Reviews

Outside Looking In by T.C. Boyle

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thelaurelwreathcrowned's review against another edition

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challenging informative 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

2.0

I'm sure there are people out there who enjoy this book, it's just ... not me. The plot is basically nonexistent,

one of the main characters starts sexually harassing an 18 yo all of a sudden

, and they arrive at the same conclusions so many times that I stopped counting. I did enjoy the writing style and descriptive language and the way some characters were just so unlikeable, and that's what I am giving the 2 stars for, otherwise - eh

georgias_pages's review against another edition

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informative slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

carolinecalvano's review

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

T. C Boyle is an extremely talented author, and as a history nerd who learns best through fiction, this was the perfect way for me to learn about the Harvard LSD experiments. The characters are extremely flawed and multidimensional, and the vivid descriptions of their psychedelic trips are fascinating to read. I love that it changes location throughout, so that there are distinct sections to help break up the novel. Boyle is mostly successful in managing such a large ensemble of characters, most of whom are intriguing in their own right, though the novel really hones in on Fitz and Joanie’s journeys. Overall, I appreciated the opportunity to read about a topic that intrigued me from a talented author. HOWEVER, I’m not sure Boyle and I would necessarily get along in real life, as the offensive and outdated language and themes of the novel are hard to separate from the author. The main character

sexually harasses an eighteen year old

for the bulk of the final section, which is foreshadowed in the first section when he

describes a character who I believe was a minor at least at the time using an overtly sexual metaphor

. Additionally, when the characters

travel to Mexico (I believe they are all white), they describe themselves as “going native” and seem to see the locals as savage and unrefined

. Fitz additionally

makes a comment about “not knowing how he feels about that sort of thing” in regards to a queer colleague

. So if you can get through all of that, it’s a good read, but as intrigued as I am by what I believe to be the subject matter of the rest of his extensive bibliography, I don’t think I’ll be picking up another Boyle volume for at least another year.

Content Warnings