jessicaxmaria's reviews
1009 reviews

Just absolutely scathing. As someone married for 15 years, lots of released breaths during this. And also gratitude for aspects of my partner missing from this 'John'. Whew whew whew. 

Flew through this - more elaborate review to come.

 At first, confusion. Though the rhythm becomes apparent after a few pages, I felt less guided into INTERMEZZO than in Sally Rooney’s previous novels. The stream-of-consciousness writing drops the reader into a funeral from the onset. And so the book begins to reveal the tenuous and complicated relationship between two brothers. Ivan is a 22-year-old chess champion, and Peter an established lawyer ten years his senior, and their father has died.

The novel displays the brothers’ lives in contrast to each other in their grief, and in their romantic interactions with a few women. Rooney is a remarkable writer, and her popularity is probably most associated with the way she writes intimately about her characters. I do think she leveled up in this novel, in getting at the innermost thoughts of two men; outwardly, one seems awkward, the other social and affable. But there’s that inward layer to each that is far more complex and inspected with razor-sharp insight by Rooney. The stream-of-consciousness works not only because it differentiates Peter and Ivan’s chapters, but it adds to the confidential feeling of the narrative itself. The dizzying, exhilarating thoughts captivated me. I came to love both of these men, and the women as well. I don’t think I’ve felt a more resonant character lately than Margaret, someone who has a history and is trying to cultivate a pleasant life for herself–and wondering whether she deserves it.

Rooney’s characters are always of a searching variety, but aren’t we all? Isn’t that what always feels most human about them? We, too, are searching for a nugget, a shred, a sliver of joy–that fleeting feeling of happiness that can power us through the dread, monotony, unjust qualities of modern living. Rooney has a powerful ability to create a sense of wonder about life and relationships and the choices we make. We can mean well and be principled and make mistakes and not be perfect, but we still deserve to feel worthy–to feel love. And that may seem corny, but I have to believe it’s one of life’s truths. I think Rooney must, too. 

 Excellent narration by Elle Fanning for the audiobook.

I was hesitant to start a book that had "Money Troubles" in the title, one of my least favorite topics to read about in fiction, but it charmed me well enough. I enjoyed these characters a great deal, and especially the way Thorpe broke 'the fourth wall' in speaking directly to the reader regarding choices in the writing/perspective. 

A very enjoyable romantic audiobook. One of my favorite tropes, too. Sittenfeld's writing never disappoints.

Villavicencio's voice is tremendous. It was on display in a more journalistic fashion with her previous non-fiction work, The Undocumented Americans, but it's a joy to see that voice spring out in this fictional tale about an undocumented woman dealing with life in the U.S. at Harvard. I was captivated by this novel, and delighted in the writing so much that most of the book flew by. However, there was something about the end that felt abrupt and inconsistent with the rest of the book. I wonder, of course, if that was the point...

I liked this medium, and the way Ferrante's novel was interpreted visually, but the depth of the original doesn't translate as well here. I read this in one sitting, and it felt so abbreviated. But I'll read, watch, and take in any adaptation of My Brilliant Friend.

Honestly, I feel slightly changed after reading this. The world looks a little different. 

The line that got me to read the book: "...it's perfect for fans of Judy Blume's Summer Sisters and Elena Ferrante's My Brilliant Friend."

On the other side, I whole heartedly disagree with that statement <3 But it got me! It got me to read it! Well done marketing team. 

Absurd, delightful, and reeking of purposeful cringe. Drummond does a swell job of investigating the canyon between the haves and have-nots in Brazil. I nervously laughed through to the last page.

This is my second Lance Olsen book this year or ever, and I'm now a huge fan of his writing and the way his stories build from an experimental structure. The writing can seem abstract at times, but the fragmentary approach is often similar to poetry, but poetry that is diving deep into what it means to be human, to experience loss or to be lost, and aging, existence, miracles, death, etc etc etc. Looking forward to reading more of his work.