Reviews

Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill

durun99's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

pinkflowers08's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

shimmery's review against another edition

4.0

When I started to read this I thought it was going to become one of my favourite books of all time. I loved the writing, the little images deftly and beautifully sketched out, the funny moments that made me laugh out loud. It reads like a stream of thoughts that form the outline of a life. In fact it turned out to be a bit too real and painful to be a favourite book of mine, although it finishes in a hopeful way which I like. A very good book.

outb0undflight's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

maritzw's review against another edition

funny reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.0

burnsreadsbooks's review against another edition

inspiring reflective sad slow-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

4.0

georgiahi's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

brattyreads's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-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

4.5

maddeg's review against another edition

5.0

pay attention the point of view. and she meant it

bibliocyclist's review against another edition

emotional funny sad fast-paced

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

4.0

Are you apt to nudge the envelope?  Do you more often think before you act or think instead of act?  What goes without saying, and “why must everything have already begun”?  If you already accept the absence of self, the impermanence of all things, and the unsatisfactory nature of ordinary experience but harbor the suspicion that you’re still Doin’ It Wrong, check out the rapid-fire novella Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill.  Step into the shoes of its unnamed, rockily-married narrator, join the ghost of Carl Sagan in making apple pie from scratch, journey past your breaking point to the place “where no one can go any further,” and plot out a new map from there.