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chrys_gnk's reviews
66 reviews
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It was an enjoyable read, but I didn't like how in the end the focus shifted from Mary to Colin when all along it was her moving the plot forward and her will and her perseverance that set things in motion. The book ending with only Colin in the foreground seems unfair to me and tbh misogynistic...
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I love Fitzgerald's writing style so much, I've read some short stories of his and now this novel and the way he describes events and people is soooo addicting. The novel's a masterpiece for all the reasons critics can name, but it's also such an interesting read from a non scholarly perspective. The symbols, the themes, the ENDING. top tier.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I don't get what the fuss is about... After a point it became a chore to keep reading, mainly due to the completely unlikeable characters. They were all so astonishingly sociopathic to me... the passivity of the narrator pissed me off. This was done intentionally I would assume, but this type of book isn't for me. The author's writing style did not appeal to me either. Also, scenes where I thought were just there to impress the audience like allusions and references to the classics, Homer and greek syntax did not impress me, a greek speaker and a classics major. I'm not probably the target audience for this kind of book. Easily digestible and a cheap mimicry of philosophical texts, I found it had nothing to offer me.