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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
How have I not read this novel before now? This is a gem of a novel, a brilliantly told story of Julian English, a man who has it all, but loses it in a three-day period in the early 1930s. This book, published in 1934, reads like a modern morality tale, painting a vivid picture of the time period. The novel skips from viewpoint to viewpoint, creating a well rounded picture of the various classes and mores of the time. A fabulous classic.
This was really interesting. It took me a little bit to get into the swing of how it’s written; it jumps around a bit and is sometimes removed from the action. Once I got used to it I wound up really enjoying this. Watching the quick self-destruction of Julian was fascinating. And all the small-ish town relationships were great. All the clubs and dynamics of ~1930 and bootleggers was a nice snapshot of the time and place.
There’s a decent amount of antisemitism here that can be pretty well explained by when it was written, but I thought I’d mention it as at times it is a bit much. Though there’s also anti-Polish and -Irish and -Italian talk. So basically if you’re not a WASP there’s probably some slurs in here.
There’s a decent amount of antisemitism here that can be pretty well explained by when it was written, but I thought I’d mention it as at times it is a bit much. Though there’s also anti-Polish and -Irish and -Italian talk. So basically if you’re not a WASP there’s probably some slurs in here.
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Julian English's life spirals out of control amidst booze, cigarettes and snappy dialogue. The story follows a member of the country club set in Pennsylvania in the 1930s. The epigraph from W. Somerset Maugham leaves the reader with no doubt as to where Julian is headed so reading feels like watching a slow motion train wreck, involving anti-semites, racists, gangsters and other less than sympathetic. Recommended for those who like a well tuned phrase and can take a bit of depression.
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
That short story in the beginning , narrated by death - great.
dark
emotional
sad
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
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes