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elizlizabeth's reviews
229 reviews
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
Would recommend if you have time to kill but definitely not if you liked Monty et al and want something similar.
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Genocide and Gaslighting
2.5
I didn't like the contradiction between arguing against the pathologization of loneliness, explicitly in the text, but then taking only examples of people who themselves suffered some illness or trauma that made them "outcasts" to society. Her final thesis being that loneliness IS an illness, but a community one makes sense but it was unsatisfying to me. It left me a bit back on square one, this time with even less answers as to how to deal with loneliness in a community that has decided to shun you and cast you to the fringes.
It was nice that she didn't take a judgmental stance, it made me feel a lot of empathy towards them too. It often takes the easy way out though, almost arguing that every good deed was an individual victory over loneliness, and every bad or disturbing action (such as in Hopper or Darger's case) was just a product of them being subject to loneliness. Schrodinger's agency but.
Honestly it was a well woven and written essay, often calling back to things said prior in a way that made sense and felt like coming full circle. I came out curious about some artists and the pop art movement in general, and there were several quotes I really liked and think will help me when I explore my own "home" in this lonely city. I just wouldn't recommend it to everyone, and especially not if you're already in a complicated mental state.
Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Terminal illness
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Great pacing, I just wish she'd taken a bit longer with the ending since it felt a bit rushed and anticlimactic considering how long the pining was. I liked the epilogue tho.
Graphic: Miscarriage
4.0
Graphic: Animal death
4.0
As for the actual story, I don't know what else I could say that hasn't been said already. It was entertaining. I like that the author doesn't cast any moral judgement on the characters and instead forces you to reside in the complexity of it. Top tier representative of the gothic romance genre tbh.
Graphic: Physical abuse and Toxic relationship
Minor: Confinement, Racial slurs, and Racism
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Body horror, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
The only good parts were other author’s texts, including the bible verses which are not even credited and I would not have noticed had I not reread those passages in preparation for this book.
So underwhelming, save your time and go read something else.
Graphic: Gore, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Violence
4.5
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
2.0
Many of his problematizations of the subject can be easily interpreted as ableist, racist, and downright colonialist, but due to the fact that he doesn't elaborate in any of these, he ends up tip-toeing that middle line like a true libertarian. While I understand that his approach was revolutionary in its time and certainly paved the way to an improvement of pedagogical thinking, I believe that many of his conclusions regarding the "function of school" have been overriden by critical theory (Freire, Jelin, etc.) I would encourage anyone with an interest in education to look up more perspectives and not "marry" into Postman's vision so quickly.