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Liked It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “I can't say enough about Arthur Phillips' novels while simultaneously recognizing that he would appeal to a narrow audience: those who enjoy literary fiction with a little bit of complicated structure/narrative. Phillips is author with a mastery (some might think gimmicky) use of language. ...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It2 of 2 members found this review helpful “While I liked the book's sentences, I thought that the book as a whole was not well put together. I was never interested in the characters or their lives. I was not invested in what happened at all. I was very disappointed in this book.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
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“Having just visited Budapest, I enjoyed some of the scene setting. I found Nicky to be the most interesting character or perhaps the most alive. Unfortunately, I can identify with some of the ennui and searching for something in a foreign place that can be part of the expat life. It's definitely not a fast read, but like another reviewer some of the lines and esp. conversations were wonderful. A talented author who should keep on writing, even though this good book was a bit of a slog.”
Cynthia C wrote this review 8 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I read this thinking the US expats would give me insights about Greg, even though the story occurs in 1990. The writing style and story are intellectual...I had to pay attention!”
Suzanne G wrote this review Sunday, April 14, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Very dry. Many interesting ideas, characters, scenes; however the main framework of the novel lacked much drive or staying power in my mind. Would of been improved with more resolution for the characters, or less distraction in the second and third parts. ”
Bryan wrote this review Sunday, December 23, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“The writing is excellent, the intersecting stories of ex-pats in Budapest (dreaming of being in Prague) in the early 90's are complex. History, business, journalism, the diplomatic service--all are connected among the intriguing characters.”
jc wrote this review Friday, April 6, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“This is the first of Phillips books I read and my favorite. Funny and well written- some truly wonderful lines in here. ”
Lisa F wrote this review Friday, September 24, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
1 of 1 members found this review helpful“Once I finish a novel, I enjoy reading reviews by other readers to see how closely my opinion matches or differs from the main. I was amazed by the reader reviews of "Prague." I was so surprised by the number of negative reviews and by the number of readers who apparently didn't strive to understand the novel. Here was a comment by another reader that made me laugh out loud: "Not really about Prague." Duuuhhhh!!! Dear Reader, please do not pick up The Grapes of Wrath expecting to learn about grapes. I will let another reviewer explain the title: "This novel, entitled "Prague," is entirely set in Budapest. The title is a way of encapsulating what might be called the novel's theme: That we are never happy where, or when we are," to which I might add or who we are. Yes, the novel is written at a highly intellectual, literary level. If that level is too much of a stuggle or bores you, I would discouage you from reading this book. If it challenges or interests you I would recommend the book. It is not a book that you can read quickly and parts do get bogged down by tangents that may not interest everyone. I did struggle with maintaining interest in some of the parts that did not contain action or dialogue. I do, however, think that the author did a great job with character development and some of the scenes were so well written that I wanted them to continue or be further developed but this is when the author would go off on a different tangent. But the character development and the strength of some scenes show that the author is clearly very talented. This alone made me want to give the book a higher rating, but the parts that lost my interest forced to to leave it at an "I liked" mark. Also, this is one of those novels where you start out with nothing likeable or redeemable about any of the main characters, you keep reading and hoping that you can start rooting for someone, anyone, but end the novel disliking the players even more than at the beginning. If that frustrates you, you may not want to read this book.”
Cindy R wrote this review Saturday, May 1, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
0 of 1 members found this review helpful“hated it. waste of time”
Paul LaRosa wrote this review Monday, January 25, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
0 of 1 members found this review helpful“All in all a good book. I got confused between the five main characters, though. Prague is basically a coming of age story about the generation of Americans that grew up during the cold war and came of age just after the wall came down. A group of Americans come together in Hungary in 1990 and we watch as they find themselves. It has an interesting "noir" feel to it, like watching a movie from the 1940's, or like watching Fitzgerald et al in France during prohibition. ”
lizdini wrote this review Tuesday, July 7, 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
0 of 1 members found this review helpful“I am forcing myself to finish this book. The title is very misleading. The book is actually about Budapest after the fall of communism. There are periodic [jealous] comparisons of Budapest to Prague, as the book is set in 1990. Nonetheless, it does give you sense of what life is like in an emerging democracy.”
Wendy J wrote this review Monday, April 13, 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
