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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
challenging
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
think I should have read this in college when I was more into the Romantics
Read by Jeremy Irons!
Is there a more closeted book? Is there a genre of literature, Closeted?
Charles goes to Oxford, falls in love with Sebastian.
Meets his wealthy family
Falls in love with them
Sebastian is totally messed up, goes on a lifelong alcoholic binge around Europe.
Charles marries someone he hates, has children he doesn't give a toss about.
Charles meets Sebastian's sister, she reminds him of his One True Love, he even tells her so..
Then comes one of the the worst sex scenes of all time:
"It was as though a deed of conveyance of her narrow loins had been drawn and sealed. I was making my first entry as the freeholder of a property I would enjoy and develop at leisure"
Eventually she dumps him... because she is Catholic and he is agnostic.
It's got loads of good jokes, super witty, horribly stuck up, Charles is an arse, the Wealthy Family are awful...
I loved it!
Is there a more closeted book? Is there a genre of literature, Closeted?
Charles goes to Oxford, falls in love with Sebastian.
Meets his wealthy family
Falls in love with them
Sebastian is totally messed up, goes on a lifelong alcoholic binge around Europe.
Charles marries someone he hates, has children he doesn't give a toss about.
Charles meets Sebastian's sister, she reminds him of his One True Love, he even tells her so..
Then comes one of the the worst sex scenes of all time:
"It was as though a deed of conveyance of her narrow loins had been drawn and sealed. I was making my first entry as the freeholder of a property I would enjoy and develop at leisure"
Eventually she dumps him... because she is Catholic and he is agnostic.
It's got loads of good jokes, super witty, horribly stuck up, Charles is an arse, the Wealthy Family are awful...
I loved it!
It's... okay? There are a few poignant/witty observations but it didn't really make me feel one way or another.
funny
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
From the self congratulatory prologue to the bitter end, this book pissed me off. The writing is pretty, the way Waugh describes things is enchanting, but for the most part this is a book about several deeply unremarkable men complaining.
My only positive take on this book is its depiction of alcoholism. Sebastian’s disease and his family’s response to it, is the only interesting part of the book. The unsaid aspects of the book are far more compelling than the ornately crafted descriptions of waves. The awareness of Sebastian’s proximity to alcohol at all times and his family’s unwillingness to do anything about it - to listen to him, are all too real and painful.
But that’s where any substance stops. This is, ultimately, a book about a man who cannot comprehend that his actions have consequences. Charles’s feelings about Sebastian’s alcoholism only extend as far as it impacts him personally. I also think that giving too much thought to the inner workings of Charles Rider is pointless. He is mediocre. To paint him as a villain or a hero gives him far more credit than he deserves.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Antisemitism