I keep seeing enthusiastic recommendations for Groff books in my general internet social world and need advice from people who have read several of her books.
If I really hated Fates & Furies–truly one of my least favorite books I’ve read anytime recently, absolutely would’ve been a DNF had so many people not commented that the second half was so much better–should I assume this is representative of Groff’s writing and avoid other recommendations (The Vaster Wilds, Florida, etc.), or does it depart in some significant way from other books of hers? Specifically, I really intensely disliked the characters, and more than that found the writing unbearably pretentious. The attempts to.. shock, I guess? show how edgy she is? via crude descriptions of sex, bodies, etc., which I am not at all averse to in general, felt forced and fell flat, and the gratuitous fatphobia was the anti-cherry on top. Based on this, what would you advise?
by terrariumcowboy
2 Comments
I’ve read four books by Lauren Groff and Fates and Furies was my least favorite. I absolutely loved Matrix and The Vaster Wilds and I think they are significantly different than F&F. I’d recommend picking up one of them and giving it a few pages. Her prose is definitely poetic and that might not be your cup of tea, but I didn’t feel that either book was purposefully edgy at all. Both books are among my favorite recent reads and I found them to be moving and beautiful experiences.
My favourite was *Arcadia* but I also really liked *Matrix* and *The Vaster Wilds* but, boy oh boy, was that one bleak af.