Princeton Jack- Literary Review

My personal opinion and analysis on books

[princeton-jack]

The current read

[princeton-jack]

Big Swiss

By: Jen Beagin

Book Review by: Princeton Jack

This book, to me, was extremely unhinged and at times hard to read, like a car crash that you can't look away from or someone wearing skin-colored tights as pants. Big Swiss is funny and sometimes offensive. It's gruesome with it's descriptions, and at times I couldn't understand the main character, Greta’s, obsession with Big Swiss and the affair they had with one another. The characters are interesting but at the same time not. You can see the appeal of the two of them being together, but don't see why it would lead to such an obsession. The only chemistry I experienced between the two of them was mostly by Greta and at times Big Swiss' lust (which was odd on it's own). My feelings for this book are quite bipolar because I felt myself loving them together even though I shouldn't. I hated Greta as a character and often times felt so repulsed by her but somehow couldn't help but want to support her crazy ordeals. Reading this was an odd experience and hard to describe. I loved reading from a perspective of an older woman who has already been through so much life and is now using that experience to be as unhinged and icky as possible. It tells us how we're still learning ourselves even into mid-life. However, half-way through the book I felt as though we had lost the plot. After finishing the book and reading other peoples’ thoughts, I stumbled upon some comments that mentioned anti-Asian humor in the book. I understand these jokes were supposed to be funny but they just came off as micro-aggressive remarks. For example, Greta remarks her swelling face as her ”turning Chinese”. I understand that she is supposed to be an unlikable character but it shouldn’t be at the expense of marginalized communities. Besides all of that, this was a rollercoaster of a read. I ended up rating this book 3 stars.

[princeton-jack]

I Fell In Love With Hope

By Lancali

Book Review By: Princeton Jack

I Fell in Love with Hope is a beautiful story depicting characters with terminal and chronic illnesses. For a debut novel, it’s a great start into the literary world, but I felt as though the story lacked direction.

I don’t mind contemporary fiction that lacks some plot, especially when the book is character driven, but the main character was too flat and the side characters weren't explored enough. I loved the side characters but when we were showed glimpses into their life and the problems that they faced I wanted to see them explored and how they wanted to fix these problems.

For example, Neo's father who was abusive. Neo's father as a character was brief and we never really discover why he did what he did in the story, why he hated Neo as a writer and the bruises he left behind. I never understood Sam's love for Hikari besides the fact Hikari reminded them of their deceased lover (also named Sam).

This story is literal in no way and is MEANT to be metaphorical. This author is from a poetry background and this story is very personal to them. Other reviews (that I will keep antonymous) have said that this book is “too confusing” to read because of this language, but this book is supposed to make you think and reading it from a literal perspective will make it impossible to comprehend. Other reviewers also had problems with the dialogue of this book. Though I can agree to some extent, we have to understand that the characters in this book consume a lot of poetry and storytelling such as Shakespeare. In your teenage years (and even now) you quote, and sometimes end up talking like, the media you consume (which I assume is the case).

The story had lots of potential but I feel as though it needed to be marinated on a bit longer. The characters are written as sentimental, emotional, caring, and in some cases tragic, but the delivery of the story and the plot didn't convince me that they were.

There were too many punches to the gut, but my gut turned to steel and the punches no longer meant anything to me. When it came to some characters deaths, I almost felt nothing for Sam and their non-existent grief that made me feel numb (just like Sam), which I would say is good writing but I WANT to be mad that Sam doesn't feel anything. Instead of this emotional tug I simply feel nothing at all for the story and it's characters.

On a more positive but sad note, this book also made me cry. I could feel how beautifully written it is and when my feelings were my own, the characters were so special and deserved long lives.

At last, I love and disliked some aspects about this book. I would love to read more of this author's work when it comes to see how much they have grown and changed. I would recommend this book to someone who loves more poetic and metaphorical writing but not to someone who isn't willing to think or understand the story's heart.

And at that I rated this beautiful, heartbreaking story 2 ½ to 3 stars.

[princeton-jack]

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

This book was beautifully written and I appreciated the writing style. But there was so many problems with this book.

1. The characters were so incredibly insufferable.

The book is supposed to be about friendships and the ups and downs of them but all that came from this book was how much they hated and tolerated one another.

To call this book a love story you’ve never read before is correct. Because best friends don’t usually start romantic relationships with one another and still call each other friends. (Not even talking about friends with benefits here it wasn’t even that situation).

Marx is probably the most tolerable character in this book (and even that’s pushing it)

Any time a character gets any growth it’s immediately watered down and ultimately makes you feel nothing for them.

2. The writing style

The writing style is great! It’s intelligent and thought provoking and is the only reason why I finished reading this wet cardboard quality of a book.

But I have also never seen “said” so many times in a book. It makes me think the author has never broadened her vocabulary during the writing and editing of this book.

3. Plot

Where is the plot? Is it even in the room with us?

The plot has been lost people. It is no where to be found.

Even though it explores some complex themes there still isn’t an interesting story behind it. You could say it’s a character analysis if the characters even experience a significant amount of growth to begin with.

The book is just a day to day of the characters

Which would be fine but their lives are not that interesting and the plot itself just gets very repetitive, even in the end.

4. Is friendship even in the room with us?

To say this book is even about friendships is concerning.

The book is a friends to lovers (including a love triangle) that is wrapped in unnecessary personal tragedies.

In the end it took me way too long to read this book and that is time I will never get back.