11 Comments
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July 18, 2021
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Thanks, Courtney! I really enjoyed Calvino's 'Invisible Cities,' and I'm excited to dive into this book.

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Looking forward to the next review and your take on “If a winter’s night a traveler” great book!

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Thanks! I'm really looking forward to reading it this week.

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Thanks for an entertaining and interesting review, even though you didn’t care for the book. I’m looking for a novel, so maybe it’s time to check out “Eileen.” I want something to wash away the disappointment of “Asymmetry” by Lisa Halliday. I’m open to suggestions from BoG readers!

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'Eileen' is worth a read for sure, but I'm interested in what other folks here would recommend!

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Thanks for your thoughtful review. I have never read Ottessa Moshfegh and I won’t start here. I really liked the Olga Tkarzuk book a lot. I thought it was clever and not boring.

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Thanks, Kate! Olga T's book is definitely not boring! I'm bummed that this one didn't work for me. I went into it really wanting to like it.

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You are not wrong — that is a BIG NOPE re: the murder letter!

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I am glad we are on the same page!

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My first book by this author, and while I enjoyed her writing style/flow, like you, it just did not gel for me. Vesta goes from a lonely woman obsessing and fantasizing about a mystery to someone who suddenly walks through the looking glass. But why? And what’s the point, beyond a jarring ending? The singular narrative grew tedious over time, as did the long descriptions of her imaginary characters. It was a relief to find your review, as I’m puzzled by the rave reviews where others found a questionable amount of deep symbolism in a plot line that was just repetitive and obtuse to me. I think this might have worked better as a longer short fiction. I’m sufficiently intrigued enough to read more by her.

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Hello! Glad you found our review and that it resonated with you. If you're interested in reading more Moshfegh, I'd recommend 'Eileen.' I really enjoyed it.

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