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dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Graphic: Infidelity, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Alcohol
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Appointment in Samarra
This book reminds of The Long Weekend or Leaving Las Vegas or Days of Wine and Roses, or Only When I laugh. Troubled drinking. It’s not that our protagonist is really, like, drinking himself to death. It’s more that he gets pretty obnoxious and throws drinks at people, or makes a pass at moll with the consequence that his misbehavior comes back to haunt at work and at home. His business has connections with the mob for example. He’s not drinking wine or beer either. Someone of his social status drinks spirits instead so it’s highballs.So he gets pretty blotto. Pretty intense now. Unfortunately BUtterfield 8 is reading pretty similarly, although in that case it was a female character who suffers the consequences of her actions. I’m still dazzled by the modern style and naturalistic dialogue. The depiction of the casual antisemitism of his circle, the anti anything that didn’t represent WASP culture is frankly rendered. This country has always been tribal, I guess.
This book reminds of The Long Weekend or Leaving Las Vegas or Days of Wine and Roses, or Only When I laugh. Troubled drinking. It’s not that our protagonist is really, like, drinking himself to death. It’s more that he gets pretty obnoxious and throws drinks at people, or makes a pass at moll with the consequence that his misbehavior comes back to haunt at work and at home. His business has connections with the mob for example. He’s not drinking wine or beer either. Someone of his social status drinks spirits instead so it’s highballs.So he gets pretty blotto. Pretty intense now. Unfortunately BUtterfield 8 is reading pretty similarly, although in that case it was a female character who suffers the consequences of her actions. I’m still dazzled by the modern style and naturalistic dialogue. The depiction of the casual antisemitism of his circle, the anti anything that didn’t represent WASP culture is frankly rendered. This country has always been tribal, I guess.
dark
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
informative
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This belongs in the class of great American novels. It's a story of Gatsby-esque people with Mad Men kinds of problems.
It was published in 1934, and it reads like it was published today.
I wonder that I'd never heard of the author or this novel, but there's too much about sex in it to have landed it on school reading lists.
It was published in 1934, and it reads like it was published today.
I wonder that I'd never heard of the author or this novel, but there's too much about sex in it to have landed it on school reading lists.
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
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:
Yes