Rosh ~catching up slowly~’s review of The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois > Likes and Comments

Shame about the main character being a bit too whiny for you. And good point about it needing some nuance and less repetition. Like not every man is a jerk for example.

Too many cooks spoils the broth, as does too many ingredients. The key is to make something rich out of just a few ingredients, so each one can shine in its own way. A well-balanced dish isn't about excess, it's about harmony. Hope the chef learns from this experience. Time to rinse the pot in the kitchen sink and start with a fresh batch of ingredients. With your pointers, I’m sure she can tweak her recipe to your taste. Good and fair review, Rosh. And in all seriousness, you really did point out some very good things the author can work on to create something even better.

Great review and very fair Rosh. Sounds like a bit of a mixed bag but overall disappointing and I’m sorry to hear that. 29+ hours is a mega marathon of audio book!!!

Sounds like a book you take to a remote spot and spend a month with. Helpful review!

I hate a whiney character too! Terrific review!

Terrific review Rosh! 💖

Excellent review Rosh! Sorry you had trouble connecting with the main character!💗

Great review, Rosh!

Wonderful review, Rosh!! 🥰

You are so brave to take on this lengthy read, Rosh. I'm glad it was well-researched and was explained in detail. Our track record in the US is less than stellar, especially regarding people. Will we ever be able to get it right? Ailey would drive me crazy, too! Splendid review, my friend!!💖

Sorry it didn’t work for you, Rosh. You did a great job of telling why.

Brilliant review, Rosh!

A very interesting debut novel for sure! I can understand your points about whiny characters who don't grow, repetition and lack of nuance. Excellent review, Rosh!

What an amazing in-depth review. So well said. ❤️

I didn't know that it was a study in both black and native american traumas. Holy Moly...that is a lot of trauma. Glad you stuck with it Rosh!

A very helpful and insightful review, Rosh. I have seen this book getting many accolades. Did not realize it was so long. Sounds like it really bit off a huge chunk of history for one book.

Oh my gosh! This could have been two books! That's a lot of trauma for a single book. Having a whiny narrator can really mess it up. Kudos to the author for tackling all of it, but maybe it would have been better to write a series instead.
Wondeful review, Rosh.

Great review, Rosh! Sorry this disappointed somewhat though. I understand your thoughts. I'm particularly sensitive to whiny characters, probably cause I get enough of that with my toddler, so I don't need to read it too. ;)

A very fine review Rosh, sounds like they took on too much for a debut novel?

I can always count on you for a thorough and helpful review Rosh 💜

I loved this book, and I also appreciate your thoughtful review.

Too many characters and themes can be overwhelming. I'm not sure I will get to this one although it is on my list. Appreciate the thoughts, Rosh!

Thibault wrote: "Shame about the main character being a bit too whiny for you. And good point about it needing some nuance and less repetition. Like not every man is a jerk for example.

Too many cooks spoils the b..."

Thanks much, Thibault! I dislike any book that goes into a one-sided portrayal of anyone, be it based on gender or race or religion. It feels too uppity to be judging others when our own selves might not be perfect.
Well said. Debut authors must learn to curb their desire for dumping all ingredients into a single p(l)ot.
Looking at the general rating of her book, I doubt she'll look at my feedback in hopes of improving her craft. Perhaps her writing is just not for me. :)

Karly wrote: "Great review and very fair Rosh. Sounds like a bit of a mixed bag but overall disappointing and I’m sorry to hear that. 29+ hours is a mega marathon of audio book!!!"

Thanks, Karly! 💕 Very much a mixed bag. I doubt I would have persisted had I had a digital.physical copy. The audio thankfully allowed me to crank up the speed.

Berengaria wrote: "Sounds like a book you take to a remote spot and spend a month with. Helpful review!"

Thanks, B! I'd rather spend a month in a remote spot reading something soothing. This was aggravating! Too much of finger-pointing and accusation gets boring after a while.

Jayme wrote: "I hate a whiney character too! Terrific review!"

Exactly! I felt like saying, "Grow up! Not everything is about you!" So annoying!

Holly wrote: "Terrific review Rosh! 💖"

Thanks, Holly! 💕

Kaceey wrote: "Excellent review Rosh! Sorry you had trouble connecting with the main character!💗"

Thanks much, Kaceey! 💕

Debra wrote: "Great review, Rosh!"

Thank you, Debra!

