read as a piece of important gay literature. The writing is beautifully descriptive without being pretentious, and the dialogue is thoughtful. There are many sweet moments that are fun to experience. It’s not a long read by any means and can be swept through in a single afternoon.
One comment I will make, which shocks me as much as it may others, is that the movie made all the right changes and choices. Aspects of this book easily go forgotten after you’ve finished reading it, unlike the memorable scenes and imagery of the film. The long pages of Ann’s tedious work grow dull after some time, making me feel as if I’ve been picking up endless shifts at the casino alongside her. Perhaps the most unfortunate aspect of all is that the nature of sapphic relationships are compared to mother/daughter relationships at every corner and it gets more uncomfortable each time. Ann and Evelyn supposedly look so much alike that it’s a frequent occupant of their own thoughts and mentioned by every other character that encounters them. It begins to head into oedipal territory (and is even referred to as such) as the book goes deeper which is another major reason why the film wins over the novel in this case.
But I do believe that this book is worth a read as a piece of important gay literature. The writing is beautifully descriptive without being pretentious, and the dialogue is thoughtful. There are many sweet moments that are fun to experience. It’s not a long read by any means and can be swept through in a single afternoon.
reading_mermaid's review against another edition
First, I came here from the movie and its my bad was not realizing before I picked the book up that it was written in 1964 - I'm not a huge fan of the writing styles then and may have reconsidered it.
Second, I could not get past the repeated references to how much the 2 of them looked alike, in conjunction with their age difference ("oh she could be your mother!" "Why, she could be your daughter") knowing full well they're gonna 😍🤪🦫💦. It was just...a bit yuck and unsettling for me.
And besides THAT 😮💨 the story itself was so weak. Ann and Evelyn's POV had hardly any overlap between the 2 of them, siloed in their own misery/depression/sandpit of thoughts (as one does in 60's novels) that I couldn't see HOW they were attracted/falling for each other. It was just a matter of fact. They hardly interacted....its possible I DNF'd before the real connection happened, but I had no desire to push to the end.
Second, I could not get past the repeated references to how much the 2 of them looked alike, in conjunction with their age difference ("oh she could be your mother!" "Why, she could be your daughter") knowing full well they're gonna 😍🤪🦫💦. It was just...a bit yuck and unsettling for me.
And besides THAT 😮💨 the story itself was so weak. Ann and Evelyn's POV had hardly any overlap between the 2 of them, siloed in their own misery/depression/sandpit of thoughts (as one does in 60's novels) that I couldn't see HOW they were attracted/falling for each other. It was just a matter of fact. They hardly interacted....its possible I DNF'd before the real connection happened, but I had no desire to push to the end.