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Fish Swimming in Dappled Sunlight
Fish Swimming in Dappled Sunlight | Riku Onda
3 posts | 5 read | 5 to read
From the author of The Aosawa Murders, one of the NYT Notable Books of 2020. The WSJ commented: "Part psychological thriller, part murder mystery--it is audacious in conception and brilliant in execution." The Globe and Mail said the (…more)
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review
Robotswithpersonality
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Panpan

Okay, you're getting the whole review I already splashed out elsewhere because I don't know how else to summarize my issues: 1/?
I think many would consider this too slow and contemplative to be considered a thriller, but lamentably it was thriller enough to not work for me. There were elements I liked, the descriptions of nature, the mentions of hiking, the unraveling of interpersonal tension over meandering discussion of a single night.

Robotswithpersonality 2/?∆But it played well into tropes I consider classic for the thriller genre: 1. not a single likeable character to be seen - by which I mean instead of being complex humans with flaws, they seemed to only be a showcase of negative traits; 2. the twists just made everything messier and uglier.

2y
Robotswithpersonality 3/? ∆ I hope to investigate the mystery (which is what I thought this might be) genre more, and see if I can find a niche where I am intrigued to see secrets gradually uncovered that are not designed just to shock and appal or baffle, but also/rather to illuminate. I can appreciate what this author was trying to do, but it felt unfinished rather than purposely unsatisfying. 2y
Robotswithpersonality 4/5 There was a bizarre preponderance of vague references to other scenarios that acted as a mirror of these characters' current or recalled circumstances, as if the author knew what she wanted the focus of the conversation to be, but couldn't think up a real world example, or even one that felt fully contextualized within the story. 2y
Robotswithpersonality 5/5 Also, not thrilled with the gender binary stereotypes near the beginning: general reflections of 'women are this' 'men are this'. On a shallower note, always bummed out when a pretty cover opens to a disappointing book. 2y
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quote
Robotswithpersonality
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"...sun-stabbed..."
I like it. Violently poetic. ☀️?

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review
TamTracy
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Panpan

The first few chapters kept me interested and I was all in. It very quickly took some turns that just didn‘t make sense and I ended up just wanting it to be over. Now I‘m just confused. ⭐️⭐️