★★☆☆☆
a regular Joe Sand-lover spouts pretentious sexist drivel for ~240 pages. i just couldn't feel any sympathy for the protagonist, maybe this is how Abe intended to acheive that detached-surrealist atmosphere, but i didn't feel that they were so connected... the flow was a little confusing too (weird sex tangents) but overall Abe paints a good picture of how absurd and futile life (submission & revolt) is. it was suspenseful and interesting, just not to the extent i'd heard it praised for.

★★★★★
loooved this so much, existentialism straight from the founding mother's mouth. so many quotes stolen for my journal, this felt like it came at the perfect time, bringing many messages i hope to carry into the new year with me. felt radical not just for my interactions with others and the authenticity i let into them, but for my view of myself and my intentions for the future. 'and then what?' is a question i've always been daunted and often been incapacitated by, but de Beauvoir has soothed this... a wealth of knowledge in this book, i'm now free to do with that what i will...

★★★★★
absolutely broke my heart given today's context. the best male writing of female characters that comes to mind, compassion and understanding and intent. i loved and devoured this, brilliantly written and so emotional and reaching, but more importantly something urgent and with tangible purpose, not just something read but lived. and in all of this horror its still so human, there are still a thousand splendid suns. its difficult to put anything about this into words, Hosseini says everything i could. 'One last time, Mariam did as she was told.'

★★★☆☆
even though this book isn't about homosexuality, its portrayal of it did affect my reading... of course, it provides great insight into how homosexuality is pathologised and medicalised, and its depictions are well written. but hearing these associations with gore, depravity, deviance, and perversion over and over again through history and media have meant that i don't find this a particularly meaningful topic. still, Mishima's depictions of inner turmoil, death and obsession war are heartfelt, candid if nothing else, and they were what really struck a chord with me.

★★★★★
hooooly fuck holy moly. this took me way too long to get through don't even ask why because there's no good answer, since i love love loooved this more than words can describe. refusing to read anything else by Kundera for the forseeable future for fear of ruining this- perfect in isolation. ending was so quiet, out of nowhere, flipped the page several times in confusion. only made it better. affirmed my love for coincidence and the meaning we take from it. last chapter heartwrenching. God i'll never read like that again. God bless Karenin.

★★★☆☆
(written retroactively, 20 nov)
felt like the deeper meaning of this was a little lost on me. from my perspective, a very fun book, so much so that i only realised near the end how swept up i'd been in the literal. felt that the biblical accounts dragged a little, maybe i wasn't as devoted to them as i should have been, and by the end they only served to confuse me. i'm sure there was beauty in them that i overlooked. great fun with Margarita & the Devil, delight in freedom and possibility. the early twist took me by surprise for sure, i'd expected it to hang over the rest of the book. my reading was tedious but i enjoyed some parts immensely.