housecatstewart's Reviews (114)


It’s crazy to me that so many people are saying the last 20% was their favorite part?! I HATED the switch to Jen’s perspective. Andy as a character was such a compelling narrator, flaws and all, and I was absolutely rooting for him to find some growth and perspective at the end of his journey. Instead I got Jen’s hamfisted beat-by-beat explanation of the end of their relationship and her realization that she didn’t want kids. It felt like a completely different book. We don’t get to be with Andy for his resolution. We see him finally do a better gig and be surrounded by adoring fans like he always dreamed, like Jen resented him for, but somehow now we’re supposed to feel happy for him after being forced to read Jen describing all his fuck ups for the last 40 pages? And don’t get me wrong - Jen made some truly amazing and poignant points about women and motherhood and relationships - but was that the right ending for this book? I don’t think so. If you want to write a book about a woman leaving a manchild and HER journey, write that story. Don’t rob us of Andy’s conclusion just to make the point that he was terrible all along.

Beautiful writing but truly a book without joy. It was a tough read for me. What a treat to make it through all the agony to be even more agonized by the ending.

Nathan Zuckerman’s tenderness for the male figures permeating his life hits a place in my heart that no other narrator can.

This wasn’t quite a 4-star book but it’s definitely better than a 3 so I’m going 4. There was so much in here that I wanted to love, but too much of it fell flat for me. I immensely appreciate the originality of these ideas, the themes, all the thoughts and concepts that are so far removed from my own reality - I just wish the structure and pacing had been different. We needed more Cyrus, less of literally every other character (all of whom felt like they were written in the same voice). But overall, I think Cyrus as a character will stick with me and that counts for a lot.

Unbelievably tender, deep reaching into the heart. Fatherhood and brotherhood, the splendor of all the feelings you think age and life steal from you. This is the first book I’ve read in some time that I just could not put down. As a sequel, if you’re looking for another book all about Elio and Oliver, this isn’t it and you won’t be happy. If you’re looking for a beautiful story about the different ways our lives can go based on our choices, our fears, our expectations, you’ll be over the moon.

As an update, I’ve now read the physical book and listened to the audiobook. Michael Stuhlbarg gets a little goofy with his narration at times but it was still good!

Forced to dismount and turn away from my outfit so the others wouldn’t see me cry (for the last 200 pages straight). Splendid Behavior.