I had so much fun listening to this! It was everything I wanted it to be, which was a quick, fun, horny old time lmao. Like yeah, it’s a little wacky and the guys constantly talking about their cocks made me laugh every time but that was kind of what I wanted from this so it’s not like I can judge when I walked into it with my eyes wide open
I have to admit that I haven't listened to much rap, or at least the earlier stuff that this chronicles in such a beautiful way, and yet the way Abdurraqib writes makes me nostalgic for something I've never delved into.
I'm definitely going to have to look into his poetry after this if this is how he writes nonfiction.
Once again, I read this for uni and anything I read by force is something I will automatically have a resistance to lmao. That said, this has some very interesting points and Putnam illustrates and exemplifies them well by using interviews from people living in the situations he writes about. I learned a lot about the opportunity gap for kids from different socioeconomic backgrounds even if I found some sections to be a little heavy on the stats. Would recommend if this is a subject you're interested in, otherwise it might be a bit dry.
I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did and I think that the novel being written in verse really added to how much I truly liked reading this. Once you get into it you fly through and the passages are so beautiful it's honestly hard to grasp at times. The way he spoke about the seasons and ageing and youth really struck a chord in me. And of course the way he portrays yearning is on a different level entirely.
It's a little hard to understand at times that even the (very) extensive notes can't address, but maybe I just need to expand my vocabulary. Would recommend to anyone who is willing to use a dictionary while reading.
The novel also gets bonus points for getting me into opera, the Eugene Onegin Opera by Tchaikovsky goes hard to this.
Did not expect to finish this today but I'm super happy to finish the year out with Romy and to finally have the whole story resolved:) I enjoyed following her story even if I didn't stay on schedule for the majority of it. I've never read anything like this before, and I think maybe I'll have to try to read it again sometime.
🎇 Happy New Years!🎆
This was really fun! I did take a little too long to finish it and lost the Christmas vibe which kind of made me lose interest at the end but that's on me. I really want to get my hands on a physical version so I can see the artwork too. All in all it was a solid story with some really interesting lore.
Overall this was a very informative read, I learned a lot and grew to become invested in the people she writes about. However, it's quite repetitive, so the actual process of reading it could be a little trying at times. The appendix was really interesting, I really enjoyed seeing more about how she felt trying to integrate in a way that wouldn't harm the people around her or the study she was conducting. And it was nice to get a more personal perspective, especially with the longer passage at the end about Chuck.
This is by far my favourite Shakespeare that I've read. I like how light and funny it was, I actually laughed out loud at some points. It was just a good time! Would recommend to anyone that's trying to get into reading Shakespeare and want to start out with something a little easier.
Reading log (spoilers):
So the institution of the druncle has existed for at least 400 years huh?
They're doing my boy Malvolio so dirty damn😭
Upon further reflection he is not my boy and I don't like him... they should probably stop being mean to him anyways though but that might just be me idk
Toby trifling in chat, man's will not chill for even a second.
🌈💕Antonio slay💕🌈
Olivia knight in shining armour fr, could absolutely not fault Sebastian for immediately folding and falling in love, I would too if someone yelled at Toby in front of me like that. That's the hottest possible thing you could do for me honestly.
Andy Serkis is insane for this, how does he do that? It feels like I'm listening to a full-cast production but it is simply one man who must have made a deal with the devil cause no ones vocal cords should be able to do all that
Reading log:
Bilbo just like me fr
Diagnosing him with a lethal case of FOMO
The Mirkwood sequence is about to make me do something drastic I need them out of this fucking forest
Mattie was definitely the best part of this, she's so funny and resolute and entirely herself throughout the novel and is a delight to follow. The book in general felt weirdly paced with a lot of time spent on things that didn't really go anywhere, but the overall story was interesting.
Reading log:
This fucking courtroom scene is gonna do me in dude why is it so fucking long
She's so funny, that's not a little girl that is an old woman stuck in a little girls body.
Moon😭
Okay these long ramblings that don't go anywhere are getting real old
“The Original Greaser Bob”?? Be so fr
Lucky Ned Pepper kinda slay
Chaney is so funny dude, all “Everything is against me” like he didn't put himself in a situation all by himself, I love a bitch that just complains
I feel like everything takes a weirdly long time
Blackie😭😭