From about 40% onwards, I skipped most of the book. If this book weren't a book club choice, I would probably just give up halfway, so I feel like I wFrom about 40% onwards, I skipped most of the book. If this book weren't a book club choice, I would probably just give up halfway, so I feel like I was generous with trying to get some closure with this set of characters. The story just didn't work for me, I couldn't get past the fact that we're more focused on second characters' life choices, rather than focusing on our main character. It felt like such a weird choice, and there were some really cringy moments where we had one dead woman describing intimate moments of her best friend with her boyfriend. Yuck. Generally I felt like this book's potential was lost somewhere on the way to Fire Island. The premise sounded good to me, but the execution really felt lacking....more
Muito tenho ouvido falar sobre Isabela Figueiredo e, quando a ouvi falar no podcast da Mariana Alvim - Vale a Pena, decidi finalmente espreitar este "Muito tenho ouvido falar sobre Isabela Figueiredo e, quando a ouvi falar no podcast da Mariana Alvim - Vale a Pena, decidi finalmente espreitar este "A Gorda". Não fiquei terrivelmente impressionada com esta estreia, devo dizer. Durante a leitura e sem conhecer minimamente a autora, fiquei com a sensação que este livro, muitas vezes, expiava sentimentos/culpas da própria vida de Isabela Figueiredo. Não faço ideia se o livro é autobiográfico, mas certamente retirará algumas experiências da sua vida, ou vivências - as de regressar a Portugal, as de viver em Almada e talvez outras sobre as quais não tenho visibilidade.
A linha narrativa não foi para mim espetacular. O facto da autora andar a saltar entre passado e presente não foi muito fácil de seguir, por vezes, ainda que seja um estilo narrativo que faça sentido para esta história, uma vez que a Maria Luísa passa muito do seu tempo a recordar e a lembrar. A própria escrita, com momentos e passagens tão bonitas, também não me cativou por aí além. Achei o discurso algo repetitivo, em alguns momentos com pouca substância e faltou a resposta a tanta pergunta de contexto: a história começa com um acontecimento chocante. Maria Luísa submeteu-se a uma cirurgia para retirar parte do estômago, o que fez com que perdesse 40 quilos. Mas porquê? O que a levou a esse ponto? Foram as situações descritas no livro? Se sim, acho uma motivação curta - na medida em que explica tão pouco.
Sei que é fácil julgar não estando na pele de Maria Luísa, ou de qualquer pessoa que sofra com o preconceito de ser gorda, mas a verdade é que me faltou muito mais contexto para entender a decisão desta personagem. Eu queria entendê-la, perceber as suas maiores motivações, o que a levou a considerar esse ponto. Foi muito mais simples (view spoiler)[ perceber o desespero dela em querer ter filhos, porque ficou dolorosamente visível que a Maria Luísa era dependente emocionalmente do David e talvez até um pouco imatura emocionalmente. (hide spoiler)]
Como tal, foi uma leitura que se fez bem. Achei piada a ter tantas referências a Almada e Seixal, à Margem Sul que, tendo mudado para aqui há 5 anos, é engraçado de tentar localizar os locais e os locais de referência. Ainda assim, não me deixou muito convencida. Estou curiosa para ler Um Cão no Meio do Caminho, o livro mais recente da autora, para poder conhecer mais dela. ...more
Os Meus Dias na Livraria Morisaki foi uma leitura fofinha, leve e bem rápida de se fazer, mas não foi assim nada espetacular. Não sei bem o que esperaOs Meus Dias na Livraria Morisaki foi uma leitura fofinha, leve e bem rápida de se fazer, mas não foi assim nada espetacular. Não sei bem o que esperava quando li que este livro tem sido uma sensação no Japão e em vários outros países, mas acho que não era isto. Aliás, não percebo mesmo qual é o hype. O tipo de escrita faz-me lembrar o livro She and Her Cat. Não sei se é algo de escritores japoneses contemporâneos, mas é uma escrita muito simplista e superficial. Não há grande desenvolvimento de personagens, o enredo é sempre algo muito direto e straight to the point, mas sinto que falta tanto por explorar. Mesmo com uma premissa simples, sinto que estes personagens tinham tanto mais para dar à história e acho que esse potencial foi completamente desperdiçado. Foi o que mais me custou neste livro, honestamente. Porque a história e as personagens tinham potencial...faltou a execução....more
