kassiereadsbooks's Reviews (786)

"I'm talking about love and honor and manliness, and tenderness, and persecution. I'm talking about a lot. You haven't understood any of it."

A thorough and heartbreaking dissection of masculinity and the impossibility of proving it. 1953's Tea and Sympathy touches on sexuality and suicidal tendencies in a time when such conversations were taboo both in life and on stage. Certain themes made my modern sensibilities uncomfortable at times

Laura's actions with Tom toe the line of consent and coercion

, but overall it is a moving and forward thinking work of drama, one that I would love to see adapted on stage.

Smart, oddly comedic, and impressively crafted, Middlesex is a multi-generational epic which lives up to its hype. I always said that when I finished Middlesex I would consider myself an accomplished reader and now that I’ve finished it all I can think is how much more I have to read before I will ever feel that way. This book re-inspired me to read not just for fun, but to learn things about myself, and the world at large. I found Cal’s voice to be an ideal narrator, and I easily followed his lineage, which was impressive considering Eugenides did not include a family tree or any visual mapping of the generations. Middlesex was a feat of a novel, not only for the literary community, but the Intersex community as well. Beautifully written and perfectly structured, I highly recommend it!

Wonderstruck is another testament to Brian Selznick's incredible gift for telling dual-narrative stories through pictures and prose. It's been sitting on my shelf since its publication in 2011, and I do believe that I picked it up at the right time. Its representation of New York and the Deaf community are inspired and moving. I felt that, unlike some of his previous works, the stories did not collide as naturally as they could have and I would have liked to see those elements blended more seamlessly, especially for its intended middle-grade audience, but overall it was a lovely story told through a lovely medium. It also might be the most beautiful book (both its cover and inside illustration) on my shelf.