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A review by sunshin_lemonade
The Illusion of Separateness by Simon Van Booy
5.0
Praise:
- This was an exceptional book in all aspects, plot, characterisation, philosophical framework, and the message it aimed to convey to the reader
- Van Booy has created a delicately woven story whose every aspect/element has been considered thoughtfully and connected back to the central story and to the underlying philosophical framework of the novel.
- The array of characters introduced throughout the story was exciting, and beautifully done by Van Booy, in which readers feel that they intimately know each character (no matter the size of their role in the novel)
- The connections between each of the characters were carefully planned, and I was shocked and excited at each point when a new connection between characters was created - with the revelation of the final connection, I was in awe of Van Booy's meticulous planning and the beautiful framework of the novel
- The writing was lyrical, flowing beautifully between descriptions of the characters' memories, imagination and present lives. Van Booy is able to effectively communicate the emotions that all of us feel regarding grief, love and memory in a relatable and simple manner.
Criticism:
- Not all of the characters were fully fleshed out as others, with characters at times simply being introduced for the sake of creating a connection to another character. I wish that Van Booy had taken the time to flesh out each character equally and not make their central purpose to simply create a connection later on in the story but to actually add depth to the novel.
- Some of the writing was choppy, with Van Booy jumping from discussing a character's life or memories to suddenly inserting [a disconnected] quotable line. I feel that the transition from his prose to his 'quotable lines' should have been seamless.
- This was an exceptional book in all aspects, plot, characterisation, philosophical framework, and the message it aimed to convey to the reader
- Van Booy has created a delicately woven story whose every aspect/element has been considered thoughtfully and connected back to the central story and to the underlying philosophical framework of the novel.
- The array of characters introduced throughout the story was exciting, and beautifully done by Van Booy, in which readers feel that they intimately know each character (no matter the size of their role in the novel)
- The connections between each of the characters were carefully planned, and I was shocked and excited at each point when a new connection between characters was created - with the revelation of the final connection, I was in awe of Van Booy's meticulous planning and the beautiful framework of the novel
- The writing was lyrical, flowing beautifully between descriptions of the characters' memories, imagination and present lives. Van Booy is able to effectively communicate the emotions that all of us feel regarding grief, love and memory in a relatable and simple manner.
Criticism:
- Not all of the characters were fully fleshed out as others, with characters at times simply being introduced for the sake of creating a connection to another character. I wish that Van Booy had taken the time to flesh out each character equally and not make their central purpose to simply create a connection later on in the story but to actually add depth to the novel.
- Some of the writing was choppy, with Van Booy jumping from discussing a character's life or memories to suddenly inserting [a disconnected] quotable line. I feel that the transition from his prose to his 'quotable lines' should have been seamless.