This Strange Eventful History: A Novel

ClairesReads

This Strange Eventful History: A Novel | Claire Messud

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JenP

This Strange Eventful History: A Novel | Claire Messud

pan

I hated most things about this book. In fact I believe my ratings of other books were based on comparison to this one š‚. Our panel reviewed it here

https://thereadersroom.org/2024/09/02/2024-booker-longlist-this-strange-eventful...

If you liked it, do me a favor and drop a comment in our blog with your review. I like there to be a diversity of view points in our reviews but none of us liked it. #bookerlonglist2024

AnneCecilie, Deblovestoread, charl08, rmaclean4, squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB, Graywacke, jlhammar

BarbaraBB It‘ll be my next read but somehow I expect to end up with the majority here! 6mo

JenP @BarbaraBB I do hope you like it. It was very painful for me and I don‘t wish that on you š‚ 6mo

Graywacke @JenP i took you up on the suggestion and commented on the blog link š™‚ I liked it more than you. 6mo

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Graywacke @BarbaraBB it demands slow. You might like it. It has some real appeal. 6mo

JenP @Graywacke appreciate it. I mentioned you specifically bc I saw that you enjoyed it more than we did. I do think it was very well written but simply a bad match for me. 6mo

JenP I didn‘t rush thorough it honestly. I read it when the list was leaked so I had some time. For me this was like a way less superior In search of lost time (in terms of style, descriptions of the mundane) and my biggest issue was that it felt very emotionally sterile (until the end). 6mo

dabbe #fanofthepan! #betterbooksahead š™ 6mo

BarbaraBB Thanks for the heads up @Graywacke š¤¨ 6mo

squirrelbrain I just commented tooā€¦. 6mo

JenP @squirrelbrain thanks! I didn‘t tag you bc I think you had picked ā€so soā€¯ for your review of it but it‘s good to have some positive reviews up on the blog. Usually we are much more mixed in our reviews but two of my panel abandoned it lol 6mo

charl08 Still to read this one. 6mo

25 likes11 comments

rmaclean4

This Strange Eventful History: A Novel | Claire Messud

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3 š read for me. I can admire this novel, and I enjoyed listening to the audio book, but I did not feel invested. This would not make my personal short list. 3 read, 3 in the process of being read, and 7 to go! #Booker @JenP @AnneCecilie @charl08 @JamieArc @BarbaraBB @Graywacke @jlhammar

rmaclean4 @squirrelbrain 6mo

squirrelbrain Yes, I liked it too, but it did skim along the surface a bit - not much depth. 6mo

JenP I was bored to tears for 75% of it and then mildly engaged for the last 25% 6mo

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BarbaraBB I‘m not really looking forward to it, after your review and @JenP ‘s! 6mo

rmaclean4 @squirrelbrain š‘¨ 6mo

rmaclean4 @BarbaraBB I did not hate it, just did not love it. 6mo

Graywacke Sounds about how i felt. I might have liked it a little better. It took me 17 hrs to read. As im sure you know, the audiobook is only 16 hrs. āŗļø¸ š¦� 6mo

25 likes7 comments

Graywacke

This Strange Eventful History: A Novel | Claire Messud

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Ok, I‘ve finished book 2. A mere 11 to go š™‚ I enjoyed this, and closed it feeling very intune with the story, its lovely language and its recreation of moments. I can‘t comment on its shortlist promise yet, but i would rank it below most of last year‘s list. Still, I‘ll remember it more than most books I have read. It imprints. My model was curious š¾
#booker2024 #longlist

Graywacke @rmaclean4 @squirrelbrain @Leniverse @JamieArc @BarbaraBB @jlhammar @AnnaCecilie @JenP 6mo

Graywacke #booker 6mo

BarbaraBB Great review. I am intrigued by it! 6mo

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dabbe š‚š¾š‚ 6mo

ShelleyBooksie OMG - best photo bomb ever ā™�ā™�ā™�ā™� 6mo

tournevis wrowroo? 6mo

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Great photo š¾ 6mo

Graywacke @tournevis that could have been her review. Or she may have just been asking me for grilled chicken. 6mo

tournevis @Graywacke I have similar experiences with ours, just a different dialect, more often mgnuff gnuff gnuff. 6mo

Leftcoastzen š‘¸š¶ 6mo

Graywacke @tournevis š¤£ Our Pepper whines - for food, attention, because it‘s raining, because the cat has the water bowl, etc. 6mo

squirrelbrain So cute! ā¯¤ļø¸ Great review too. 6mo

AnneCecilie Now you have me intrigued (edited) 6mo

Suet624 Great photo! 6mo

tournevis @Graywacke Igrec is just a grumpy old man who doesn't understand why we don't understand him tbh 6mo

Graywacke @tournevis sounds like my cat, who speaks in clear sentences (laced with bad words) and is aghast we don‘t understand. 6mo

Graywacke @BarbaraBB @AnneCecilie hope you enjoy. It‘s a slow one. Slow pace. 6mo

Graywacke @dabbe @ShelleyBooksie @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Leftcoastzen @Suet624 she‘s grateful of all your comments. It‘s hard work being a book model, posing with never any warning, and always at nap time (which is always) 6mo

62 likes18 comments

Graywacke

This Strange Eventful History: A Novel | Claire Messud

Getting going on the #booker2024 #bookerlonglist ( #booker )

I won‘t be reading these all before the winner is announced. But I plan to work through them this year or by early 2025. Reading Messud 1st.

squirrelbrain I really liked this one, which I read before the long list was announced. 7mo

BarbaraBB Enjoy! Looking forward to following your journey as always! 7mo

Deblovestoread I‘m looking forward to this one soon. 7mo

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jlhammar Can‘t wait to get started on the longlist, but finishing up a few others first. 7mo

Graywacke @squirrelbrain Cool that you already read jt. I‘m enjoying it. Nothing groundbreaking yet, but very pleasant. 7mo

Graywacke @BarbaraBB will you be reading the list? 7mo

Graywacke @Deblovestoread oh, yay. I‘ll try to follow your posts on it 7mo

Graywacke @jlhammar are you going to read the full list? I usually give myself a year. I really don‘t like to feel rushed. But I might push to be a little faster this year. But also - I‘m not using audio for any of the longlist. That‘s a big change for me (edited) 7mo

jlhammar @Graywacke I hope to, but I might not get to them all before the winner is announced. The Kushner and Powers aren‘t out until Sept so waiting on those. And looks like I might have to order Stone Yard Devotional from Blackwell‘s (not seeing a US pub date yet, hoping that changes). 7mo

BarbaraBB I will! Will tag you! 7mo

Graywacke @BarbaraBB yay! š™‚ I‘ll tag you too. But more slowly, i think. š¦� 7mo

58 likes11 comments

jlhammar

This Strange Eventful History: A Novel | Claire Messud

I‘ve been so bad about posting reviews lately (see my profile page for link to my goodreads if you want to follow everything I‘m reading), but I‘ve been so good (or maybe bad?) at acquiring new books.

Very appealing Booker longlist this year! This is the first of two orders I placed the day it was announced. I‘d already read and loved James and had Wandering Stars waiting on my shelves. Can‘t wait to dive in!#Booker2024

squirrelbrain I‘m loving My Friends so far. Also really enjoyed the Messud. I‘ve just got Held from the library. Started Wild Houses on audio and it‘s yet to grab me. (edited) 7mo

charl08 Love your cover for the Matar. So clever. 7mo

BarbaraBB I‘ve been very tempted by the longlist as well. Of your books I‘ve only read and enjoyed Held, though not as much as her