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bookie936's review against another edition
3.0
Thoughtful and introspective expat coming out of the closet into himself in a newly revolutionized Prague. I liked it because I ask the type of questions he does about life and people.
artemiscat's review against another edition
Left this book in a room while traveling. I think I may enjoy reading it someday.
moirwyn's review against another edition
4.0
I received a review copy of Caleb Crain’s novel Necessary Errors in exchange for an honest review. This review originally appeared here:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.wordpress.com/2013/10/08/necessary-errors-by-caleb-crain/
Jacob Putnam is a young expat teaching English in the Czech Republic. He went there because he was inspired by the ideas of the revolution, but he’s too late, and instead witnesses the country’s transition from socialism to capitalism.
The plot of the novel isn’t exciting, but it isn’t meant to be. It’s supposed to capture the atmosphere of what it was like to be in Prague during a transitional period, and the characters’ own lives and experiences are a reflection of the country’s. We see Jacob searching for love and companionship in a gay nightclub, only to become disillusioned by the people he meets as he finds out why they’re really there. We see characters who feel lost, wondering if Prague is the right place for them or whether they should travel to a different country. We see relationships form between different members of the expats’ social circle. Each character discovers the fine line between possibility and reality as they meander through their lives with no destination in mind. Even the city itself is in a transitional period, and the transition between socialism and capitalism is portrayed simultaneously as freedom and lost innocence.
Even though the plot is slow, Crain’s writing creates a vivid atmosphere, and it’s the kind of atmosphere that I’d like to be a part of. Necessary Errors reminds me of my own experience studying abroad in Russia. The descriptions of daily life in Prague make me miss Eastern Europe, and make me hope that I might one day be able to travel there again.
http://bookswithoutanypictures.wordpress.com/2013/10/08/necessary-errors-by-caleb-crain/
Jacob Putnam is a young expat teaching English in the Czech Republic. He went there because he was inspired by the ideas of the revolution, but he’s too late, and instead witnesses the country’s transition from socialism to capitalism.
The plot of the novel isn’t exciting, but it isn’t meant to be. It’s supposed to capture the atmosphere of what it was like to be in Prague during a transitional period, and the characters’ own lives and experiences are a reflection of the country’s. We see Jacob searching for love and companionship in a gay nightclub, only to become disillusioned by the people he meets as he finds out why they’re really there. We see characters who feel lost, wondering if Prague is the right place for them or whether they should travel to a different country. We see relationships form between different members of the expats’ social circle. Each character discovers the fine line between possibility and reality as they meander through their lives with no destination in mind. Even the city itself is in a transitional period, and the transition between socialism and capitalism is portrayed simultaneously as freedom and lost innocence.
Even though the plot is slow, Crain’s writing creates a vivid atmosphere, and it’s the kind of atmosphere that I’d like to be a part of. Necessary Errors reminds me of my own experience studying abroad in Russia. The descriptions of daily life in Prague make me miss Eastern Europe, and make me hope that I might one day be able to travel there again.
abroadwell's review against another edition
3.0
Began strongly, but I got somewhat bored half way through by all the little romances and break ups
cynicalworm's review against another edition
5.0
Really resonated with where I am in life. Prose took a little getting used to but became very comfortable.
madamwobbles's review against another edition
1.0
I don't hate novels without plots. I can follow a meandering, beautifully written character through an uneventful book but Crain's writing bored me, as did Jacob. I barely cared about any of the characters and ending up skimming through half of it before giving up. This was pretty disappointing, especially since I'm really interested in post-Velvet Revolution Prague. Sigh.
shelfimprovement's review against another edition
3.0
Set just after the 1990 Czech revolution, this book is clearly a labor of love. Coming in at close to 500 pages, it follow American Jacob Putnam as he travels to Prague hoping to rack up new life experiences. The writing is at times quite lovely, but I never found myself truly invested in the characters -- but that may be as much my fault as Crain's. I do think the book suffers a little under its own weight. I hesitate to throw out accusations of too long, but the shoe just might fit this time. If Crain had trimmed the book down a bit, it may have dragged less and I may have found it a touch more engaging. As it stands, there's not a lot of movement or tension that kept me turning the pages.
flightpool's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
windingdot's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this more than I did. There were some passages in it that really were beautiful and thought-provoking. But for the most part, I found it tedious. It was overlong for the amount of plot, honestly. The protagonist, Jacob, just wasn't a particularly interesting character, and the people in his circle of friends weren't drawn distinctively enough to tell apart in many cases. I didn't hate it, and, as I said, in some places I really liked it, but overall it's a novel I probably could have skipped.