alinaedwards's review against another edition
I have never loved anyone more.
This is one of those books where I labored through the third, and then read the last twenty or so pages so fast that my eyes burned. The writing is very cerebral and almost spellbinding—you have to really take your time with it, but if you do, it's simply intoxicating. I mostly read it for the intriguing premise, because I love strange relationship dynamics (and this book is rife with them). As I read on, I picked up on a queer subtext that I didn't expect to actually take root in the plot, but boy, was I surprised. To all the gays who like dark academia and classics, this one is definitely for you. The relationship at the core of the novel is so beautiful, so passionate yet tragic... and that's all I'll say. This is certainly an underrated classic, to say the least.
This is one of those books where I labored through the third, and then read the last twenty or so pages so fast that my eyes burned. The writing is very cerebral and almost spellbinding—you have to really take your time with it, but if you do, it's simply intoxicating. I mostly read it for the intriguing premise, because I love strange relationship dynamics (and this book is rife with them). As I read on, I picked up on a queer subtext that I didn't expect to actually take root in the plot, but boy, was I surprised. To all the gays who like dark academia and classics, this one is definitely for you. The relationship at the core of the novel is so beautiful, so passionate yet tragic... and that's all I'll say. This is certainly an underrated classic, to say the least.
schlabber42's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-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
3.5
sophiabjarklev's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
oxytorin's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.5
Stefan Zweig is a wonderful storyteller and this novella was as emotional and mysterious as one would expect from him.Â
what_i_have_read's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
julia_stng's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
luisabuecher's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
timey's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
susann001's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
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? Yes
5.0