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miajakobsen's Reviews (152)
Dedicated to a Happier Year
Wow. This book. I can't really formulate all of my thoughts about it yet but it makes me cry. Such a moving story about what it's like to be a gay man in England while it's illegal to be homosexual, written by a gay man during that time. Maurice vs Clive's complex journey throughout is absolutely real and devastating. The dedication is made all the more powerful when you know that it was written in 1913-14 and only published in 1971 after the author's death. This classic is a must-read.
Wow. This book. I can't really formulate all of my thoughts about it yet but it makes me cry. Such a moving story about what it's like to be a gay man in England while it's illegal to be homosexual, written by a gay man during that time. Maurice vs Clive's complex journey throughout is absolutely real and devastating. The dedication is made all the more powerful when you know that it was written in 1913-14 and only published in 1971 after the author's death. This classic is a must-read.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"Are you always lost?"
"In most of them, yeah."
"And are you always trying to find me?"
"Mostly I think I'm trying to find me, dad."
This book will always mean the world to me. I first read this book in 2018 - I was 15 and had just come out as bisexual. This book was the first I read that had a character deal with internalized homophobia, something I greatly struggled with but didn't have the words to name. Ari and Dante helped me heal in so many different ways, and Sáenz has crafted a heartwarming story, told in the most beautiful prose. Even at 19, I looked to this book and found myself relating (a little too much) to Ari Mendoza. This story touches upon so many heavy topics (homophobia, colourism, PTSD, to name a few) in such a caring manner. It also just tells a beautiful love story. If you struggle with self-worth and identity, this story will speak to you, and hopefully also make you feel seen.
An incredibly heartfelt, hilarious and honest memoir. Andrew is such a talented writer, I adored this book.