pickSince the sequel is so short, I ended up reading it in a couple of hours. Soft pick. I felt it was more messy than romantic, and I was getting impatient while characters trudged through the murky waters of their feelings. Wrapped up too conveniently. While it was fine, it would have been fine to stop at first book too. Or make it one book. I didn‘t hate it, but I doubt I will be rereading it.
pickEpistolary novel. A pretty easy read. It is a story of how an accidental email turned into a pretty intense emotional affair. Was it a romance? Was it a warning that the line between flirtation and “too far” is invisible? Was it an invitation to look outside of one‘s bubble? To reassess a longterm relationship? I can‘t tell yet. The ending was logical. Apparently there is a sequel, I don‘t know if I care enough to read it.
This email made me laugh. In the endlessly quotable words of Neil Gaiman, “Truth is, there aren‘t any grown-ups. Not one, in the whole wide world.”
Turgeniev and Chekhov loom large in this epistolary novella written by a German author, but set in Russia at the turn of the 20th century, at a time of social unrest, when university students were revolutionaries and the upper class held the lower classes in easy contempt. Every character is self-absorbed but thinks they're more observant than the others. I wanted to knock their heads together 😂
Peirene Press always make interesting choices
pickLove a good #epistolarynovel! Polly, Tirzah, and Sophia had such unique situations, and their friendship felt lived in - like they existed before the span this novel is set in. Realistic depictions of the time without being overly forgiving or radical, and the letters from others were such a treat! Tbh, where's Theo and Albert's book?? #yalit #yahistoricalfiction
pickMerteuil and Valmont weave increasingly elaborate schemes and affairs as they each compete for the others approval. The letters reveal so much personality but you never know if you can trust the authors‘ intentions as the stakes and consequences become increasingly severe. 8/10
pickMystery and romance unfold when a lost manuscript is found in a hotel room drawer. The journeys it took to get there and to find its way back to its owner are revealed through a series of letters in this #epistolarynovel that celebrates the impact books have on our lives.
Read for library book discussion
pickI‘ve been meaning to read this #epistolary novel for awhile and finally did for a library discussion.
This book gets 5 stars for the number of times it made me laugh out loud. I needed that. It‘s short and witty, with a sarcastic humor I love.