Que escrita tão bonita a desta autora, que foi uma estreia para mim. Tenho ouvido falar tão bem dela que decidi arriscar. Comecei pelo ensaio por nenhQue escrita tão bonita a desta autora, que foi uma estreia para mim. Tenho ouvido falar tão bem dela que decidi arriscar. Comecei pelo ensaio por nenhuma razão em especial, mas gostei muito e agora estou muito curiosa para ler os restantes livros. ...more
I enjoyed this book, but to be perfectly honest, it didn't wow me. It's a cute little book divided into four stories featuring four cats. I wager thatI enjoyed this book, but to be perfectly honest, it didn't wow me. It's a cute little book divided into four stories featuring four cats. I wager that all cat lovers will find something to love in this, just as I did (yes, I wish I understood what my cat Loki is trying to communicate!). Still, aside from some special moments throughout the book, it's one of those stories I'm afraid I will easily forget with the passing of years....more
I know this is a short-story but I definitely wanted more. Anything by Alice is worth reading, so give this one a try both if you already love the autI know this is a short-story but I definitely wanted more. Anything by Alice is worth reading, so give this one a try both if you already love the author or if you are curious and don't know where to start with her work. ...more
Not that I didn't like it, but it was such a meh read overall. Didn't really entice me, even though I thought the writing was beautiful. I found it laNot that I didn't like it, but it was such a meh read overall. Didn't really entice me, even though I thought the writing was beautiful. I found it lacking in terms of story - or at least, it wasn't really to my tastes. May be a question of timing...I probably wasn't ready to appreciate this story, but it definitely didn't work for me....more
Não sei se gostei ou não do livro que acabei de ler. Na verdade, nem sei bem o que acabei de ler. Gostei imenso de algumas reflexões que o autor faz aNão sei se gostei ou não do livro que acabei de ler. Na verdade, nem sei bem o que acabei de ler. Gostei imenso de algumas reflexões que o autor faz ao longo da narrativa e gostei especialmente da forma como ele escolheu narrar a história. Duas narrativas temporais que se cruzam num mesmo local, o que trouxe alguma originalidade à história em si, mas o conteúdo… deixou mesmo muito a desejar....more
Acho que existe um hype grande à volta deste livro e, sinceramente, não achei a história nada de especial. Creio que fiquei mesmo muito entusiasmada pAcho que existe um hype grande à volta deste livro e, sinceramente, não achei a história nada de especial. Creio que fiquei mesmo muito entusiasmada para ler quando vi diversas reviews de 5 estrelas e acabei por me sentir defraudada. A escrita é fluída, leve e descontraída e aí nada a apontar, pois este é um livro que se lê muitíssimo bem e desenvolve rapidamente. Também devo apontar que gostei da estrutura da história, de conseguirmos acompanhar presente e passado em paralelo. Foi uma abordagem que resultou muito bem para a história em questão. Para mim, o que deixou a desejar foi mesmo o enredo em si. Achei a ideia original e a premissa agarrou-me, mas as personagens em questão e a forma como tudo se desenrolou deixou-me a querer algo mais do que encontrei. Não quero dar spoilers à história, mas de facto, para além de algumas bonitas reflexões sobre relações e ligações emocionais, senti que houve muita coisa a faltar: mais ligação emocional aos personagens, mais sentimento, menos diálogo imaturo e parvinho e, de uma forma geral, mais propósito entre as personagens. No fim da viagem, senti (view spoiler)[ um pouco que tinha desperdiçado o meu tempo a ler a história, porque queria um final mais concreto e não este pelo qual a autora optou. (hide spoiler)]...more
Sooo, this is my third book by Backman and my least favorite one to date.
I just felt it was very formulaic, seeing how similar it was (in structure, Sooo, this is my third book by Backman and my least favorite one to date.
