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Very immersive! The narrative voice really brings to life the poor and rural side of America.

Honestly I have mixed feelings about this book

A real page-turner, but I some of the more scathing reviews I’ve read of this book do have a point. Athena seems a bit like a self-insert character. However, if you distance yourself from the author and just read the story as it is, it is a highly entertaining novel that can get you out of a slump.

Ooh, off to a strong start!

Man, the investigation is going at a snail’s pace.

We got more insight into Mr. Fox’s psyche, which is repulsive and very methodical. The non-linear approach is also interesting and successfully captures the reader’s attention as it makes you want to know how things ended the way they did. Same thing with the multiple POVs. There’s dramatic irony, we have the big picture, but the characters don’t.

Honestly, I’m a bit put off by the graphic descriptions of Mr. Fox’s crimes. But! Oates’ writing is beautiful! You can tell she’s an experienced writer who knows how to handle complex characters. I also find some of her wordplay very creative and thematically appropriate (like Fox’s name, which resembles the French "faux" and hints at his true character). Looking forward to uncovering the mystery!

Loving the way Emma hated Mrs Elton on sight. I’m with you girl.

(Spoiler alert!) Man, I can’t believe we almost got a love declaration! Emma is so casual about the idea of being in love. I don’t really know if that’s what she actually feels, though. She and Frank Churchill got along very well during his visit, but he seemed much more interested than she. Also, I find him a little suspicious. I thinks he’s hiding something.

I am so invested in Emma’s schemes.

It’s insane how Austen can make such a mundane thing as social life so thrilling. The characters just pay visits and send notes to one another, and they discuss matters relating to their very limited circle, yet they do not bore of it.

Emma is a flawed heroine. She is "perfect" according to almost everyone, but a modern reader will definitely notice her naivety.

Giving Emma a second chance now that I’m in the mood to read it!

I’m impressed at the sense of dread permeating the prose so far. However, I must say the kids have been depicted as astonishingly ignorant, so much so that it almost breaks the immersion. Because what do you mean an eighth grader doesn’t know what "surname" means???

Looking forward to reading this one! I’ve liked the first few pages so far. The dog’s perspective was an interesting choice. I wonder if there will be many changes in focalization?

The characters are all so endearing already, I can’t help but feel sympathy for them. Prior especially has my heart, the poor fellow. Rivers is a great man, and Sassoon holds interesting views.

I’m very impressed by the themes Barker is handling and am excited to analyze the novel in class.

Weirdly enough, Goodreads only has one edition of this book, so I can’t post updates accurately :/

I am STRUGGLING to read this. Don’t get me wrong, the plot is compelling and Alice has depth, but the tangents are so numerous and the progress through Hell so slow…

Although I really do like the extras, I feel like the pacing is way too slow for some of them (like the Shang Qinghua one).

Seriously everyone in this novel is insane

Surprisingly, I enjoy Alice’s introspective moments far more than I do the descriptions of Hell’s courts.

I find Kuang’s Hell innovative compared to what is typically depicted in fiction. However, her writing shines brightest during reflective passages. Alice Law is more complex than I expected, and I want to know more about her. She’s very much a victim of academia, and hasn’t realized it yet.