Book Review: Wonderland
I finished reading Wonderland by Joyce Carol Oates a few weeks ago and tried to sit on an appropriate description of this book; I'm still a little baffled. It's a typical Oates novel in the sense that the characters follow face immense amounts of tragedy (some created, some owned, some cast on them) in a very short span; it also has a taste of depth to it. I was overall a bit disappointed, mostly because I see consistent throwbacks to The Tattooed Girl and Black Girl, White Girl, but I'll give the rest of the Wonderland Quartet a go before I judge the entire set.
This novel is more broad than most Oates creations, covering the lifespan of the protagonist (Jessie Vogel) from his early teens all the way through his adulthood. As such, it looses some joy and realism at times, because it is so focused on showing the agony of living. I would appreciate this book more if I were in a particular mental state, I think.
Overall: **1/2 (out of 5)
This novel is more broad than most Oates creations, covering the lifespan of the protagonist (Jessie Vogel) from his early teens all the way through his adulthood. As such, it looses some joy and realism at times, because it is so focused on showing the agony of living. I would appreciate this book more if I were in a particular mental state, I think.
Overall: **1/2 (out of 5)