I just felt it was very formulaic, seeing how similar it was (in structure, themes and characterization) to A Man Called Ove. It’s not that I don’t empathize with Britt-Marie. I did feel like she had an interesting growth as a character, but it felt like I already knew this story and, at the same time, it all felt a bit unrealistic to me. I’m not sure how I would have felt about this book had I not read Ove before, but I felt that a lot of elements were missing in this reading for me. Nonetheless, the writing is great and that’s why I’ll continue to read Backman, for sure. My next one will probably be Anxious People, as I already have it on my TBR pile....more
An interesting book about a journey of a man who desperately needs to refocus his attention on life, on his family and on learning how to let go of thAn interesting book about a journey of a man who desperately needs to refocus his attention on life, on his family and on learning how to let go of the past. The structure of this book was familiar for me, in the sense that it’s not the first book I read with this kind of structure. In this sense, this story reminded me of A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman.
The journey Harold does is also not a novel concept in literature, but still it was interesting witnessing his journey, with all its low and highs. Even though it wasn’t a spectacular book - the writing itself had its low and highs - it was still an emotional story about a man who’s trying to come to terms with past events that brought him such sadness and emotional turmoil.
I was expecting so much more from this reading. The first half was a bore for me, to be honest. I only kept going because this was a buddy read. Even I was expecting so much more from this reading. The first half was a bore for me, to be honest. I only kept going because this was a buddy read. Even though the second half was much more interesting (and basically what saved this reading from being a total disaster), I was expecting different things from the author who wrote All the Light We Cannot See. I did understand what the author tried to do, and I could relate to the passion of books and stories but I wanted something different from the execution of the narrative....more
This audiobook was immediately available at the library and since it was such a short read (only 31 minutes), I decided to give it a go. I've read onlThis audiobook was immediately available at the library and since it was such a short read (only 31 minutes), I decided to give it a go. I've read only one other book by the author and I have another one to read (or maybe two, I'm not even sure) so my experience with Chimamanda's work is limited but I was tempted to see where this one lead me. To be completely honest, I didn't even know what this short-story was about. It was an impulse thing that made me jump to this reading but I had hoped to be surprised. Well, I have to say that I wasn't that impressed with this story. This short-story is an account of a day in Melania Trump's life. Not that the subject or the person interests me much but I've got to say that I was curious to see how the author would portray the Trump family, especially because the story itself is modeled on the novel Mrs. Dalloway. I think it was interesting to see how the author tackled the life of one of the most famous families in the USA but the story itself didn't really grab me. ...more
Not sure what I was hoping for with this book since it's my first time reading Ruth Ozeki, but I leave this reading with the sense that it could've beNot sure what I was hoping for with this book since it's my first time reading Ruth Ozeki, but I leave this reading with the sense that it could've been so much better. The book's first half was good; I was interested in the story and curious to see where the author would take it. The second half was very much a struggle. Every time I put down the book, it was much harder to get back to it. I simply didn't feel invested in the characters, had issues with Anabelle and Benny (mostly Anabelle), and struggled with the story itself. I thought the author would take this story in a different direction. In the end, I got why the author wrote the story she wrote; I could understand why it had to be like this, but I wasn't impressed. I want to read A Tale for the Time Being because I've heard good things about it, but if I were to focus solely on my experience with this book, I am not sure I would read another book by the author. ...more
The People we Keep is a coming-of-age story about April, who lives in a motorhome with her dad. Except her dad is never there, he has a new wife and aThe People we Keep is a coming-of-age story about April, who lives in a motorhome with her dad. Except her dad is never there, he has a new wife and a new child coming along and it seems like he isn’t interested in taking care of his daughter April, who’s only 16 years old. So, she decides to leave town.
I'm not sure what I was expecting from this book, but this wasn't it. I think I had no expectations about the story itself, but I had hoped this book was enriching, a valuable and entertaining experience. It's not that I disliked the book per se, it's just that this book was different kinds of boring. I found the story very circular and very repetitive. April spent the whole book running - running from herself, running from people who could've supported her, loved her and running from real life. I thought that this book would be about self-discovery, surmounting challenges that life threw at April but what I really found was more a story of survival.
