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dominic_caudill's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This book was hilarious! Probably the funniest book I can think of that I’ve read, that’s funny in a way I can really relate to. If that makes any sense. Of course Kaufman’s brain is huge. And the irony is not lost on me that I am myself writing a review for this book right now…. But I will say the last 150 pages or so kind of lost me a little, I was pretty invested in what was happening prior, but it got me back in the last 30 or so. Read this book way faster than I expected! And I loved almost all of it . Appreciated the fun he had w this kind of person, this kind of liberal, iykwim. Overall a great time and I look forward to his next book! Recommended for Kaufman fans for sure.
adamdaniluk's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
youngthespian42's review against another edition
2.0
I love Charlie Kaufman and I enjoyed parts of this book. I get he's doing a send-up of David Foster Wallace. This book could be half the length and twice the impact.
stephibabes's review against another edition
4.0
Being a big fan of Kaufman I knew I had to read this novel and I also knew that it would be challenging and bizarre. And I was not wrong, but also I was nowhere near.
I found parts of this book a bit of a slog and when my life was stressful it was a little more difficult to bring myself to pick it up.
However, the wilder the book became (like the second half onwards) the more I found it impossible to put down. Even if that meant I felt like I had no clue what the fuck was going on.
I read that Kaufman wanted to write a novel that would be impossible to turn into a film. And he definitely achieved that. So for that I am so pleased I persevered and read it.
I found parts of this book a bit of a slog and when my life was stressful it was a little more difficult to bring myself to pick it up.
However, the wilder the book became (like the second half onwards) the more I found it impossible to put down. Even if that meant I felt like I had no clue what the fuck was going on.
I read that Kaufman wanted to write a novel that would be impossible to turn into a film. And he definitely achieved that. So for that I am so pleased I persevered and read it.
angus_mckeogh's review against another edition
3.0
Strange book about identity, gender, race, religion, fast food, movies, politics, and more. A sprawling narrative reminiscent of the movie Adaptation. So odd and convoluted that there’s no way to convey a coherent summary. And long. Never boring in my estimation but certainly not groundbreakingly interesting or entertaining.
sonnetson's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
There are about 250 pages in here that are some of the best prose I have ever read. The rest is a mixed bag, from uniniteresting, to confusing and frustrating, to pretty damn good. Overall, I felt like I'd never read anything quite like this before. Kaufman said he wanted to make something that would be impossible to make into a movie, but I think he also made an impossible novel. It's flawed and brilliant, obsessive and redundant. It's a contradiction. I had to push myself to finish a couple times, but I'm glad I did. And I'm glad this novel exists—I just don't know if I can ever read it again.
Something else I will say is that Kaufman's knowledge of literature is astounding. The reference material he pulls from (that is Kaufman the author, not B. the pedantic critic) is suprisingly vast and textured at times. There were also moments throughout, especially in the early part, where I felt like he was fucking with me in the act of reading the book—not just expectations but the actual process of reading. I've never experienced anything quite like it; these two things alone are worth reading for.
Something else I will say is that Kaufman's knowledge of literature is astounding. The reference material he pulls from (that is Kaufman the author, not B. the pedantic critic) is suprisingly vast and textured at times. There were also moments throughout, especially in the early part, where I felt like he was fucking with me in the act of reading the book—not just expectations but the actual process of reading. I've never experienced anything quite like it; these two things alone are worth reading for.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia and Racism
gergen's review against another edition
5.0
Genuinely one of the best books I've ever read. The rampant desire to be un-filmable is potent, pungent, and delightfully devilish. I still think about every storyline at times.
rainbowbookworm's review against another edition
3.0
Yeah, I liked this book. At times I hated it, but now that I am done. I can see that I actually liked it.
I hated B. Rosenberger Rosenberg. I hated B. Rosenberger Rosenberg with a passion. B. is the sort of person who works too hard to be holier-than-thou while genuinely believing that they are humble and empathetic and I just could not handle it. There are two reasons I kept reading. The first is that I love most of Kaufman's movies and I trusted that the journey would be worth it. (Even if B. Rosenberger Rosenberg--in a wink-wink-nudge-nudge way--disdains Kaufman and his oeuvre. The second is that it reminded me of [a:Tom McCarthy|30757|Tom McCarthy|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1459588677p2/30757.jpg]'s [b:Remainder|101334|Remainder|Tom McCarthy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1412059487l/101334._SY75_.jpg|515722], a superior work (perhaps because of its comparative brevity) of another man obsessed with recreating a memory.
I hated B. Rosenberger Rosenberg. I hated B. Rosenberger Rosenberg with a passion. B. is the sort of person who works too hard to be holier-than-thou while genuinely believing that they are humble and empathetic and I just could not handle it. There are two reasons I kept reading. The first is that I love most of Kaufman's movies and I trusted that the journey would be worth it. (Even if B. Rosenberger Rosenberg--in a wink-wink-nudge-nudge way--disdains Kaufman and his oeuvre. The second is that it reminded me of [a:Tom McCarthy|30757|Tom McCarthy|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1459588677p2/30757.jpg]'s [b:Remainder|101334|Remainder|Tom McCarthy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1412059487l/101334._SY75_.jpg|515722], a superior work (perhaps because of its comparative brevity) of another man obsessed with recreating a memory.