you have touched the numbness at the center of my being u r definitely the funniest booktuber I've seen and one of the most passionate I got this book after it won the prize and was looking forward to reading it now you've pointed out every single thing wrong with it most of which dullard that I am would have barely noticed but will continue reading anyway love the way u r so specific about the all the flaws while praising the stuff u liked so glad KD in wales put me on to u⚛😀
You're like the hbomberguy of book reviews, I love this. I'm also a big hater of prophet song, and I listened to the audiobook so I didn't even know about the formatting choice
I found this quite cathartic, because I'm in a Booker group where every three days someone says 'I just read Prophet Song isn't it amazing' and everyone responds 'yes, so amazing'. I don't think that just because you write a book about an important topic it is automatically a very good book - I think this absolutely could have been a very good book. I listened to the audiobook so it wasn't so much the writing that annoyed me. It's that the experience of reading this is like being hit over the head with the message until you say wow, so amazing. I feel like he wanted to have his cake and eat it by very closely following Eilish and being in her head, but not have the story told directly by her in first person so that every so often there could be this grand narrator spiel thrown in just in case you still didn't get the message.
I was scrolling through my home feed to find a video to stick on whilst i was getting ready. I ended up sitting down to listen to the whole thing 🤣 Bro, this review is so good. It's not often that I get to enjoy someone tearing a book apart whilst providing all the receipts to back up their criticisms. I hope I never write anything that gives anyone enough ammo for a review like this. I subbed and I'll be back for more.
I felt a stab when you mentioned Jack Edwards cos I bought Prophet Song & Bee Sting because of his reviews... 🥴 Prophet Song was mid and I was definitely more forgiving of it than you are but your points on the pretentious drivel were spot on. Subscribed for the honest review. Hopefully The Bee Sting is better...
Ok so this was a VERY entertaining review, even if I completely disagree 😂 I thought the style aimed to make it feel oppressive and cinematic rather than getting us to mind-meld with Eilish, and maybe I’m basic but I’m not too fussed about a reused metaphor. I loved it and I’ll be happy if it wins.
The funniest thing about reading/hearing about this book is that one of the main characters seems to be a high apparatchik in the Teachers Union of Ireland. Believe me, the real-life hierarchy in that union is far more... dystopian. 😀
I really hope this book doesn't win. I've sort of committed to reading the winner, and this is the book on the shortlist I have the absolute least desire to read.
You're far too nice about this book. It's the second worst book I've read this year. It's over-written, unsubtle, and the world building is as dumb as hell. And, as you say, he finishes the book by telling us what the book has been trying to say, which is an utter authorial failure.
The pretense of creating a dystopian Ireland by a Brit is horribly clueless. Did the Brita not cause exactly a dystopian life during the famine? 🤦♀️ I did not like this book at all. The accolades are a joke.
The pretense of creating a dystopian Ireland by a Brit is horribly clueless. Did the Brita not cause exactly a dystopian life during the famine? 🤦♀️ I did not like this book at all. The accolades are a joke.
Though I was forced to go back and read some of the passages mentioned. I think because the dialogue was without punctuation the stiltedness was less noticeable.
Great review. I find the writing in this book wholly pretentious and disingenuous. The Booker Prize used to be about good exemplary writing, now it’s driven by some sycophantic agenda.
I'm not familiar with Lynch, but this exposition feels like the work of a crummy draft reader or editor. The kind who drop in "I don't know what's going on" comments every time a new dynamic is introduced that the reader is supposed to come to understand via context
Excellent review . This was the second book by this author I've disliked . Especially the dialogue and use of arcane words . You have explained in detail why ...for me the only astounding thing about this novel is that it seems to have brought to notice the perilous state of democracy ..this is not a good novel , not creative and certainly not close to being exceptional .
you have touched the numbness at the center of my being u r definitely the funniest booktuber I've seen and one of the most passionate I got this book after it won the prize and was looking forward to reading it now you've pointed out every single thing wrong with it most of which dullard that I am would have barely noticed but will continue reading anyway love the way u r so specific about the all the flaws while praising the stuff u liked so glad KD in wales put me on to u⚛😀
You're like the hbomberguy of book reviews, I love this. I'm also a big hater of prophet song, and I listened to the audiobook so I didn't even know about the formatting choice
Wow! I really appreciate this guy taking the trouble to prove how shit something is. This is real literary criticism. Thanks !