This was more a story about a lost girl, who's abandoned by the very people that should've been there for her the whole way (nature & nurture didn't really work out for her) and how she tries to survive in the best way she can. And that's a good story, but it didn't really work for me. In my view, this story lacked some emotional depth and intensity. I'm not sure if this lackluster story was because of the writing - which I found ok, but nothing spectacular - or because I couldn't really connect with April....more
A lovely little book about the healing power of books: I quite enjoyed reading this story- the writing is enjoyable, and this book has a page-turner fA lovely little book about the healing power of books: I quite enjoyed reading this story- the writing is enjoyable, and this book has a page-turner feel to it, so you can quickly devour it in a couple of days or even less. I thought the plot wasn't all that surprising, to be honest. The big two revelations of this book weren't revelations at all; they were pretty evident throughout the story. Even so, and since the goal of this book isn't to keep readers in suspense about all its secrets, I found that it's a book that is super successful in passing on its central message: that books can help us overcome different obstacles in our lives and they really are more than just books. They're friends, companions, they're a source of wisdom, empathy, love... you name it. Books are true treasures, and they can be an immense help in many different situations we face in life. If only for that, this book deserves to be widely read!...more
I've said it before but I'll say it again just so that you're not mislead by my review. I'm usually not a fan of short-stories. I feel like I3,5 stars
I've said it before but I'll say it again just so that you're not mislead by my review. I'm usually not a fan of short-stories. I feel like I either get too much invested in characters' destiny that I am super sad that the story is short or I can't really bother to connect with them because I know that the story will be short and there's no point getting attached. So, yes.. I have a love/hate relationship with short stories. That doesn't mean that I will stop reading them but it may never be my thing.
This was August/September's bookclub choice and, even though I knew it was short-stories, I was excited. I'm always excited when I get to try a new-to-me author. I had heard of Jhumpa Lahiri before but I never got around to read one of her most famous works, The Namesake. Anyhow, I jumped into this book hoping that I would be blown away. Guess what? I might have been a tad too optimistic about this reading, that's my conclusion.
It's not that I didn't like the writing. I do think Jhumpa's writing is good and I will definitely be checking out The Namesake in the future. It's just that I was hoping for a completely different experience - a happier one, if you will. 99,999% of these stories are SAD. They're not depressing or anything but they're so sad. While I was reading, I felt like a weight had settled on my heart and wouldn't budge. I almost couldn't take it. I felt like these stories were hopeless, in the sense, that wasn't ever any hope that the characters could be happy or that they could find something that would make them feel good about themselves, about their relationships, marriages, about life.
You may have a different perspective, of course, but this was my main feeling throughout the stories I read. The only happy-ish story is the last one (consequently, my favorite one of the lot). Aside from that, one of the things I most enjoyed about these stories is that they all talk about the Indian immigrant experience and about the Indian culture. I LOVED having this perspective on Indian culture, to hear in their own voices how they survived moving to another country, so different from the one they are from and how they've adapted to a different life, away from their families and friends. I think all stories are super rich in cultural detail and that was, by far, my favorite element of all these stories. Just for that, I think this book was worth the reading. ...more
This was an okay read. I mean, it was not bad, so don’t feel fooled by my rating. I just didn’t like it enough to give 3 stars. That doesn’t mean thatThis was an okay read. I mean, it was not bad, so don’t feel fooled by my rating. I just didn’t like it enough to give 3 stars. That doesn’t mean that I didn’t appreciate some of things I found in this story.
So let’s start what I did enjoy: - I definitely enjoyed all the bookish references and how bookish in general this story was. Starting with the fact that the story is focused on a library to all the book references, I really felt like this was the perfect book for us, book-lovers. - The writing. I think the author’s writing was good. It wasn’t boring, it was a direct, no-frills narrative and I enjoyed it because I never felt like giving up on the book, even though I wasn’t in love with the plot and the characters.
Now, for the things I didn’t enjoy and the factors that ended up being determinant for me not loving this book:
- The characters. I felt like character development was really weak. All characters seemed to me very two-dimensional and badly explored. There wasn’t really any character I loved. - The romance was a major disappointment. I had hoped that the romance would be a secondary storyline (if not the main one) but it was hardly present at all. And what the author did with the romance felt inconsistent and a poor attempt at romance, to be perfectly honest. I was sad to see such potential for a cute love story completely wasted....more
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