burnoutbooks's reviews
164 reviews

extraordinary little book
instant classic for a reason - if i were a high school english teacher this would absolutely be on the syllabus 

deeply entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable collection of uber-contemporary stories
some repetitive structures and motifs among the stories that become a bit tired, but written with such a light touch and surreal humor that they aren’t tedious

she did it again
such a dark bummer but also i’m laughing at every mention of tumblr and glee from an author who clearly lived that life with me
narrator is similar to that of the silent patient but so much better 

what a gothic dream - it has everything: haunted house, social commentary on racism and classism, twins, waifish beauty, ghosts, eating disorders, matrilineally inherited trauma
i love helen oyeyemi 🫶🏼

i thought this was exceptional and to call it a “cinematic thrill ride” per the jacket blurb really does a disservice to the nuanced social commentary that underpins the story 
characters were great and i actually appreciated that their development was tertiary to the 1. linear heist plot and 2. the picturesque depiction of morality in a speculative world 
(what did i just type? circle back to that)
i am going to recommend this to a lot of people, i reckon
and honestly it has reinvigorated my inclination to be gay do crime, and that feels apropos to the current moment

i am BUMMED - i really thought i would love this!! 
1. i was looking for space exploration more than a book about the ISS but that’s my fault - i also think the jacket blurb was not written very well
2. i think it was about fifty pages too long
3. it couldn’t decide if it was an ode or a treatise or a character study which means it was none of them
4. the language is undeniably beautiful in 95% of the book

what a fascinating little book - i think dissertations will be written on this
i think i loved it but i also don’t know that i’ve achieved a full Understanding of the text so will have to reread for sure
honestly it reminded me of reading the sound and the fury, where you just have to let the prose happen to you
written in 2019 and almost disturbingly prophetic in a few ways when read in 2025 - there’s so much to think about and the story invites meditation on the questions rather than proselytizing on the answer… much to consider
shares themes with eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, among others
also - i know A Lot of polysyllabic words and i had to look up, like, a couple of new ones when reading this

this is much more of a reinterpretation than a retelling and i think i was hoping for a more faithful literary adaptation
that said i think it was pretty well done for being turned into a fantasy novel
the language in the first 3/4 of the book seemed appropriately complex but really lost that Shakespearean tone towards the end

this is CRAAAAZY GOOD and honestly i’m appalled that i’ve never had it recommended to me
jorge luis borge’s prologue is arguably the best i’ve ever read for any novel
i was totally engaged, the writing evokes a really clear picture of the setting, i knew i would get an answer but had no idea where it would go 
i want to recommend and discuss this with my continental philosophy professor from college
{[(robinson crusoe + the time machine)*(what moves the dead)]/(phenomenology)}+ meta narrative

sicilian rights
this is incredible and exactly what i want a ~political~ murder mystery to be
it is deeply deeeeeeeply philosophical and reminded me a bit of thomas pynchon/crying of lot 49 just in the feeling i got from reading it
i think there are lessons to take away, its wonderful written, and it is the first of many sciascia books in my repertoire!