I found this quite cathartic, because I'm in a Booker group where every three days someone says 'I just read Prophet Song isn't it amazing' and everyone responds 'yes, so amazing'. I don't think that just because you write a book about an important topic it is automatically a very good book - I think this absolutely could have been a very good book.
I listened to the audiobook so it wasn't so much the writing that annoyed me. It's that the experience of reading this is like being hit over the head with the message until you say wow, so amazing.
I feel like he wanted to have his cake and eat it by very closely following Eilish and being in her head, but not have the story told directly by her in first person so that every so often there could be this grand narrator spiel thrown in just in case you still didn't get the message.
I was scrolling through my home feed to find a video to stick on whilst i was getting ready. I ended up sitting down to listen to the whole thing 🤣 Bro, this review is so good. It's not often that I get to enjoy someone tearing a book apart whilst providing all the receipts to back up their criticisms. I hope I never write anything that gives anyone enough ammo for a review like this. I subbed and I'll be back for more.
Thank you so much for explaining me to why this book didn’t work for me at all!!! Spot on! ❤
I felt a stab when you mentioned Jack Edwards cos I bought Prophet Song & Bee Sting because of his reviews... 🥴 Prophet Song was mid and I was definitely more forgiving of it than you are but your points on the pretentious drivel were spot on. Subscribed for the honest review. Hopefully The Bee Sting is better...
So this is great. I thought it was me. I thought that I just wasn’t getting the artistry, the beauty of this book.
Ok so this was a VERY entertaining review, even if I completely disagree 😂
I thought the style aimed to make it feel oppressive and cinematic rather than getting us to mind-meld with Eilish, and maybe I’m basic but I’m not too fussed about a reused metaphor. I loved it and I’ll be happy if it wins.
It's true, I did crave a Vulcan mind meld
The funniest thing about reading/hearing about this book is that one of the main characters seems to be a high apparatchik in the Teachers Union of Ireland. Believe me, the real-life hierarchy in that union is far more... dystopian. 😀
Excellent review. You nailed it! Can’t fathom how it won.
Seriously! How did this win?
This book won the Booker Prize 2023 beating Chetna Maroo's 'Western Lane'.
Among others.
Thx dude, loved the review
I really hope this book doesn't win. I've sort of committed to reading the winner, and this is the book on the shortlist I have the absolute least desire to read.
Appreciate your passion 😅
You're far too nice about this book. It's the second worst book I've read this year. It's over-written, unsubtle, and the world building is as dumb as hell. And, as you say, he finishes the book by telling us what the book has been trying to say, which is an utter authorial failure.
The pretense of creating a dystopian Ireland by a Brit is horribly clueless. Did the Brita not cause exactly a dystopian life during the famine? 🤦♀️
I did not like this book at all. The accolades are a joke.
The pretense of creating a dystopian Ireland by a Brit is horribly clueless. Did the Brita not cause exactly a dystopian life during the famine? 🤦♀️
I did not like this book at all. The accolades are a joke.
I saw one review-that loved it-that claimed Prophet Song was ‘not for beginner readers’. How absolutely insulting!! 😮
Loved this book and love your review
Though I was forced to go back and read some of the passages mentioned. I think because the dialogue was without punctuation the stiltedness was less noticeable.
Great review. I find the writing in this book wholly pretentious and disingenuous. The Booker Prize used to be about good exemplary writing, now it’s driven by some sycophantic agenda.
Having watched this review 16 times, I have now begun to form the idea that you were not very impressed with this novel.
😂😂😂😂
jon fosse wrote john wick? wowee weewa
hard agree, it was sh*te i have no idea why it's getting so much praise...
I'm not familiar with Lynch, but this exposition feels like the work of a crummy draft reader or editor. The kind who drop in "I don't know what's going on" comments every time a new dynamic is introduced that the reader is supposed to come to understand via context
The writing annoyed me - a flare has never made me think of a bioluminescent fish.
Most illuminating.
No way he did a second read of this. One read was rough enough
You could have gone harder though
Do you really think Jack will read this 😂
Excellent review . This was the second book by this author I've disliked . Especially the dialogue and use of arcane words . You have explained in detail why ...for me the only astounding thing about this novel is that it seems to have brought to notice the perilous state of democracy ..this is not a good novel , not creative and certainly not close to being exceptional .
I saw one review-that loved it-that claimed Prophet Song was ‘not for beginner readers’. How absolutely insulting!! 😮