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Flo's Reviews > Night Watch
Night Watch
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Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 2024 - Among the most prestigious book prizes, the Pulitzer Prize stands out as the most political. Themes often overshadow artistic and storytelling qualities, allowing books like this one to win.
This well-researched story, set in the Civil War era and exploring the treatment of people with mental illness at the time, was so unenjoyable to read. Difficult does not make it smart, and thorough research does not mean you can write a novel. The writing was so ugly that it might be the first time in my Kindle history that I didn't notice a single popular highlight. Best to avoid.
This well-researched story, set in the Civil War era and exploring the treatment of people with mental illness at the time, was so unenjoyable to read. Difficult does not make it smart, and thorough research does not mean you can write a novel. The writing was so ugly that it might be the first time in my Kindle history that I didn't notice a single popular highlight. Best to avoid.
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May 11, 2024
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May 11, 2024
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Michelle
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May 11, 2024 10:39AM
I listened to the audiobook, never reviewed it-- but really enjoyed the story.
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Oh dear I am sorry you didn't like it. The subject matter sounds interesting tho....
Michelle wrote: "I listened to the audiobook, never reviewed it-- but really enjoyed the story."A good narrator can make a big difference, especially with 'dense' prose. Unfortunately, I've only read the Kindle version. :)) Glad you enjoyed it, Michelle.
Susan wrote: "Oh dear I am sorry you didn't like it. The subject matter sounds interesting tho...."There is enough place for well researched papers and important themes in academia and journalism. Lets stop celebrating these works that lack creativity and think they are smart and complex just because they create false difficulty.
Good to know. I just marked it as "to read" yesterday, but may indefinitely delay actually getting to it...Thanks for the heads up!
Felt the same about Whitehead's The Nickel Boys, another Pulitzer winner. Thinly-veiled social issue essay masquerading as a novel. The topic is good, the format lacking.
Rob wrote: "Good to know. I just marked it as "to read" yesterday, but may indefinitely delay actually getting to it...Thanks for the heads up!"Try a sample online. You can see from the start if you like the prose or not.
Wes wrote: "Felt the same about Whitehead's The Nickel Boys, another Pulitzer winner. Thinly-veiled social issue essay masquerading as a novel. The topic is good, the format lacking."Not a fan of that one either, but at least was readable.
"Ugly" writing? I'd be interested to know a few writers whose work you consider beautiful just as a baseline for this judgment. I found the writing exquisite.
Within the first 15 pages I found two errors in history. One was Conlee comparing something “as big as a circus tent.” The circus didn’t arrive in a tent in America until 1878 in New York City and the other was the “rock, paper, scissors” reference. While a form of RPS has been around for 2,000 years it wasn’t popular in America until the early 1900’s.
Linda wrote: ""Ugly" writing? I'd be interested to know a few writers whose work you consider beautiful just as a baseline for this judgment. I found the writing exquisite."Too many examples. Trying to answer your question would be a sin. Writing can be beautiful in more than one way, but it can also be interesting or stimulating. I can't describe this book in that way either. Look, let's just say that it's the first time I have used the word "ugly" to describe someone's writing. Who knows? Maybe that's enough of a reason for a book to receive an award. :)) But I don't remember when I last read something so forced. Of course, the beauty is that what is "forced" to one person is "exquisite" to another.
I agree with you, Flo, re: the writing. Throughout the book I was trying to pinpoint exactly what was so horrible about it for me. I think it had a falseness to it, with some of the lines trying so hard to be poetic that it fell short. In most other cases, I found it so wooden. I slogged through some of the longer passages.
Just wondering what you mean by "ugly" writing.
Jay Edwards wrote: "Within the first 15 pages I found two errors in history. One was Conlee comparing something “as big as a circus tent.” The circus didn’t arrive in a tent in America until 1878 in New York City and ..."Thank you for pointing out these details. I must say that the strongest point of the novel seemed to be that it was a well-researched book, but I can't say that I have the knowledge necessary to verify and notice the inaccuracies.
Flo wrote: "Linda wrote: ""Ugly" writing? I'd be interested to know a few writers whose work you consider beautiful just as a baseline for this judgment. I found the writing exquisite."Too many examples. Tryi..."
Lisa wrote: "Just wondering what you mean by "ugly" writing."
See the answer above. I don't have a more precise answer for you.
Matthew Ted wrote: "I agree with you, Flo, re: the writing. Throughout the book I was trying to pinpoint exactly what was so horrible about it for me. I think it had a falseness to it, with some of the lines trying so..."'Wooden’ language. That's probably a more elegant description than calling it ugly, as I did. But I'm not sorry. Sometimes, it felt like she had the words she wanted to use before the thought or the image she wanted to create.
I agree with Linda - the writing style is different but definitely not ‘ugly’ - and the information in the book is very interesting. I didn’t care for Tom Lake, but I wouldn’t have gone so far as to call it ‘stupid’ - having respect for the author and her other works. I am glad Jayne Anne Phillips wrote this book and also glad I was fortunate to read it and learn more about the repercussions of traumas experienced by families and society in wartime. I found it fascinating that some of the treatments utilized then are still relevant today.
I find the writing ugly, but overwrought
This was a taxing trudge to read and no fun at all. It felt endless. If I never hear the word "buckboard" again, my life will have at least some merit.
@JayEdwards I don't think that's correct; American circuses began using tents in 1825.
I loved this book.
I’m sorry you didn’t like this book; I found it emotionally moving. Ms. Phillips’s writing style is so unique, it’s almost like the writing of the times (1864-1874).
I'm reading this book for bookclub and just struggling. I do not like the writing at all...... This book is a chore. I'd rather be cleaning toilets........
