Reviews

The Changeling by Joy Williams

savaging's review against another edition

5.0

Oh here you are. Oh here you are book I always wanted to exist.

Book of animal and God, woman and madness and dirt. And the children! Stripped of sentimentality but full of wild life. Children who "were like drunkards really, determined to talk at great length and with great incoherence." Who are, yes, closer to God, but that should be far from reassuring.

Also: sentences. Whole pages of perfect short sentences. "Outside it was Florida." And other whole pages without sentences, beast-children yipping their chatter over each other.

Note: don't read the introduction. Full of spoilers and the kind of hard-edged analysis that feels at odds with the spirit of the book.

michquig's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

4.75

squirmywormy's review

dark mysterious medium-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

3.0

 This was a profound read for me which disrupted the mind's tendency toward chronology and reason. It is an animalistic tale of a drunk mother losing her sanity? or perhaps in a fairy tale? read this review: https://the-rambling.com/2020/01/23/about-a-book-jennings-williams/

aeggenberger's review

dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

4.0

haleyshaver's review against another edition

2.0

I really don't have anything else to say other than "what????"

beccabees's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

alisonjfields's review against another edition

4.0

This was pretty great— weird in most of my favorite ways: grotesque, darkly funny, dreamy.

obnorthrup's review

4.0

Weird, meandering, and surprisingly hard to put down.

maneatingclam's review

challenging dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.5

kiisa's review

slow-paced

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

1.0