I had trouble resonating with this. There were passages I enjoyed but overall this was a book I needed to push myself through. I generally struggle with epistolary novels as I find they don't build up narrative tension or characters as much as I'd like them to. They're a bit like jazz - the words not said are are almost more important than the words that are, and that leaves me wanting.

It feels sacrilegious to give this classic a low rating, so I do want to go on record and say that I think it has remarkable literary merit. It's a groundbreaking and hardhitting book that definitely set a foundation for later works that I absolutely love. While it wasn't for me, I'm very glad I read it and do recommend it if you want to connect with modern classics centering explorations of abuse, race, sexuality, and gender within families.