i really like chris adrian (children's hospital), so i really wanted to like this book. great at first, and then whatevs. a book for a plane.

What a weird and disappointing little book. It had moments of potential which never seemed to go anywhere. A shame.

I have been lucky with some great book finds this year. This was another. I really enjoyed it.

What. The hell. Was that.
:(

Yeah, no thanks. This was not the Midsummer Night's Dream retelling for me. I gave one extra star for Titania, who was the best part of the book...otherwise, I feel like I wasted my time.

Man. If I only had two words to describe this book, they would be "whimsical" and "heartwrenching." It was like the movie "hook" plus sex scenes and a lot of death and sadness, plus a touch of Tom Robbins wryness. I wasn't sure at first, the first 50 pages are a bit slow, but after that I couldn't put it down.

The author went to Harvard Divinity school, got his MFA from Iowa and is also a doctor (pediatric oncology). Kind of amazing. I want to read "The Children's Hospital" next.

Interesting characters, sad book with a sometimes muddled plot, but satisfying ending.

Bizarre, and wonderfully written.

this was like a warm unshaken cocktail: all the ingredients were there, but the preparation was botched

This book, The Great Night, is loosely based on A Midsummer Nght’s Dream - very loosely. The magical element and faries and such are part of the book but that’s about it. but thb, I can’t remember the play very well - so who knows lol, this was the first proper theatre play I went to btw. I was around 8 and I was crushing hard on the guy who played Puck. So I’ll always have a soft spot for that character :) sigh....
anyways, this book is a really good read. Chris Adrian writes quite well and is sometimes laugh out loud funny! I had a good chuckle, especially in the doctor’s waiting room, when everyone is really quiet and you’re desperately trying not to laugh.
this being said, it deals a lot with loss and grief which seems the opposite of funny but Adrian somehow makes these two things work without being disrespectful or absurd.