Sandra Barron > Recent Status Updates

At its heart, this novel is a glimpse into the mind of a sociopath. It has notes of American Psycho. It’s about a pedophile, a character very much like Humphrey Humphrey in Lolita. Oates’s portrait of Francis Fox is framed in a tantalizing crime mystery, and it’s the mystery, along with her masterful writing that keeps me reading.

I’m putting it aside because I can. Other things calling to me at this time.

Beautifully written, but I don’t understand how some writers get away with so much description and so little plot/action. I’m halfway through and nothing has happened in the present time other than the aunt came to live with the girls. I feel like I could never get away with that. Maybe because it was written a while ago? Maybe our inpatient level has increased exponentially in the last decade?

Wow wow wow

Beautiful writing, so well researched. Put aside because at this time, I’m just not in the mood for WWII when there’s so much going on now in the United States.

Are any of you Lispector fans? I just read "Love" / "Amor" and she reminds me so much of Silvia Plath.

Written in 1970, you might expect this book to be outdated. Unfortunately, it's not. Some of the chapter headings could be ripped from the headlines of today's newspaper. I started reading this around the time of the 2016 election and I felt overwhelmed emotionally. Latin American history, as told from the point of view of the natives, is so appalling that it makes you want to scream.

so far--A little Junot Diaz, a little Harry Potter.

I do a lot of skimming but I find a lot of gems too.

I'm in the awkward stage w this book but the reviewers said it's worth pushing through.

I'm on page 8 and I'm FURIOUS. Maybe not a good time to read this as it's triggering me into spasms of anger. Which is to say, I love it. I can't believe I never read this before. LOVE LOVE LOVE

A bit premature to recommend this, but I am so into it. The writing is unique and smart. Why is is so hard to discover books like this, why must publishers shove mediocre stuff in our face when there are little gems like this out there? Deborah Levy was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, so that tells you something.

Really good and engaging

Great example of a a tale begging in medias res.