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gregory_glover's reviews
313 reviews
The Bell Jar (Modern Classics) by Sylvia Plath, Harper Perennial Modern Classics by Sylvia Plath
dark
reflective
sad
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
Plath has a wicked—and wickedly funny—sense of humor. The subject matter is difficult and some of the passages excruciating. It is definitely worth reading and I am sorry it has taken me so long to pick it up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Gottes-Bilder. zur Metaphorik biblischer Gottesrede by Veronika Burz-Tropper
informative
slow-paced
3.5
Good book for what it is (essay collection from an academic conference). See my full review in the Review of Biblical Literature (08/2024). (https://www.sblcentral.org/home/bookDetails/1001559)
Come Again, Pelican by Don Freeman
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
A nice break from heavy reading for IFR class prep and a book review that is due soon. Plough does not disappoint. Adding to my children’s book collection.
The Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I like this book more than the rating suggests. However, it still did not grab me like some do, hence the lower rating. There’s nothing specifically wrong—and much that is great—about the book. If I were much younger, I think the book might have had a deeper emotional impact. I loved the descriptions and the weaving in of history. I am not big on fantasy, especially the “touch of fantasy“ in an otherwise straightforward novel. The neurodivergence was somewhat interesting, but again did not move me to love the book. Very solid. Very good. Worth reading for the cultural diversity.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
The Eternal Promise: A contemporary Quaker classic and a sequel to A Testament of Devotion by Thomas R. Kelly
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
A bit repetitive and platitudinous in spots, but overall a compelling picture of an ideal Quaker life and meeting/ fellowship.
James by Percival Everett
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Do not miss the Acknowledgments: “Finally, a nod to Mark Twain. His humor and humanity affected me long before I became a writer. Heaven for the climate; hell for my long-awaited lunch with Mark Twain.” That says it all? What an amazing , incredible, beautiful, wonderful, brilliant novel. He does the impossible, giving absolute agency, strength, 3-dimensional life, power, and dignity to Twain’s character. “Jim” is now free….as James has always been.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Rape, Slavery, Torture, and Death of parent
Appropriate: A Provocation by Paisley Rekdal
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
An excellent introduction to questions of racial and cultural appropriation in literature and writing. It is especially important and helpful for students and their teachers. The ideas are clearly presented and the examples are abundant and relevant. I would recommend it for any intro to lit. or intro to comp. class.
We Loved It All: A Memory of Life by Lydia Millet
dark
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.75
There is much to like here. Very thoughtful and beautiful writing. However, the arrangement of the material felt haphazard, jumbled, and unhelpful. The book reminded me of “commonplace books” or a diary or journal that is not regularly kept but written in fits and starts over a very long period of time. I did appreciate the different perspective and approach to similar subject matter as in The Children’s Bible.
The Silent Woman by Janet Malcolm
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
I recently had Plath’s The Bell Jar recommended to me. While reading about Plath (and, unavoidably, also about Hughes) and awaiting the arrival of the novel, I stumbled across this book by Malcolm. I had recently read her Still Pictures: On Photography and Memory and been impressed by her critical perceptiveness. Having made the decision to read more of her work, and embarrassed that I came to it only after her death, I jumped at the opportunity to combine the emerging interest in Plath and Malcolm by reading this first. I am still digesting what I’ve read, but my initial response is that Malcolm is a great literary critic and this treatment of biography as a genre is the best I have ever read. I have a few quibbles with some of her observations, but she makes me think. Her work is smart and informative, meticulous even, without being stiff and overly academic. I loved it. Just what cultural criticism should be.