Sarah wrote: "Wonderful review, Rosh!! 🥰"

Thanks so much, Sarah! 💕

Terrie wrote: "You are so brave to take on this lengthy read, Rosh. I'm glad it was well-researched and was explained in detail. Our track record in the US is less than stellar, especially regarding people. Will ..."

Thank you kindly, dear Terrie! 💕 I was hoping to complete it well for a reading challenge where I required a book of more than 500 pages. The ratings made me assume that it would work very well for me. :(
I am sure the US is not alone in this. All countries have so many skeletons in their closets. We should try to learn from the mistakes of the past instead of trying to continue following their discriminatory practices. Sadly, most politicians have forgotten this, both in the US and here in India. :(

Angela M wrote: "Sorry it didn’t work for you, Rosh. You did a great job of telling why."

Thanks much, Angela! I am glad it worked better for you. I hate being an outlier for such a topic. :(

AG wrote: "Brilliant review, Rosh!"

Thanks, AG!

Alexandra wrote: "A very interesting debut novel for sure! I can understand your points about whiny characters who don't grow, repetition and lack of nuance. Excellent review, Rosh!"

Thanks much, Alexandra! A very ambitious debut, indeed. If only the author could have curbed her emotions and made her character more relatable instead of sounding like someone struggling with menopausal hormones.

NZLisaM wrote: "What an amazing in-depth review. So well said. ❤️"

Thank you kindly, Lisa! 💕

Barbara wrote: "I didn't know that it was a study in both black and native american traumas. Holy Moly...that is a lot of trauma. Glad you stuck with it Rosh!"

Neither did I, Barbara! It turned out to be way more than I had bargained for! :(

Darla wrote: "A very helpful and insightful review, Rosh. I have seen this book getting many accolades. Did not realize it was so long. Sounds like it really bit off a huge chunk of history for one book."

Thank you kindly, Darla. A huge chunk, indeed. Becomes too hefty in every way.

Srivalli wrote: "Oh my gosh! This could have been two books! That's a lot of trauma for a single book. Having a whiny narrator can really mess it up. Kudos to the author for tackling all of it, but maybe it would h..."

Seriously! Had it not been for the GR challenge and the fact that I am not free for the rest of the month, I might even have ditched it. A good story, but too much of the same thing.
Thanks, Sri!

Yun wrote: "Great review, Rosh! Sorry this disappointed somewhat though. I understand your thoughts. I'm particularly sensitive to whiny characters, probably cause I get enough of that with my toddler, so I do..."

Haha, you made me laugh with that remark, Yun! Wait till you reach the teen years. :D

Baba wrote: "A very fine review Rosh, sounds like they took on too much for a debut novel?"

Thank you, Baba. Quite possible, though they did do fair justice to it, I'd say.

Tina wrote: "I can always count on you for a thorough and helpful review Rosh 💜"

Thank you so much, Tina! 💖

L wrote: "I loved this book, and I also appreciate your thoughtful review."

Thank you, L! I am truly glad it worked better for you. :)

Canadian Jen wrote: "Too many characters and themes can be overwhelming. I'm not sure I will get to this one although it is on my list. Appreciate the thoughts, Rosh!"

Thanks, Jen! It's a good book, but you need to be in the right frame of mind to handle all the darkness.

Great in-depth review, Rosh! Appreciate your somewhat outlier opinion. I don't think this book is for me, but I can see how it might work for the right reader.

Thanks for your honesty Rosh, You have reinforced my earlier decision not to read this. 💖📚

Rosh I tried reading this one several times and just couldn't get into it as you said too many characters and puzzling themes. Great review

Another fabulous, informative, well-balanced review, Rosh! ❤️ Thank you; you have reinforced my decision not to read it.

Excellent review, Rosh 💕

Stellar review, Rosh. I always appreciate an honest look at the less successful aspects of a book, as it helps balance a book's hype. To take nothing away from the skill of this author, it does sound like her characters could've been treated with a little more nuance. I hate when all males are painted as evil, all women are painted as victims, and I particularly dislike the 'kitchen sink syndrome' that so many debuts suffer from. I admire all her research and the intention behind the book, though! 💗

The fact that you mention the lengthy chapters and somewhat tedious approach to the timelines is quite helpful. And the concepts of the characters sound great but like they fell a little flat. Fair review, Rosh!

800+ pages? No ma'am. I couldn't. Considering that every man seems to behave poorly and every woman faces harassment, this topic simply doesn't resonate with me. I commend you for your willingness to engage with these issues; I, however, cannot. Thank you for the review, and for the warning!