deaddivine's reviews
45 reviews

dark emotional sad 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

5.0

This is my first time reading any James Baldwin, I was initially surprised by his style of writing, it took a bit of getting used to as sentences tend to run on a bit. However he writes with such evocative phrases and descriptions it paints a wonderful picture, I love how he describes people and their emotions.

This book made me sad, it made feel so much despair for Giovanni, and so much pity for David, he could've had a happy queer life in Paris with Giovanni but he threw it away to live a lie, which damned not only him but also Giovanni too. The sadness, the guilt, the shame, it's felt all throughout the book, and it's a feeling a lot of fellow queer people can relate to. It is incredibly gut wrenching and soul crushing, but it is an incredible read.

Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett

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dark funny 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? Yes

5.0

Waiting for Godot is an interesting play, there's much to be said about the relationships between Vladimir and Estragon as well as Pozzo and Lucky, and all of the various symbolism and topics it touches upon. Yet I struggle to put my feelings into words, there are so many different aspects to this play and I understand none of them. However I greatly enjoyed reading it and I would love to see this performed live.

Smarter people than I could discuss it's philosophy and Christian symbolism until Godot shows up, but I loved the weird relationships on display here. Vladimir and Estragon are a strange couple who cannot keep away from each other, they argue, they laugh, they embrace, they leave and come crawling back to each other. They are nearly entirely co-dependent, only separating at night when Estragon is beaten. Pozzo and Lucky have a much weirder and more overt co-dependency though. In act 1 Pozzo makes Lucky do everything for him yet he wishes to get rid of Lucky, this makes Lucky constantly try to impress Pozzo. They have a weird master/slave relationship that seems BDSM in nature given how Lucky is said to want this relationship to continue. Later in act 2 Pozzo becomes entirely dependent on Lucky after going blind, with the rope he used to control Lucky suddenly becoming his life line. Lucky becomes the driver, almost, he still gets whipped and ordered about.

Orange World by Karen Russell

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

After thoroughly enjoying vampires in the lemon grove I knew I had to read Karen Russell's other short story collections. Orange World was great, however I definitely prefer vampires. I found the beginning stories to be weak compared to the incredible stories at the end. The Prospectors and Tornado Auction were pretty forgettable but were fun stories none the less. The best stories in my opinion are Madame Bovary's Greyhound, Black Corfu, The Gondoliers, and Orange World. Bad Graft and Bog Girl were pretty good but didn't stand out above the rest. Overall I'm super excited to read more of Karen Russell and she's quickly becoming one of my favourite authors.

Grit: Poems by Silas Denver Melvin by silas denver melvin

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challenging emotional reflective

4.5

Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell

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adventurous mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Karen Russell is an excellent writer, her writing style is so evocative and vivid. The stories themselves were incredibly compelling, I just really wanted more and more of each story. It's hard to choose a favourite, I felt very strongly towards almost all of them with only Antarctic tailgating feeling quite uninteresting, and frankly quite pointless. I genuinely love these stories, they're super creative and tap into otherworldly yet incredibly human experiences many endure.

The Sacred Sins of Father Black by St John Starling

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adventurous lighthearted medium-paced