Mai

• I thought this was entertaining but in the way of me watching.. I dunno.. Disney movies because of the happy endings and two dimensional characters. It's just easy to digest.
BUT in Disney movies there is actual drama, action even. This story never gets too intense. For me, I needed things to go deeper.

This was good! Dare I say one of the better fantasy books I have read.
Kinda bummed I didn't buy the trilogy in one go.

You know who my favorite character is? Judy Poovey.

I honestly don't even know how to review this. Am I missing something? This is a classic. Shouldn't this have blown my mind?
It didn't. I was kinda underwhelmed honestly.
I loved The Goldfinch, couldn't appreciate this one.
Let's just say this is not what I look for in a book.

- Was it just me or doesn't anyone have a personality? Bland. If they were a spice they would be flour. Is this the commentary on the elite? I get it. Does it make for engaging reading? For me, no.
All the males were interchangeable to me.
Especially Charles and Francis.
- Tweed jackets. Pince nez. Amish looking gardening clothes. Chain smoking. Alcoholics. Substance abuse. Murder. People saying “I say, old sport” like it's the roaring twenties.
- The big thing that happens is explained on the first pages. Yes it's murder. I would be shocked but everyone was so blasé about it that I had a hard time understanding what the point is of me reading these 600 pages.
- There is another murder. They hint at something supernatural. But really these assholes were just full of themselves and full of narcotics for sure. It may come as a shocker but everyone is blasé about this murder too.
- At some point the characters are talking about loving each other. Really? Could've fooled me. Did not get that feeling at all. I found it kind of mind boggling that they hung out in the first place.
- Julian. I thought he would be this driving force. The puppeteer. Yoda and evil mastermind all rolled into one. I am reading he made such an impact on their lives, because Tartt literally writes it does. But he doesn't really do anything substantial in the book that would make me believe so.
- Could've sworn they were all going to set Richard up for everything. But no.
Richard the narrator narrates this whole long ass story. Because he wants redemption? Is there a moral to this story? Is he in jail? On his deathbed. No. Who knows. He is just boring whomever (us) he is confiding in just for the hell of it or something? What is the point??
- Where is this character development I have been reading about? Is it that they go from pretentious and obnoxious to delusional and miserable assholes? By those standards this book succeeded gloriously.

I have so many mixed feelings about this book. It is a heavy read. Not only because it's over 700 pages, but also the topics discussed. I found myself intrigued in the beginning, absolutely hating it in the middle, and sobbing at the end.

+ The feeling of really having been on a journey, having witnessed the life of Jude.
+ The topic of male friendships, the emotional side of it.
+ The normalcy of LGBT characters.
+ The way mourning was handled.
+ The way it slowly is revealed what happened in Jude's past
+ I like the writing style

- While gay characters where just a fact, not a novelty. There was a kind of doomed to be sad or die if you are gay. This trope makes me roll my eyes.
- Jude saying I'm sorry thousands of times
- Caleb. Really. Wtf was that. I hated this part because this did feel like I was being emotionally manipulated.
- The improbability of how much abuse happens to Jude. I mean it was really shit upon shit upon shit.
- The improbability of everyone being rich, well off, jetting of to all corners of the earth like it's nothing
- Everyone enabling Jude.
- The death of Willem was kind of cliche.
- The switching of POV without warning was confusing.

I didn't find the book clever, I didn't find the twists that shocking, I am confused as to why this is labeled a thriller.

Could not identify with anything or anyone in this book.

The narrator was really whiny plot twist he is not just a complaining asshole, he also is mentally ill. Not only that, All 4 of them were horrible and self serving. Wow. Shocker.

This book did nothing for me.
1 star because I can't give half stars and because the author managed to make everyone unsympathetic, I guess that is an accomplishment.

DNF 15%.
Tan, I love you and I really tried. But it's a hard pass for me.

Dnf at 43%. nonsensical, no decent worldbuilding and honestly boring af 

Thanks, I hate it.
The fact that I dnf after 56 pages.