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schopenhauers_poodle's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Promising debut with an interesting plot twist and some missteps that's deeper than it appears to be.
The premise is straightforward: a South Asian woman in her 30s is having an affair with a serially unfaithful married white man in London. Patel's writing is at its best when the narrator articulates the experience of trying to reconcile the image of a partner or relationship that we have in our head with reality. Less successful are the political and sociocultural rants the narrator goes on that feel preachy, awkward, and sometimes obvious.
But that's all surface, on a closer reading I realized that "I'm a Fan", similar to "Poor Things," functions as a political allegory. "The man I want to be with" stands in for the UK, while "the woman I am obsessed with" is the US, the man's wife is the EU, and the narrator is a colony, (at one point she even describes the man as colonizing her body). It's clever.
I also want to point out an observation I had of many reviews that deride the narrator, calling her "unhinged" or "crazy," which I find dishonest and troubling. Why the focus on the narrator, who we know has less power than and is subordinate to the man and British society? What responsibility does he/it bear? And what responsibility do we have to each other in relationships?
"I'm a Fan" won't stand the test of time but Patel succeeded in creating a time capsule, capturing the zeitgeist of life online during the early 2020s steeped in consumerism, celeb culture, and technology.
The premise is straightforward: a South Asian woman in her 30s is having an affair with a serially unfaithful married white man in London. Patel's writing is at its best when the narrator articulates the experience of trying to reconcile the image of a partner or relationship that we have in our head with reality. Less successful are the political and sociocultural rants the narrator goes on that feel preachy, awkward, and sometimes obvious.
But that's all surface, on a closer reading I realized that "I'm a Fan", similar to "Poor Things," functions as a political allegory. "The man I want to be with" stands in for the UK, while "the woman I am obsessed with" is the US, the man's wife is the EU, and the narrator is a colony, (at one point she even describes the man as colonizing her body). It's clever.
I also want to point out an observation I had of many reviews that deride the narrator, calling her "unhinged" or "crazy," which I find dishonest and troubling. Why the focus on the narrator, who we know has less power than and is subordinate to the man and British society? What responsibility does he/it bear? And what responsibility do we have to each other in relationships?
"I'm a Fan" won't stand the test of time but Patel succeeded in creating a time capsule, capturing the zeitgeist of life online during the early 2020s steeped in consumerism, celeb culture, and technology.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Violence
elizabethgreads's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
There was an attempt made for social commentary regarding fan culture, and people feeling like they don't fit in and comparing themselves to social media influencers. How ever this was not done well. The writing was so distant that it was hard to really get connected to the characters. She also tried to make commentary on race and opportunity however the main characters selfishness, jealously, and bitterness ended up coming across whinny rather than thought out and poignant. None of the characters were named just stated their relationship to the main character. Written in short vignettes which didn't quite work well for the narrative. I thought what the author was attempting to do was a worth while endeavor however the execution was lacking. There was no character growth which was a huge let down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Domestic abuse
hannacolm's review against another edition
dark
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
At times dense. The non-linear timeline doesn’t always do the story favors. The main character is chaotic and yet relatable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
ella_w_h's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
Difficult to finish.
It reads like a mixture of fiction and non-fiction with ideas constantly repeated throughout. I guess it’s to reflect the obsessive nature of love but I honestly just hated it.
It reads like a mixture of fiction and non-fiction with ideas constantly repeated throughout. I guess it’s to reflect the obsessive nature of love but I honestly just hated it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Toxic relationship
lidia7's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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
insightful but repetitive.
classism and race discussion were the highlights for me.
big TWs for infidelity & domestic abuse (physical, emotional, verbal) from the abuser's POV.
while reading about the fucked up relationships the narrator has, i recognized bpd patterns/ tendencies.
overall, i thought i would enjoy it more than i have. too often it felt like a chore to read through.
classism and race discussion were the highlights for me.
big TWs for infidelity & domestic abuse (physical, emotional, verbal) from the abuser's POV.
while reading about the fucked up relationships the narrator has, i recognized bpd patterns/ tendencies.
overall, i thought i would enjoy it more than i have. too often it felt like a chore to read through.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Stalking
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, and Classism
sakisreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This was a story I was inspired to read after listening to Cariad Lloyd and Sara Pascoe’s podcast ‘Weirdos Book Club’ episode featuring one of my favourite comedians Nish Kumar ✨
I really did not regret it AT ALL.
All I can say is that the main character is thoroughly unhinged 😂 Throughout the story I kept laughing because I didn’t know what else to do! She and the man she wants to be with need some serious help, but they are the type of people who will never seek that. I loved getting to meet everyone and get a glimpse into their lives (and their madness) 🙃
I felt awful for the boyfriend to be fair.
I do wish it had a better ending.You can’t be completely and utterly obsessed with someone and not have it ruin your life or have some major event 🤷🏻♀️ I wanted a bit more from it for sure at the end!
Loved the way it leant into classism, Instagram life, race politics and so on. 4 out of 5 stars for me, thank you ✨
I really did not regret it AT ALL.
All I can say is that the main character is thoroughly unhinged 😂 Throughout the story I kept laughing because I didn’t know what else to do! She and the man she wants to be with need some serious help, but they are the type of people who will never seek that. I loved getting to meet everyone and get a glimpse into their lives (and their madness) 🙃
I felt awful for the boyfriend to be fair.
I do wish it had a better ending.
Loved the way it leant into classism, Instagram life, race politics and so on. 4 out of 5 stars for me, thank you ✨
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Classism
velvet_young's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Toxic relationship
Minor: Domestic abuse
teddylouise00's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Had it’s moments but did not captivate me truly, found myself glossing over a lot of it. The topics raised are important but overall I feel like it did not commentate on them in anyway that is substantial or adds anything to the conversation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Domestic abuse
kers_tin's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Stalking
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Racism, and Classism
thelibraryofalexandra's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse