Beatrice & Virgil has been both praised and condemned. Read some of the positive reviews & harsh criticisms online. Are these positive reviews and/or harsh criticisms warranted? Reply with 150+ words, including whose/what review you read about the novel.
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In Life of Pi, Yann Martel shows himself in many instances. Most of the time he puts himself in the novel Life of Pi is physically when he is having present time conversations with Pi Patel. In the narrated part of Life of Pi, the reader can learn many things about Yann Martel's personality and his passion for writing books. He is a writer that loves the story within the story. In Beatrice and Virgil, the first page is all about Yann Martel and his achievements before he was a well-known author. He talks about his past anonymity with his accomplishments. One could argue, Yann Martel's pen name could have been Henry (one of the main characters in Beatrice and Virgil) just because out of all the name's he could've chosen, he chose this name. He also mentions how Henry's books were both very successful. This part of Page 1 in Beatrice and Virgil shows a foil to Martel. Martel's first two books were not what made him well-known as an author, it was Life of Pi that did that. He also mentions how the reader's don't recognize the author but the book cover. This shows the side of an upcoming author struggling like Martel even though he has sold the books needed. You could also argue that Yann Martel inserted Life of Pi into the very first page of Beatrice and Virgil. It says, "he regularly saw people reading it on planes and trains; Hollywood was set to turn it into a movie; and so on and so forth." The first novel of Martel's that was created into a movie was in fact Life of Pi. Yann Martel inserts himself into the novels Life of Pi and Beatrice and Virgil in many ways. He knows how to catch a reader's interest by discreetly, some times more than others, talking about himself.
Over the past few weeks, I have had the chance to analyze Yann Martel’s eye-opening novel entitled “Beatrice and Virgil.” Personally, I enjoyed the book, with it providing a fresh take on the tragedy of the Holocaust. However, such a controversial topic has led to both praise and condemnation from readers. According to literary critic Michiko Kakutani, Martel’s story “has the effect of trivializing the Holocaust,” offending those who suffered so much. To him, the book failed at its goal of bringing recognition to this event, instead providing an often “disappointing and perverse” reading. In contrast, writer Robert Hanks explains that this book “goaded the reader into looking at the Holocaust anew,” refreshing their mind on an often stale event. Although he believes Martel’s book did not perfectly succeed at its goal, it does provide a wild, provocative reading that engages the reader. To me, I believe both of these opinions hold some merit; either could be true. However, it is up to the individual reader to decide whether this novel has an impact.
Yann Martel's eye-opening holocaust allegory Beatrice & Virgil is certainly one of the most unique books I have ever read. Personally, I enjoyed the book, with it providing me with a very different look at a subject I was already fairly familiar with. However, critics have viewed the book in a largely mixed light. In the words of Jane Ciabattari from NPR, "Martel's latest [book] is an ambitious, troubling, but ultimately misguided effort". She describes how the book is written in a way that makes it "humanly artful" but not as "convincing" as Life of Pi, largely leaving the reader questioning the book's meaning. I do agree that the book largely left the reader questioning what was truly going on. However, I think this is what made it so interesting to read. I appreciate how Martel pursued an entirely unique way to analyze tragedy and found it very refreshing to see something completely new. Thus, I feel that Beatrice and Virgil deserves more credit than it has gotten.
Personally, I really enjoyed Yann Martel's novel, Beatrice & Virgil. This novel kept me on my toes until the very end, which was completely unpredictable and mind-blowing in my eyes. This work will keep you thinking far after you have finished the book. To find other opinions of the novel, both positive and negative, I went to goodreads.com, a website highly recommended by English 11 teacher, Maggie Bryant. I found that Beatrice & Virgil, like most novels, had a wide variety of reviews. One lady named Barbara gave this novel a 5-star rating and referred to it as "confusing, but in a good way". I would have to agree with her statement, because this novel certainly leaves the reader with a lot of questions, especially with the Games for Gustav at the end. For those games, there is no definitive answer, but that can be fun because it allows you to think. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Melinda rated this novel 1 star out of 5 recommending it for "people who enjoy cruelty to animals". I feel that her opinion is warranted because certain scenes, such as Beatrice's torture scene, are graphic and can potentially be taken the wrong way. Even with the mixed reviews, this novel has impacted many people across the world with its unique take on the Holocaust.
Throughout the past couple of weeks, I was given the opportunity to read the brilliant and awe-inspiring novel titled Beatrice and Virgil. Though praised and condemned, Yann Martel's novel is intellectually passionate and intriguing to some readers, whereas other readers view his book outright misconceived and offensive. I have enjoyed this book thus far largely because of the unconventional, yet thought-provoking ideas Martell can construct his writing. Despite my personal satisfaction, critics have examined this novel variously contradictory. According to writer and poet from The Guardian, James Lasdun, "Despite its evidently large ambitions, it [Beatrice and Virgil] is strangely trivial narcissistic." Lasdun goes on to further pointing out the fact that, this novel "ends up thinking about neither the Jews nor animals, but using the extermination of both to think about, of all things, writer's block." While I am in partial agreement with this statement, I believe that this novel provides much more than just an examination into writer's block, such as an imaginative and innovative outlook on the holocaust. One thought I had when reading criticisms was the fact that many critics may be comparing Beatrice and Virgil to Martel's previously written novel titled Life of Pi. Similar to Life of Pi, Beatrice and Virgil has sold millions of copies, perhaps creating the perceptions that it will equal the success and achievement of its prior novel. However, whereas Life of Pi dealt with belief through anecdotes and God, Beatrice and Virgil is concerning the suppressing of belief. To me, this novel should not be compared so vigorously to Life of Pi; therefore, I do believe that Beatrice and Virgil warrants more recognition for its ability to analyze tragedy in such an unorthodox and unique way.
Beatrice and Virgil, the extraordinary novel I had the pleasure of reading left me in awe and wishing there was a surplus more of pages to read. Yann Martel's novel is both praised and condemned by many of whom in which share a common interest in reading and exploring novels, positive or negative in their remarks. From a personal stance, I very much so enjoyed this book, to the point of it being higher on my list of book recommendations than his award-winning novel Life of Pi. Referring to my source of novel recommendations, Goodreads provided me with praise and criticism through the words of a different reader and enlightened me with a different perspective. Melinda states, "I am shaken with rage as the book is one of the most hateful and ghastly jumbles of horrors I have ever finished". While I agree with it being quite a ghastly novel, and it being rather horrific, I disagree with her description of a jumble. I believe that every word Martel included in this novel was with such an intention to make us feel this rage and horror, and simply shake us to the bone to let the true reality of the Holocaust set in. She further elaborates that, "...this book is so abstract and cluttered with images that it feels like Martel cut up a bunch of better books on the subject, threw the pieces up in the air, gathered them up in random order, added a hungry donkey and a monkey who howls and barfed them out in novella form". I understand the perspective of this novel taking form like another, but do we as humans really have another topic to discuss? Reflect on the many films we watch. There are always superheroes, villains, spy movies, futuristic, horror, etc., and with a topic of such destruction, the whole point of moving forward is to always remember the Holocaust, so that we may never forget the capabilities of mass destruction each human may possess. On the flipside, Rita rates this novel as five stars. She states, "It was so seemingly transparent and human and honest... then it revealed what it had been all along". I believe this was the exact point of Martel's works, to provide any age of persons with the honesty of the Holocaust. Rita then comments on the emotions she felt while reading and states, "I don't know whether this was Martel's intention, but for me, feeling overwhelmed and confused and overall traumatized is what someone should feel after reading about the Holocaust". I couldn't have said it better myself. This is not a novel to simply read, rather explore and embrace the emotions Martel is portraying through his representation of the "flipbook" he produced titled Beatrice and Virgil.
Recently, I have been able to continue my read on Beatrice and Virgil, which I have continued to enjoy thus far. We have recently read Life of Pi, another novel written by Yann Martel, and this particular novel has become extremely popular. To write another novel that is going to equal the success of Life of Pi, would be extremely difficult, and written in an article by the Independence, Yann Martel came to admit that. As I have read, I have come to really enjoy Beatrice and Virgil, but others may not agree with me so much. On the website Goodreads, the comments "grueling to animals and too confusing" was shown among the variety of "excellent read". One comment that stuck out to me was from someone named Barbara who stated "confusing but in a good way" which is my complete opinion on this book. As I read I often get confused about certain topics and events happening in the book, but as I continue to read my questions eventually get answered and I get back on track once again.
After finishing Beatrice and Virgil, the novel has left me in awe with an ending that I could have never guessed. A review by James Lasdun covers the importance of the taxidermist using the Holocaust to express the cruelty to animals instead of the other way around. He states that the use of such a tragic and real event being told in a fable "about something else is inevitably to falsify it". However, since Henry, the author, rejects the play at the end of the novel it can be seen that the approach is not supported by Henry or Martel himself. Overall, the review feels that the reader gets a good look into the "literature of cruelty" but falls flat on thinking of "neither Jews nor animals". Another reviewer, Joy Lo Dico, also had both positive and negative comments involving Beatrice and Virgil. When covering the games for Gustav, Dico expresses the meaning behind getting readers engrossed in a story by using animals only to make them face the cruel reality of actions once done to humans and if by the end readers were still "lulled by the tale of the animals, this is the final sucker punch, where one can no longer indulge in the artifice of fiction". Overall, I believe that the novel did a good job of conveying cruelty and expressing a story without directly telling it.
After just completing Beatrice and Virgil, the novel has left me amazed and surprised with a large twist at the end that I never saw coming. I really enjoyed the book, as it kept me on my toes and had a great story behind it. Some critics would argue that Beatrice and Virgil has condemned the thought of the Holocaust while others disagree greatly with that statement. A critic who I researched was Joy Lo Dico from the Independent. While reviewing the novel by Yann Martel, Dico found both positive and negative comments for it. He says, "Beatrice and Virgil is about crushing belief. In the artifice, in the author, in our emotional response to writing, the novel seeks to destroy as much as it creates." I greatly agree with the statement because the novel destroys some of the opinions I had about the story itself and some of my own prior beliefs. On the contrary, this story creates new opinions and questions that I will ponder for the rest of my life. Some would say Martel was wrong to compare animals to Jews but I feel that that is what sets this story apart. Beatrice and Virgil was an outstanding novel that can be taken differently depending on the reader.
Every book has both good and bad reviews. I haven’t read one book where I couldn’t pick out one thing I didn’t like. Beatrice & Virgil was a book I enjoyed a lot, but there’s some parts I just did not like. I looked at some positive reviews on goodreads.com and also harsh comments after reading the book. On this website, I found a harsh comment that read “I think Mr. Martel had a terrible writers block after Pi and he wants to write about the Holocaust in a new way. But he overreacts.” She also says how too many works of literature are presented in the book causing Yann “to lose his voice.” A positive comment by Dianah said “A unique and surprising story, Beatrice & Virgil will completely draw you in. Be warned, though; parts of this novel are as dark as anything I’ve ever read.” I find that I agree with some of the negative comments on this book because this novel is dark and sometimes I had no clue what was going on. I believe as a reader it’s a good thing to have positive and negative views about a book and I believe what is said is definitely warranted. Although I enjoyed the book, I saw many that did not. Overall, Beatrice & Virgil was a good book that I would recommend to people because I want to see others thoughts on the book. Yann definitely has a different way of writing causing readers to question fiction from non-fiction.
Beatrice and Virgil was a very interesting read and there were a lot of interesting sections to note from the book. While I enjoyed the book for its new outlook on some things, others did not appreciate the book. I went onto goodreads.com to find some other opinions on the book and see what the general public thinks of it. Starting with some positive reviews, I note that a lot of people like the style of Yann Martel's writing and how he is very descriptive. Martel's ability to describe in such detail and with so much power allows the reader to be immersed, which I agree with. However, there are quite a few more harsh comments on the site than there are nice ones, and they have to deal with the story itself more. The main issues of the book that people seem to bring up are that the story is too complex and graphic. I think that these comments do deserve some thought and consideration but overall I thought the book was well-written and interesting.
Beatrice and Virgil is an interesting novel to read, to say the least, but before and after reading the reviews on it, my viewpoint has not shifted any. The first review I read was by Robert Hanks of the New York Times. His review was mixed as he probably didn't want to upset the public, so he both a positive and slightly negative view on the novel, but all he really did was summarize the book and since I haven't finished it I didn't look too deeply into it. After looking through many negative views, I think the readers were just upset that they think this novel didn't live up to the prior one, Life of Pi, so they are bashing him for it. I think this is completely unfair, and personally, I have appreciated Beatrice and Virgil so far through reading. I did read how this novel is extremely deceptive and is filled with literary devices, and I can agree with that, that the reader does start to develop trust issues throughout the novel, but that is just a writing tactic and he should not be bashed for that. I think the comments are meant to be written by their author, and same with the book, and it should be left like that if the reader does not appreciate it. I have really enjoyed reading Beatrice and Virgil so far and hope it continues in the same way.
This past week, I was able to finish Beatrice and Virgil. I found the book to be quite confusing but still very interesting. It was full of surprises and left me with many questions. I did enjoy reading Life of Pi more, but this book was definitely nothing like I have ever read before. For this reason, the book has received various responses and reviews. Some found the novel to be risky and cruel while others thought it was brilliant. The majority of the reviews I read were very negative. For example, Michiko Kakuani, a writer for The New York Times, wrote a long article explaining how the novel is “disappointing and perverse”. Another review by Joy Lo Dico, a writer for the Independent, found the substitution of animals for Jews to be offensive and the book as a whole to be “misconceiving and offensive”. I think that these harsh reviews are warranted since the book can be quite dark once the reader understands the deeper meaning.
After finishing Beatrice and Virgil, I am quite content. I have enjoyed the novel and it was able to give me a sense of dread, excitement, and suspense. I personally both like and dislike the topic of the Holocaust. I love learning about history, even if it's horrible because it does have lessons and it's history, and I feel the need to know what has happened to people within our past. However, at the same time, the topic of the Holocaust is so dark and morbid that I always dread to read or hear anything about it. It is too disturbing to have so much detail to it. Online, there is also both praise and hated towards the book. I noticed lots of hatred towards the book, and many others that involve the Holocaust, because it simply does not give the real feel that many of those actually suffered with. However, there is a lot of praise for the book. Stephanie rated the book 4 stars and had this to say, "What I will say about this book is that it is like a good poem, and I think that is the point. It is meant to make you feel something that cannot be spoken directly about. It is communicating a feeling about something anyone who was not there can never truly know. At the end of the book when I was ready for the book to be over because I was a bit annoyed by the whole thing, suddenly it came home to me and I started crying in an airplane - in public. I hid my tears and put the book down and said "wow". You will either get the message of this book or not, but either way it is masterfully written and worth a try."
It has been an honor to have read Beatrice and Virgil this past couple of weeks. I love how Yann Martel thinks outside the box and wants his readers to see different aspects of stories or real situations, for example, the Holocaust. Not every critic agrees that Beatrice and Virgil should get the same praise as Life of Pi. One of the critics, Jane Ciabattari from NPR, said, “ Martel’s latest is an ambitious, troubling, but ultimately misguided effort.” It also said that Beatrice and Virgil was “humanly artful” but “not as convincing as he was in Life of Pie.” On a more positive note, A. J. Kirby reviewed Martel's novel and mentioned, “It is a difficult, uneasy, but ultimately rewarding read; a brave concept novel.” Kirby also compares the novel's concept of allegory to a pair. He describes it as, “One that deserves careful tasting. It’s something you’ll chew over for weeks, months in advance. And in this, in the delivery of a novel that makes fresh those terrible events, Martel’s art does achieve something. It achieves some measure of truth.” Not only should every reader treat a book like they are eating a pair, but to not judge a book with another book from the same author.
Over the past couple weeks, I have picked out so much symbolism from Yann Martels book Beatrice and Virgil. Personally, the beginning of the book was a bit confusing because I was not sure where the story was going or what the point was. Towards the end it all began making sense. I overall enjoyed the book because I like the new approach it had on the holocaust. I really related to Rita, one of the many reviewers, who rated it 5 stars. Rita wrote, “And again, I don't know whether this was Martel's intention, but for me, feeling overwhelmed and confused and overall traumatized is what someone should feel after reading about the Holocaust. The book evoked the emotion of it, creating the residue of the aftermath (one critic said she needed a shower after reading it because she felt dirty), the trembling feeling of powerlessness. It did an excellent job of making its reader feel victimized, giving readers a hint of the idea of what it's like, so that it won't be forgotten.” The Holocaust is a horrible event that should not be forgotten, so stories like this help that. You shouldn’t feel warm and fuzzy after reading about it and Yann really accomplished that. Rita later went on and mentioned that to her, it was not a fun read, and I also agree to that, but she did believe that his words were appropriate to get the point across. There were people saying that they would recommend it to people who enjoy animal cruelty. This is somewhat warranted due to the scenes at the end, but overall I feel that his scenes were a way to show how people were actually treated if you look at it by using symbolism. Through reading both of Martel’s books this year, I learned that he is my favorite writer due to his stories you will never forget.
Although not finished with Yann Martels Novel, Beatrice and Virgil, I am far enough along to understand some of the ideas in the story. After reading some reviews I have seen that many people take this novel to be offensive, but there are still some who see the brilliance in it. The first review I read was by author Michiko Kakutani of the New York Times. He is heavily critical of the novel itself. He referenced how Life of Pi was written with a borrowed idea from a novel called Max and the Cats, and he also points out how Beatrice and Virgil is similar to Samuel Beckett's works and ideas. Kakutani also describes the novel as offensive and ends his review by saying the novel is "disappointing and often perverse". The second review I read was a little more accepting of the novel and did have a few good things to say about it. A. J. Kirby, an award-winning short-story author examines Martel's novel with a little more understanding. Kirby references how the novel does not follow a traditional plot, yet it is because we need to look at history in different viewpoints. He says that Beatrice and Virgil is "a difficult, uneasy, but ultimately rewarding read; a brave concept novel." He ends his review saying that the novel achieves some measure of truth. I think both responses are warranted, the novel is obviously offensive to some but not outright unacceptable. I agree more with the second review in that you must look at the novel and see the brilliance in the work rather than just instantly become offended by the reference.
Throughout the past couple of weeks, I have been reading the masterfully written book called Beatrice and Virgil, by Yann Martel. I thought this book was pretty good, but there were many parts of the book that were confusing and left me wondering what was going on. Either way, I got through the book, but it wasn't my favorite. Because the book is written the way it is, it has received many different responses and reviews. Most of the reviews that I have seen are negative reviews, many receiving one out of. five stars. One example of this is from a man named Mark on Good Reads, saying "I think this book now holds the dubious honor of the worst book I have ever finished. It's derivative, dull & pretentious." Obviously, he doesn't like the book and he thinks that a lot of the events in the book lead nowhere. I think that this criticism is warranted because it can be dull at moments and he does try to use a greater importance, in the holocaust, to make his story. A good review that I read was from Eva van Loon on Good Reads, saying "Yann Martel has done it again--written a book whose voice blurs the line between reality and invention, fact and story, humanity and the rest of creation." I think this review was warranted because he does use things like reality, fact, and humanity to get people to see the bigger picture of the novel. Overall I think this was a good book and I would give it a four-star.
Over the past few weeks of having the opportunity to read Beatrice and Virgil, I have thoroughly enjoyed the novel. To my surprise, Yann Martel’s novel has received very mixed reviews. Myself and many others view this novel as an intriguing and intellectually challenging work. I found that the majority of readers who have come to dislike this novel are either confused by the book or distracted by the portions of “animal cruelty” so much that it blinds their view of the novels true intentions. I have read numerous reviews bashing Martel’s work and labeling him as an advocate for animal cruelty. I definitely recognize where this criticism comes from as there are some brutally graphic scenes in the novel. Nonetheless, I feel as if this horror is often taken the wrong way and believe some of the best lessons can be learned through the greatest terrors. I wish those readers were able to learn from these horrific stories, rather than shy away from them.
In my reading of Yann Martel's book Beatrice and Virgil, I have noticed that he has a much different writing style from his other book that we read by him, Life of Pi. The biggest difference in Beatrice and Virgil and Life of Pi is that Yann does not put himself in the book like he did with Life of Pi with him interjecting in the book and interacting with the other person in the book who is telling him a story about his life stuck on a boat with a tiger. Whereas in Beatrice and Virgil Yann does not interact at all with the other characters in the book, but he does give the back story on his character and makes him very similar to himself. When I looked at reviews there were many negative reviews with the I found being from Goodreads.com, Which gave it a 3.16 stars out of 5.
Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel is an interesting novel with a different perspective on the Holocaust. It follows the story of a struggling author and a taxidermist who is writing a play about a donkey and a howler monkey. Because the novel takes a very different approach, there are many varying opinions on it. One critic, Edward Champion, claimed the novel was, “the worst book of the decade.” He claims the novel has a terrible protagonist, too many overwritten sections, a lazy exposition, and many other problems. Personally, I do not believe these are completely warranted. All these things are done intentionally by Martel to create a sort of realism to the novel and make it more artistic. Champion refuses to acknowledge this and is only writing his reviews based on black and white terms. If he chose to look a little deeper and read between the lines of the novel, he would see the beauty behind what Martel has done. The critic is uncomfortable with letting the symbols and metaphors shock and change him.
I think when people leave comments for authors, they can be constructive if meant that way. However, not everyone does leave constructive comments, instead, they try bringing some of the best authors down by leaving savage, tyrannus, and unsympathetic comments. This was done by Edward Champion to the book Beatrice and Virgil and directly to Yann Martel. His language throughout his entire article was completely vile and outright rude. He wasn't leaving comments that could help Yann Martel become an even better writer, he was leaving comments about how awful Beatrice and Virgil is, in his opinion. He also left very irrelevant points throughout the article. For example, he said, "the exposition was lazy". In Beatrice and Virgil, I wouldn't call the exposition lazy because the exposition to any book isn't supposed to be packed full of action. They are meant to introduce characters and help provide relevant background information a reader might need to know as they are reading. In this case, Edward Champions' comments were not in any way shape or form warranted. The comments provided no constructive criticism what-so-ever. Comments/feedback can be very helpful for authors but in this instance, they did nothing to help Martel become a better author.
I was very surprised by the ending of Beatrice and Virgil and found the book highly intriguing. When searching for reviews over the novel, I came across The New York Times Book Review. Robert Hanks, the journalist, claims that the novel is "a box of tricks, filled with literary and historical references." I would have to agree, the book sort of threw me for a loop in the end and the outcome of the novel. Many critics frown upon the novel for the fact that it is focused on the Holocaust. In the zoom chat, Yann Martel mentioned that he had heard back from people who thought it was not an appropriate topic to approach in his novel and compare it to two animals. I also looked at goodreads.com to see what they had to say about the novel. The rating on the website has 4.5 stars and says "it begins with a mysterious parcel, and it ends in a place that will make you think again about one of the most significant events of the twentieth century." This book put the Holocaust in a new perspective without mentioning the tender subject of how many lives were lost in the gruesome event. I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to others.
Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel is a complex fiction novel that forces readers to view the Holocaust through a different view. He leads us to believe that Henry the taxidermist is a man how was a victim but in the last few pages, it is revealed that he was one of the Nazi soldiers. For me personally, this is one of my favorite books that I have read. For other people, it has mixed reviews. From what I have seen Readers either love it or hate it. On good reads, Mark says, "It's derivative, dull and pretentious" and Robin says, "There is no plot." I have to disagree with both of these readers. This book is filled with action and makes the reader think. Both go on later to say that Martel is copying other people's work by using their short stories. Granted he does use these stories but he uses them to make the reader think. These stories are presented by the taxidermist and in each of the stories we see two sides. One that is Killing innocents and the innocent themselves. He makes us think that the taxidermist is on the side of the innocent. The plot may seem dull but is full of action. Although it may not be a physical action, it comes from the action of revealing past events. The plot is revealed in the events outside of the taxidermy shop. Henry contemplates what the taxidermist writes and is oblivious to what is around him. Henry ignores his personality and misses the reactions to the people around him.
After reading the book Beatrice and Virgil I find myself struggling to decide how I feel about it. The book ends with an incredible plot twist that makes us take the completely different view of the Holocaust, just how Henry wanted in the beginning. The book has a great plot line and throughout the novel I struggled to want to stop because there wasn’t a moment where something was not happening. The part I dislike is simply because of personal opinion and since I have never gone out of my way for morbid books, movies, shows, etc. I find myself sitting in a hard place with mixed emotions about the story. It truly is very well written but I see both sides of critics that take on this book. Some love it and some hate it. I wouldn’t use extremes for myself considering I’m right along the borderline that separates like and dislike. Overall, the novel itself is remarkable and forces us to take a view we normally wouldn’t which is admirable.
Beatrice and Virgil is a book that some people have liked, and many have disliked. I personally liked the book because even though it is so awful and sad and had quite a surprising twist in the end, it is the reality of life and it has happened in life so I personally really liked the book because of the realness of the book. Some, however, strongly disliked it. Going on GoodReads I looked at the first comment and the first sentence I see is "Recommends it for: People who enjoy cruelty to animals" (you can recommend why to read a book on good reads). I had to keep reading, and the lady who wrote this review read Life of Pi and felt like it was one of the best book she has ever read. So, of course, she thought she would read Beatrice and Virgil. She comments, "I literally just finished Yann Martel's new book Beatrice and Virgil about 10 minutes ago. I am shaken with rage as the book is one of the most hateful and ghastly jumble of horros I have ever finished. It continues on saying how she doesn't like the book, but you get the general idea. I totally understand where she is coming from. For me, it was so hard to read about the torturing of Beatrice and the ending had my mouth drop opened. So I completely understand where these comments are coming from, but I really liked Beatrice and Virgil because it opened my mind and made me look at some different perspectives and hear the Holocaust in a different way. So I do understand where the criticism is coming from 100%, but I also think people need to realize Martel wrote this book to talk about the holocaust, not about torturing animals. That is just his way to get his point across
Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel has a lot of positive and negative reviews, a part of this is mainly because it is a fictionally Holocaust novel. Melinda on Goodreads gave this book one star and had so much to say that I can not even summarize it, she wrote 8 paragraphs, and two sentences to say how much she disliked this book. In her direct words “I just found out that you cannot give “zero”.. Goodreads counts it as unrated, Even though I still despise this book, I will give it one star, but only under protest!!!!” she also said she recommends it for “people who enjoy cruelty to animals”. This review is definitely a negative one. Marymurtz on Goodreads gave Beatrice and Virgil five stars. She wrote 11 paragraphs stating how much of a masterpiece Beatrice and Virgil is. Marymurtz said, “Confused? Don’t be. Don’t think about it. Just read the book and keep reading and keep reading and immerse yourself in it. I was enthralled by the characters, the turns in the story, the quiet and perfectly intricate was the story unfolded. By the end, when the fog lifted from the story, I was stobbing. I was crushed by this story, but it was so GOOD”. So Marymurtz really did enjoy the book she even later on said that she recommends this book to everyone. While on Goodreads I had trouble finding a good five-star review on this book, there are definitely more negatives than positive reviews when it comes to this book. There is one thing in common when it comes to the negative reviews, though, they all compare Beatrice and Virgil to Life of Pi. So believe what you want I think that Beatrice and Virgil is an amazing book.
Yann Martel's Beatrice and Virgil has the main goal of making the reader think differently about the holocaust by using animals as a representation of the Jews and the horrors both have gone through over time. I think the novel succeeds in making the reader think about the holocaust in a different way, and many people like the novel because of that. However, since the holocaust is a touchy subject, there are also some negative reviews about Beatrice and Virgil. New York Times reviewer Michiko Kakutani is one of the people who think that the novel doesn't work. Kakutani thinks that the play about Beatrice and Virgil in the book takes too much inspiration from Beckett's "Waiting for Godot," another play in which the characters talk about ways to pass the time while walking in the country. He thinks that "[Martel's] borrowings from—or, at best, homage to—Beckett go well beyond a simple premise, and they serve no persuasive end." I agree with Kakutani; I feel that the novel does represent the holocaust differently but the allegory in which it does so isn't the best comparison.
I thought that Yann Martel's Beatrice and Virgil was a captivating book, but not everyone shared that same opinion. It was not hard to see that this book was very controversial: some people loved it and some people hated it. I read a review in the New York Times by Michiko Kakutani. Kakutani firstly reminded readers of how great Life of Pi was, then bashed Beatrice and Virgil. She thought that putting the Holocaust behind the "Animal Farm-like" allegory of two animals was trivializing the experience of the victims of the Holocaust. I don't think this is fair to say. She compared it to Animal Farm, which is an accepted part of the literary cannon. This novel is an allegory for the Russian Revolution and following years (during which more Russians died than Jews during the Holocaust). If we can compare this dark time in Russia's history to some animals, why can't we do the same with the Holocaust? On the other end of the spectrum are people who loved the book. A review by Rita on Goodreads points out that it wasn't written to be a "fun read", it's meant to be uncomfortable, just the subject of the Holocaust. I agree her. While this allegory is not conventional, it represents the subject matter well.
Yann Martel’s novel, Beatrice and Virgil, summons reactions from the mind of the reader just as it was intended to do. Yann Martel has been both praised and condemned by numerous readers of his novel. There are plenty of readers who are appalled by this novel because of the way that it seems to trivialize the holocaust. In James Lasdun’s review, he states “This does seem problematic if only because the Holocaust is a concrete historical event, and to use it as an integer in a fable about something else is inevitably to falsify it.” However other reviews see the true meaning in the story, Joy Lo Dico states “in its mission to write about how one writes about the Holocaust. Does it fail? Yes; but only if you want it to.” During our interview with Yann Martel, he stated that the true mission of Beatrice and Virgil is not to talk about the Holocaust but to talk about the way that we see the Holocaust. Yann Martel’s novel challenges the reader to keep an open mind about viewing historical events and, in my opinion, the fact that this book offends its readers means that it hit its mark perfectly.
After reading multiple reviews about Beatrice and Virgil, many people have the same opinion as me. A lot of people are on the ropes about this book and are very confused. I figured instead of reading professional reviews, I wanted reviews of common readers like us. This girl named Melinda says that she was, "Shaken with rage as the book is one of the most hateful and ghastly jumbles of horrors I have ever finished." I definitely wouldn't go to that extent when describing the book. I think if you go into this book hoping to get content like Life of Pi, you are going to be greatly disappointed because they are two totally different types of books. After reading the positive reviews, they all see it in a different lite. They think it is a masterpiece and I see where they are coming from. Although this wasn't my favorite, I do appreciate the book and think there is much more there then what meets the eye.
Everyone has different opinions and people can never agree on anything. Beatrice and Virgil is just one example of that. I personally really enjoyed the book but others felt very differently about it. One website that I encountered said, "Martel tried to make another successful book like Life of Pi and he miserably failed." When I read that I was kind of in awe because I didn't feel that way at all. Beatrice and Virgil was a very intriguing book. After every page I read, it left me wanting to know more. Another review that I read stated, "Martel clearly used overwriting to expand the word count." I completely disagree with this one for many reasons. The reason he went into so much detail on specific things wasn't just to make the book longer, but to show the importance of what he is talking about. This book is perfectly written from my point of view and I think these critics are just saying awful things about the book to bring him down after having a successful book like Life of Pi.
Over the past few weeks, I have enjoyed reading and analyzing Yann Martel's prestigious novel Beatrice and Virgil. The story that Martel portrays demonstrates and represents the Holocaust. Although, with discussing such a tragedy, Yann Martel received several criticisms and praises from people after they had read the book. Some people really enjoyed the story and thought it was a unique twist on describing and helping people understand the Holocaust better. Some people think that using two animals to show that the massacre of millions of humans was wrong by Martel. A reviewer by the name of Joy Lo Dico stated, "Don't be fooled by these talking animals – the author of 'Life of Pi' is up to some cruel literary tricks." I think she is showing her skepticism of writing about the Holocaust using animals, but also is expressing that Yann Martel is brilliant with this idea in showing the Holocaust. Overall, the story received several mixed reviews, some good and some bad.
After finishing Beatrice and Virgil, I have come to the conclusion that I enjoyed it even more than I enjoyed Life of Pi. I have never read a book pertaining to the Holocaust that discusses it in such a way that Beatrice and Virgil does. Having a piece of work that talks about the Holocaust that centers around a piece of work that talks about the Holocaust is an interesting spin to put on something that is rarely talked about without simply listing the history of it. The review I read was published on The New York Times website and was written by Michiko Kakutani. It is one of the first reviews to come up in my search, and I understand that many other students have already used this review but I wanted to discuss it in my own response. Kakutani criticizes rather than praises. He calls Beatrice and Virgil "misconceived and offensive". He also refers to it as a failed "Animal Farm"-like parable. Kakutani argues that Martel has trivialized, or lessened, the horrors of the Holocaust in the way he has presented it. I disagree with these statements. When reading the novel, certain pages including horrible acts done to Beatrice as well as two mothers and their babies were very hard for me to read in such great detail. I then took the horrific circumstances I read and equated it to not just one donkey but to multiple millions of jews and other innocent beings. This struck me as much more powerful and gut-wrenching than anything I have read about in a history book on the Holocaust, which are often facts just written on a page. Martel then proceeded to add Games for Gustav, yet another element to a different way of looking at the Holocaust unlike seen before. These are the last straws for dishing out just how hard it is to grasp the truly terrible events that occurred due to Hitler and his Nazis.
After looking through different reviews online about, Beatrice and Virgil, I have seen some different opinions. Most critics have praised this book for being an allegory towards the Holocaust, and some people have criticized it for that reason. From what I read, people liked the first part of the story. They liked the idea of a writer trying to find new ideas to get over his writing block, but most did not like where the story went from there. I saw people writing about how both of the characters were named Henry, one being the author and the other being the taxidermist, which caused them confusion when reading the dialogue between the two. Even New York Times wrote this about the book, "... the literary complexity and the simplicity of feeling Martel is aiming for don’t comfortably mesh. 'Beatrice and Virgil' has its rewards, but the frustrations are what stick in the mind" (New York Times). I am curious to finish this book, so I can form my own opinions about it and see if these readers have a point. I like it so far, but I have also seen some of what they have complained about. From what average, everyday people have said on reviews, I want to see if I have that same problem with this book.
Despite the slow beginning, I truly enjoyed reading Beatrice and Virgil. The ending did not falter a bit and had my undivided attention until the end. I was very shocked by the ending and have so many questions; nonetheless, I have always believed a good book leaves its readers thinking. After reading some of the reviews on Goodreads, I found that many readers despised the ending and criticized Yann Martel very harshly. Robin commented that he thought the entire novel was stale with tedious Holocaust banter. He thought that none of the characters were interesting along with having a weak plot. He stated he felt scammed as there was no hidden meaning behind the story. I would strongly disagree with Robin’s opinion, but I suppose I can see where he is coming from. I think the ending had readers thinking, you could make of the ending however you would like. A positive review was left by Barbara, she stated that the novel was a tough read. She says “it tore up my insides and made me bleed.” Barbara felt as if she was suffering from the angst and sorrow of those in the Holocaust. This novel certainly tugs on your heart being an allegory to the Holocaust. Despite all of the mixed opinions, I very much enjoyed reading Martel’s story on his own take of the Holocaust.
Yann Martel's eye-opening novel, Beatrice and Virgil, gives a fresh view on the grim topic of the Holocaust. Beatrice and Virgil for me was a bit of a confusing read for me but I did find it interesting. With such a controversial topic such as the Holocaust, there are bound to be a plethora of mixed reviews. I read through many reviews on the book, both positive and negative. After reading a review by Jane, on npr.org, I found that she despised the ending of the book because it turned into factual human references of the Holocaust. Jane described this as "truly disturbing". I can see where Jane is coming from, but I would have to disagree with her. It was the true reality of the world at that time and place. The ending definitely had readers thinking in whatever way imaginable. Despite the mixed views of the book by everyone, I found Beatrice and Virgil to be an interesting read. I wouldn't say I enjoyed it but I found it interesting.
I have enjoyed the time I have had to read Beatrice and Virgil. A.J Kirby, a writer for nyjournalofbooks.com, discussed the novel in great length. He is somewhat positive and negative towards the book, which is what I most see when novels are reviewed. Kirby discusses how the novel ends with more questions rather than answers. He believes that "Martel is arguing that the questions are as important as those stuffed and mounted answers." He also discusses how there is really no structure to the plot, but Kirby believes that we might have to find new ways to remember the plot of novels. He says the novel is "a difficult, uneasy, but ultimately rewarding read; a brave concept novel. One that deserves careful tasting. It is something you will chew over for weeks, months in advance. And in this, in the delivery of a novel that makes fresh those terrible events, Martel’s art does achieve something. It achieves some measure of truth." I really enjoyed my time reading both novels from Yann Martel, and I look forward to reading more.
The novel Beatrice and Virgil was at first a slow read but as I read through the 2nd half of the book it became a lot more interesting to me. When looking up reviews on the book I found a mix of dislike and like. One of the bad reviews I read said that the book was mercifully short and more of a long short story. She went on saying she was confused throughout the book as Yann Martel left a lot of unknowns for the reader to figure out. I feel like people always want the answers to the book and figure out all of the hidden meanings but with Beatrice and Virgil Martel left a lot on the plate for the readers to digest. Contrary to the bad rating someone rated it a 5 out of 5 stars saying the book was brilliant. He said that it was a masterpiece as it was confusing but in a good way. The readers should be challenged too and in this book, I agree I was too challenged, thinking to solve all the references to the holocaust and hidden meanings. From reading all of the reviews I would have to agree with the ones close to 5 out of 5 stars. Martel's story about his view of the Holocaust opened up the minds of the readers as he definitely did with me through his crafty ways of writing.
Reading Yann Martel's Beatrice and Virgil was an experience and not that good of one in my opinion. It wasn't terrible, but the overall plot was executed poorly and felt as if Martel did not know what to write about. He clearly had the idea of bringing the holocaust into a new light but did not follow through on this. One of the negative reviews that I agree with speaks of how much of a jumbled novel this was. Melinda, a passionate fan of Martel's, had this to say on Good Reads; "I think Mr. Martel had terrible writer's block after Pi (the dreaded curse of the sophomore book, even though Pi is really his second novel) and he wants to write about the Holocaust in a new way. But he overreaches. And the book references waaaay too many other works of literature. Many are mentioned by other reviewers, and even Mr. Martel quotes a story by Flaubert in long sentences, so it is hard to really even hear Martel's own voice." She brings up the point that most of the book does not feel like Martel's own as his references are too many, even the title of the book is a reference to another work of literature.
One of the positive things about Martel's book is that there was some planning for the ending. It was meant to be the way it was. Rita, another passionate fan of Martel's on Good Reads, shows exactly what the purpose of the book was: "I felt traumatized. The book was a traumatizing experience. I think that's why so many people reacted with such anger. It was a hurtful, manipulating, offensive book. But, given the context... and the forewarning... I think that's what it was supposed to be. It was, as I see it anyway, the flipbook that Henry tried to get published. " They show perfectly that Martel wanted to invoke an emotion rather than tell a story as clearly as Life of Pi.
As I was reading Beatrice & Virgil, I could not get into it. It started very slow until you got to the second half where it sped up a little bit. When given the task to look up various reviews, I found a mixture of feelings relating to the book, Beatrice & Virgil. One that interested me the most is a 3/5 star review on GoodReads. This person was unsure what to make of the book, and I can relate to that. They found themselves not getting into the book until about 3/4 of the way through, but they found it in the extreme when it came to the vivid descriptions of torture and it made them sick. They were stuck wondering what the point of the book was. One reviewer had said that the story discusses whether it is possible to obtain forgiveness without remorse, and although this is a good lens to look through, not everything fits. When I read this review I felt like I was the one writing it. This book isn't for everyone, and that's okay. People can have their own opinions and that will justify whether their review is positive or negative. For me, I would give the book a 3/5. It was interesting to an extent, but it really wasn't a book for me.
Regarding the negative reviews of the novel, I read a review from a user by the name of “Robin” who claimed the story lacked any intrigue. “Robin” states “None of the characters are interesting. There is no plot, there is no substance that makes you want to sit up and think.” I would have to disagree with “Robin” as I thought the dynamic between Henry and the taxidermist was compelling and brought tension to the story. The intrigue, I believe, lies in not knowing where the novel is heading too. As Henry reads more and more of the play he realizes who exactly the taxidermist is which leads to the climatic ending. I found this set up fascinating as we did not learn about the taxidermist through conversations but rather through the reading of his play.
Many positive reviews praised the nod to other literary works and the unconventional way in discussing the horrors of the Holocaust. The references to other novels did not really intrigue as I am not super knowledgeable of the literary greats, though the way the Holocaust was brought and talked about I think is definitely worth the praise.
I was upset by some of the harsh reviews that Beatrice & Virgil received. When I was reading the book, I agree that it did start out slow but as soon as the taxidermist was introduced the book picked up its pace and became a lot more interesting to read. People complain about the book saying that Yann Martel made a joke out of the Holocaust and how he did not respect what happened to the victims and survivors. I think this is extremely unfair and ignorant. From the comments that I have read it just looks like the people read the book for the words rather than the hidden, deeper meaning behind those words. They did not read in between the lines at what the two main animals represented. The book surprised me a lot while I was reading it and it kept me on my toes. I had no idea where Yann Martel was going with his arguments until he got to the point and then it all made sense. Beatrice and Virgil is not my favorite book of his but I would reread it and recommend it to a friend. I would hand off the book with the words of "make sure to read in between the lines and not just the words on the page". I also believe it was Yann Martel's purpose to make a book that was unlike any other Holocaust book just as Henry described it. Martel wanted to tell the story of the Holocaust in a different way and I think the harsh reviews are by people who do not enjoy change and do not want to search for his metaphors and analogies.
One example I found on Good Reads was by a Melinda who recommends it for "people who enjoy cruelty to animals". She described the book as "mercifully short" and that it was "most hateful and ghastly jumble of horrors " she had ever finished. I think this was very ignorant because his whole point was to explain to everyone how horrible the Jews were treated. So they should be feeling this way but don't blame Yann Martel for shedding light on the horrors that Hitler and the Nazis committed.
Barbara Figlewicz is an example of someone who rated the book 5/5 and I believe she read the book for how it was mean to be read. She stated "when references were made to specific "clues" about events in the Holocaust, I felt compelled to go to the internet and look them up to decipher the puzzle of the book". This is an example of someone who loved the book because they read the book how Martel wrote it: to question, to inspire curiosity, to challenge the status quo.
While reading the reviews of Yann Martel’s Beatrice and Virgil I have noticed a rather odd pattern of many loving and many seeming to hate this book. I have seen comments from many saying they do not understand the games at the end but they know it is supposed to be important. I think one of the biggest reasons people are seeming to not like the book is because they have not used literary lenses to dissect the book and see a bigger picture. Yann Martel is always drawing with his words and creativity. Rita from Good Reads had a great point of dissecting reviews that she has read, saying some people felt ticked or conned by the end of the book not being like the beginning. But her point of saying, “It was not changing the story, it was revealing what had been the story all along,” really stuck out to me.
On the back of Yann Martel's "Beatrice and Virgil," you can read all the positive reviews of the book and all the companies that gave the book a positive review. Online though, you can find a lot of hateful comments about the book mostly being about how such a sensitive subject, like the Holocaust, was written in a fiction form. It seems hard to write about a subject that is mostly only written in nonfiction into fiction without offending anyone or anything. At first, I kind of agreed with the critics that it will be difficult to write a fiction book about such a sensitive subject, but Yann Martel pulled it off. The book was not offensive to anyone at all and proved all the critics wrong
After researching the multiple reviews on the website Goodreads I have noticed an abundance of horrible and angry reviews from readers. Reader Melinda wrote, “I am shaken with rage as the book is one of the most hateful and ghastly jumbles of horrors I have ever finished.” She continues later that she assumes Yann Martel had writer's block after Life of Pi. I do agree with Martel in his point that him writing this novel is not forget the Holocaust. I do believe that the harsh comments and reviews of the novel are reasonable. I think that the readers who were concerned with the amount of graphic animal cruelty scenes in the book have a valid right to be upset, it is a reasonable feeling to be uncomfortable while reading these scenes. However, i do believe that these scenes inflict the exact feelings of uncomfortableness that are brought on viewing the graphic abuse jews recieved during the Holocaust. I think that these bring light on to the vile treatment of the Jews and it is important (like Martel mentions) to bring awareness.
While reading countless reviews of Beatrice and Virgil, I came across some that seemed to love the book but even more that developed a deep hatred for the book. Although the book started off slow, the plot really started to pick up steam when the Taxidermist was first introduced. Joy Lo Dico from the Independent said, "While there is a case to argue that the substitution of animals for Jews is offensive and that Martel may not have reached the high watermark of Life of Pi in literary style, this does a disservice to a wild, provocative novel." I totally agree with this statement, although some find it offensive, the art of the novel is what the readers should be looking at. One review that I found quite troubling was one by Jane Ciabatari from NPR when she said. "At one point Virgil asks Beatrice the question Martel ponders throughout the novel: "How are we going to talk about what happened to us one day when it's over?" Beatrice and Virgil is not the answer. Martel's latest is an ambitious, troubling, but ultimately misguided effort." I disagree completely with this wild statement because obviously, Jane did not comprehend what the story had been all along. She did not find the true meaning of the wonderful novel written by Yann Martel, and Martel does not deserve the hatred he is receiving for such a marvelous piece of art.
After reading Yann Martel’s exceptionally written book called Beatrice and Virgil I had a mixed review on the book because there were a lot of parts that I thought were masterfully written and it was really good. But, then there were some parts where I feel it left me confused by the meaning of Yann putting that into this novel. In the parts that were confusing, I think that Yann tried to create confusion with the readers to make them think what his motivation behind putting those parts there. With the parts that I thought were really great, they were filled with great description and imagery that made you seem like you were truly in the novel with the actual characters. But overall I say it was an ok book and I pushed through it but it doesn’t rank in the top ten of my favorite books. This book is considered to be quite controversial in many ways such as in the form of criticism and in compliments. The first review that I found on the internet was from Joy Lo Dico and she is part of the Independent company and the main topic of her article was the use of animals in the novels. Right in the beginning of the article, she says, "Misconceived and offensive’, ‘lifeless" and written with ‘self-preening admiration’ are but some of the insults hurled at this new novel by the international press.” I am going to have to agree with Joy because portraying the animals as jews that went through the holocaust which happens to be pretty dark and disturbing once the deeper meaning of the book arises. One other review is done by Michiko Kakutani and he works for The New York Times and he thinks that Yann didn’t really accomplish the goals that he was looking for in bringing recognition to the Holocaust. But in my own overall opinion, I would say that this book receives a 5.5 / 10 on my professional rating.
While reading "Beatrice and Virgil," I looked up some summaries and analysis websites so I could completely understand the book. While I was doing this, I came across a variety of reviews. Some customers were displeased with the ending and lack of explanation to complete astonishment and inspiration due to this book. I believe more dedicated readers who have loved Yann Martel's previous books and novellas were not let down by "Beatrice and Virgil." Other readers who had only read "Life of Pi" were expecting an incredible story to the same value. This story is incredible in other ways but customers were not expecting that. While I was updating my Good Reads account I started in Ms. Bryant's class, I noticed all the angry reviews readers had. It is evident there is more one to two start reviews compared to four to five stars. Several asserted that the book was full of animal abuse and torture. Additionally, they questioned the ethical and moral questions of explaining the Holocaust in that fashion instead of facts. On the other end, four to five-star reviews explained how they were perplexed by Martel to think of the Holocaust in a way other than stating true events. Many did say after reading it, they were left thinking about how other events could be explained by not using a historical base.
I read two reviews from Melinda and Rita on goodreads.com. The first review, Melinda, gave the book 0/5 stars and thought that the book was awful. She thinks that Yann did a terrible job of trying to talk about the Holocaust in a new light and that she felt offended. She said that the book had too much symbolism and references that the reader is just confused the entire time and the plot is just as confusing. The book wasn't straight forward enough for her and she thought that the violent ending was random and out of the blue. On the other hand, Rita gave the book 5/5 stars and said it was one of the best books she has ever read. She thinks that all of the symbolism and confusion makes the book more of a song and more focused on the emotion rather than the words. She said that the plot is supposed to convey darkness and trauma rather than bringing peace of mind. Instead of trying to decipher all of the symbolism, Rita picked out the most important symbols in the novel. For example, she liked how the Taxidermist was in control and never let Henry read the book because she related that to life. She says we are not in control and its traumatizing to realize this. I think that everybody is entitled to their opinion and process the book how they process it. I also think Yann Martel is okay with people not liking his works because he knows everybody has a different thinking process.
While sitting at home with nothing to do, I have had the brilliant opportunity to read the novel, Beatrice and Virgil. I personally really enjoyed reading this work of art that Yann Martel has written. Many literary critics worldwide have read this novel and have had a variety of different opinions about this story. Some of the opinions being good and others not so much. Robert Hanks with the New York Times has mixed feelings about this book. Hanks states, "Beatrice and Virgil is allusive, teasing, fragmentary." He then goes on to describe the good things in the story such as, "Beatrice and Virgil is a box of tricks, filled with historical and literary references." But then later says that there are certain parts of the story that was slightly more confusing. Ending the article with, "Although his ambition is admirable, the literary complexity and the simplicity of feeling Martel is aiming for don’t comfortably mesh. Beatrice and Virgil has its rewards, but the frustrations are what stick in the mind." Hanks gave both positive and negative feedback which I think is fair and some readers might have this reaction after reading this story. I still really enjoyed this story and can't wait to analyze it more in the oncoming days.
Beatrice and Virgil has been one of my favorite books we've read. I already had some preconceived notions about the novel from what I heard last year, but the book blew it out of the water. However, I am left dumbfounded when I read some reviews for this book. Some people just make it their mission to hate this novel for no reason. I first went and read a New York Times review and they said that book is often overly perverse and (as Yann said yesterday) that he trivializes the Holocaust. I disagree with these claims. I think a certain level of imagery is required to even discuss a topic like the Holocaust so I don't understand their problem with Yann's work. Also, in my opinion, he does not trivialize the Holocaust, but rather gives us readers a new light with which to view it. He just was trying to create something new. I also read a rant by Edward Champion about how this is the worst novel of the decade and I am appalled. This man has no basis for his claims and just uses his post to spew profane comments about Yann Martel. He spends a lot of time talking about things like repetition but doesn't realize the deeper aspects of the novel. I think that all the negative reviews about Beatrice and Virgil are unjustified and I have enjoyed reading this book.
Over the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to indulge in Yann Martel's novel entitled "Beatrice and Virgil." Although I am not yet finished, I can easily say that "Life of Pi" was by far a far better book, in my opinion. I looked up reviews of this book on a site I have trusted for the last year, Goodreads. The first review I read was from Melinda who rated the book one star (out of 5). In reading her review, I had to agree with some of her statements. She discussed how she genuinely was upset with the novel after reading the best-seller "Life of Pi." She said, "In the end, [Beatrice and Virgil] was [a] gigantic disappointment for me." She calls this book a "jumble" and that believes Martel had Terrible writer's block. I think she may be right. Yann Martel might have had writer's block and felt expected to come out with a bigger and better novel than "Life of Pi." I think he put his lack of ideas into an idea about a different author with a lack of ideas. After this negative review, I moved on to a positive review. A review by Rita gave the book five stars. She explained that whenever she tried to overthink the book (which may be Martel's intention to anyone reading the book) she found herself coming upon symbol after symbol. She said the symbolism in this book is "too loud and too abundant to make any real sense of it." All in all, she decided to read the book simply for what it was, to forgo the use of symbols. Rita reads this simple yet complex story as exactly what Martel was going for. She appreciates the anger that Martel evokes from readers, and making them feel "victimized." I agree most with the first review I read by Melinda. I struggled to get myself to like this book in the same fashion I loved "Life of Pi."
The novel Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel, in my opinion, Is one of the best books I have personally ever read, yet there are still many negative comments and reviews about the book online. I personally believe that these reviews are not warranted since most of the readers of this book expected it to be on the same level of excellence as Life of Pi. For example, one of the reviewers instantly starts talking about how short the book is then they begin to compare it to Life of Pi. They then proceed to say there is no underlying meaning to the book and that Yann Martel had writer's block after the success of Life of Pi. The most unwarranted part of the review though is by far when the reviewer begins to talk about the animal violence and savagery of Life of Pi and says it makes sense and helps that story yet the animal violence in Beatrice & Virgil does nothing for it. I personally believe that this reviewer read the book but did not analyze the true meanings of Beatrice and Virgil.
One of the first reviews I read about Yann Martel's novel Beatrice and Virgil was the review by Tolmsted. In this review, the novel is described as descriptive yet disjointed. The plot of the novel almost has no chronological order. This is similar to how the play that the taxidermist wrote has no legit plot or order to it. The book, for the most part, seems to have no point or plot to it. Tolmsted describes it as a slow-developing book, which I would agree with. Overall Yann Martel is very knowledgable and intentionally wrote the story in a disjointed manner. The positive reviews I saw in the NY Times also mention the disjointed style but looked at it with a different lens. Opinions on books are subjective. The style and intention that one reader may like, may be completely hated by another reader. Personally, I enjoyed the novel and was blown away by its outcome. I did, however, have a harder time with the disjointed plot.
The first review that I saw about Beatrice and Virgil absolutely condemned the book and almost seemed like a personal attack to Yann Martel. The review mentioned seems like a jumble with a play that reveals a Nazi war criminal and they can’t seem to make sense of it. They also mention how the animal torture excerpt from the story made them feel dirty for reading it. After listening to the meeting with Yann Martel, I don’t believe that this reaction is warranted. Yann Martel mentioned how he wanted to write a story that made the reader see the Holocaust in a different view. As he mentioned in our interview, we hear about the holocaust so much that it seems to lose its effect on people. While I can agree that at some parts the book seemed to be a bit jumbled, I think that the intended reaction was shock and pity from the reader. Therefore I think that the book triggered the reaction that Yann was striving for.
I looked up a book review for Beatrice and Virgil and I decided to go on Good Reads which is a website that Ms. Bryant used to suggest we use. I started reading the first review written by a woman. She starts out with a very bold statement saying "I'm shaken with rage as the book is one of the most hateful and ghastly jumble of horrors I have ever finished." Just by reading this, I can assume that her review is going to be condemning the book. She talks about how she enjoyed reading Life of Pi and that is why she decided to read Beatrice and Virgil. She says that Beatrice and Virgil is a jumble because she admits that she doesn't understand what it means. She has every right to her opinion on the book but I don't think her harsh judgment is necessarily warranted considering she admits to not fully understanding the meaning. She recommends the book to people who enjoy cruelty to animals. As someone who has read this book, I would disagree with her recommendation and I think it just shows she totally doesn't get the book. Even though the book is not my favorite and I would agree that it is hard to understand, I know that Martel has a deeper meaning behind his story than what you may think from looking at the book from a surface point of view.
Throughout the entirety of Beatrice and Virgil, I was enthralled with the characters and the stories surrounding them. The ending was an unexpected, but fitting twist to finish off this Holocaust allegory. Upon taking to Goodreads to look for reviews, I was surprised to see that the number of one-star reviews was almost equivalent to the number of five-star reviews. The first review I saw was a scorching take by a woman named Melinda who felt as though “in Beatrice and Virgil graphic animal violence does nothing to serve the story, except to try to give a new voice to the Holocaust and it simply doesn't work.” I personally disagree with her opinion. One of the subjects I felt that Martel attempted to display was violence and how it is nearly impossible to describe. He pushes the idea that language and words are a barrier, and using animals as a mode to speak of the unspeakable was his way of trying to convey the Horrors in a way that does, in fact, give a new voice to the Holocaust. The masking of the events by using anthropomorphized animals can allow a reader to more directly understand the trauma.
One of the reviews I read about Beatrice and Virgil was by James Lasdun. In his review, he seems to compliment Yann's writing, but also criticize how he turns the holocaust, a very serious and historically important event, into fiction and turns the Jews into animals such as the monkey and the donkey, which could offend a lot of Jewish people who read this novel. James seems to be upset that Yann wrote about the holocaust in this way, although I personally I think that the way in which Martel wrote the book was respectful to all parties involved in the holocaust, and described what happened to them very accurately. Most of the other reviews I read were positive and complimented Yan Martel's way of describing everything from a pear to the animals in the taxidermy shop. I can agree with the positive reviews that Martel does a good job of keeping an audience engaged through accurate and adjective-filled descriptions. From the publisher's meeting at the beginning of the book to Henry getting stabbed at the end, readers are captured by the marvelous work of Martel.
One of the critiques I read on Yann Martel's Beatrice and Virgil comes from the New York Times. While most of the article gives a brief highlight reel of the novel and compliments to Mr. Martel's senior novel, Life of Pi. In the review, the writer describes Beatrice & Virgil as "every bit as misconceived and offensive as his earlier book was fetching." While I found Martel's approach to this take on something as grim as the Holocaust to be bold and unique, I can't say that I agree with this article in the fact that it was misconceived or overtly offensive. As a society, we have become a bit sensitive regarding certain beliefs, and while it is important to be understanding of others feelings, sometimes being too sensitive can inhibit progress. The article continues by comparing the usage of animals as characters in Life of Pi and Beatrice & Virgil, quoting that in the new novel, the monkey and donkey serve as "a kind of 'Animal Farm'-like parable" and tells the story of the Holocaust through allegory themes.
After reading Yann Martel’s masterpiece, Beatrice and Virgil, I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. Although it left me puzzled at some points, everything tied together great in the end. It was surprising to see the negative reviews, but I guess it is understandable considering the book's sensitive topic. I think the people that harshly criticized it are the ones who didn’t grasp the book’s true brilliance. After reading through reviews, I noticed many negative and not many positive. Kara, from Goodreads, described the book as, “dull and lazy,” but I would disagree. I think this book is always building and always making you think. To truly understand Beatrice and Virgil I believe you must really analyze it and always look at the bigger picture. I am glad this class gave me the chance to read this book because I don't think I would've ever willingly read something like this.
Over the past few weeks, I have been able to dive into and finish Yann Martel's Beatrice and Virgil. Personally, it was not one of my favorite books, but it's not because Yann Martel didn't write well, but because the story just seemed slow to me. I have done some digging online and looked at some reviews of Beatrice and Virgil. The reviews were split between those who really liked the book and those who hated it. That shows that this book is, for obvious reasons, very polarizing. One particular review on the site Goodreads read, "I think this book now holds the dubious honor of the worst book I have ever finished. It's derivative, dull & pretentious. The story within the story-a play featuring Beatrice and Virgil, a monkey and donkey walking across a striped shirt-is a cheap ripoff of Waiting for Godot. There are other plot points involving the narrator Henry's pets that seem to come from nowhere and lead nowhere. Finally, the book ends with a series of philosophical questions that strive to be profound, but remind me of nothing more than Homer Simpson's musing on whether Jesus could microwave a burrito so hot that he himself could not eat it." That was very long and heated but that is exactly how I felt about the book too. After reading Life of Pi by Yann Martel it was so hard to get through and even think about reading more books by Yann Martel. I think that these reviews are not all warranted, opinions are a very real thing, but just because you don't like a few things about it doesn't mean others can't like it either. Yann Martel is and always will be an amazing author, but personally, this book was not one worth reading.
Beatrice and Virgil was a spectacular novel. It was informative and quite moving. I thought that it was a great novel because it was one unlike any I have ever read before. I read many positive reviews such as one someone wrote saying, “I will continue to think about this book long after I read it. He writes in a way that is both enlightening and perplexing, with themes of faith sprinkled in it.” It was nice to read people's reviews about how the novel moved them and ways they were able to connect to it. However, not everyone was a fan. This book had a lot of not so great ratings of people saying it was too short or dull. One man said, “as far as holocaust novels go...this was not a very good one.” Yet Martel himself stated that it was not just a book about the holocaust because if it was people wouldn’t connect to it as well. He wrote it as an artful metaphor. Overall, Martel’s Beatrice and Virgil was a relatively short book that was not necessarily “action-pact”; however, this well-written novel held a powerful message and I am glad we read it in our Lit class.
After reading many critiques about Yann Martel's work, Beatrice and Virgil, I can say that I agree with most of these criticisms. The New York Times talks about this novel and how they viewed the structure and formality of it. Michiko Kakutani from The New York Times wrote "... they serve no persuasive end. Rather they are another awkward element in this disappointing and often perverse novel." I strongly agreed with Ms. Kukatani in the disappointing novel. After reading Life of Pi, I was expecting more of an adventurous, story-like passage about the Holocaust in Martel's Beatrice and Virgil. Although there are many interesting points and statements throughout this novel, I found it hard to focus on the storyline. In an article by Jane Ciabattari from National Public Radio (NPR), the evidence of parallels throughout the book was clear and understanding for me. Ms. Ciabattari wrote "Over time, Henry concludes that the taxidermist "is using the Holocaust to speak of the extermination of animal life. ... He was seeing the tragic fate of animals through the tragic fate of Jews. The Holocaust as allegory." In short, he is doing what Henry had tried to do in his flipbook" (NPR). In this statement, I finally saw the connection between the Holocaust within the characters and the extermination of Henry's flipbook. With all these reviews—both positive and negative—many were very helpful and understandable about the book.
I looked up many reviews of Beatrice and Virgil. Most of the reviews that I have read either stated that it was really good or really bad. There were not many that were in between. One of the reviews that really stuck out to me was Melinda from Goodreads. She wrote a one-star review talking about how much she was disgusted and disliked the book. She mentioned that she was "shaken with rage" and that the book was "the most hateful and ghastly jumbles of horrors" she had ever read. While I do think that everyone is subject to their own opinions, I think this review went a bit too far. After reading this exceedingly negative review, I decided to read a few good reviews of the book. Many of the good reviews thought Beatrice and Virgil was a masterpiece and great work of literature. Dianah rated this book 5 stars. She said that the book was worth the 9-year wait because it was so good. She described Beatrice and Virgil as "completely entertaining and yet deeply, profoundly, intensely meaningful. Fantastic!" Personally, I liked the book. At first, I was more upset than pleased with the book. I believe this is because I loved Life of Pi som much and had very high expectations for Beatrice and Virgil. However, as I continued reading, I began enjoying the book more and more. It was captivating and kept me at the edge of my seat. The ending, in particular, was very unexpected and caused it to become a real page-turner. I would 10/10 recommend this book to a friend.
When coming to understand and simply comprehend the book "Beatrice and Virgil" two things along the way have to my mind. This book is profoundly interesting and comprehension can be seen in multiple ways. From the number of houses representing the rise of Nazism to the idea of equating Jews to animals to portray a much more grim and stark picture. I think both positive and negative views are understandable within reason for this book. The blunt and unrelenting picture of some of the ideas being portrayed can seem offensive and pointless within the context and this can be found throughout the book. However, there are also positivities that are essential to understand, the use of creativity to help us remember some of the worst things in history. The "New York Times" wrote a brilliant review on the book and I found it interesting how they portrayed the thinking of Yann Martel. The article states in the last paragraph "He wants to testify both to the evils of the holocaust and to the "simple joy" of creative endeavors even as he acknowledges the difficulty of describing these subjects without resorting to cliche. I think this review shows both the positive and negative connotations surrounding this controversial book. I, however, am pleased to see that both ideas can be viewed without causing much conflict. I like this book; however, I have to read pieces of it multiple times to get full comprehension, it truly intrigues me and makes me think.
I spent a good amount of time reading reviews about Beatrice and Virgil. I came across one specific review that I relate to the most. The review was made by Tolmsted. The novel lacks a chronological plot. This is similar to how the play that the taxidermist wrote has absolutely no order or plot to it. The book seems to have no point or plot to it. Tolmsted describes it as a slow-developing book, which I definitely felt the same about. In this review, the novel is described as descriptive but also disjointed. I believe that Yann definitely wrote this novel using a lot of knowledge but it really lacked those connecting pieces in the story that helped segway into each scene. The positive reviews I saw in the New York Times also mention the disjointed style but looked at it with a different lens. Overall I did not really enjoy the book. I hoped more for the book but it never had those key elements to it that made me feel like it reached its full potential.
I headed on over to Goodreads, my trusty source of book summaries and reviews. Melinda would have given it 0 stars if she could have, stating "I am shaken with rage as the book is one of the most hateful and ghastly jumble of horrors I have ever finished." She also said, "I need a shower because (this book) made me feel dirty." I will have to disagree with Melinda on this one, because I usually like to read right after I shower, and I don't shower twice in the same day.
Rita said, "The symbolism in the book is too loud and too abundant to make any real sense of," but I think it's not too loud, it's just the right amount loud, yet overwhelmingly loud, because the reader should be overwhelmed and feel not in control of this specific novel.
Trish, however, appreciated Martel's writing, as she wrote along with her five stars, "It takes a brave man to take on the big questions. Martel clearly studied the greats--those classic works of literature, art, and music handed down through the centuries--to see what links them to us now." I agree—it does take a brave (human) to take on big questions, such as finding new ways to talk about things.
I definitely think some of the book's meaning was lost on many readers. But reading some of these reviews made me very excited for the end.
I get monthly emails from the website, "Goodreads" so I decided to look up Beatrice & Virgil on there and read the reviews left on this website. Many people shared their opinions and to sum them up, they either loved or hated it. I can understand this, for I personally had quite the "love-hate" relationship with this novel. The beginning really dragged for me and I really did not enjoy the story at this point. I found myself having quite conflicting opinions with "Rita" who stated, "It's hard to review this book. I loved the first part so much, the simplicity and innocence of it. It was so seemingly transparent and human and honest. Then it turned... it didn't become something else, it revealed what it had been all along". When "what it had been all along" was revealed, "my ears perked up" if you will. By the time Henry's wife first entered the Taxidermy shop, I had become uncomfortable and was beginning to no longer enjoy the novel. I felt that my curiosity had left and was more replaced with frustration, exasperation, and uneasiness. The ending was beyond eventful but seemed out of place. I was left feeling unsatisfied with the ending; however, there were points that truly grabbed my attention and had me thinking the book would get better. I have mixed feelings on this novel.
Reading Beatrice and Virgil has been an extremely good read so far. I have enjoyed listening to what Yann Martel has to say about the book and now what others have to say and comparing those opinions to my own. Most reviews online are negative reviews and they fail to see the message behind the book. In the first review, I read a New York Times review that said the book is overly perverse and that he trivializes the Holocaust. I could understand why some people may think this but then after hearing Yann speak about it, it opened my eyes. He said that people only talk about the facts when it comes to the Holocaust and there is never a story such as this one. He also mentioned how the stories that do come out of the Holocaust, although all very powerful and scary, are all the same. Therefore I have enjoyed a new point of view on the Holocaust thanks to Yann Martel.
I took a vast amount of time analyzing reviews on the book Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel. I can see where this book is easily controversial as the book itself is an allegory to the holocaust. When it comes to referring to such a tragic event, it can be easy for readers to become offended or disagree. However, it can also bring a strong and powerful message. I went to Goodreads for my reviews and the first review I read was by Melinda. Melinda happened to have a very negative approach to reading Beatrice and Virgil. She said she had read Life of Pi and that it was one of her favorite books, but Beatrice and Virgil was just a "jumble" of words from writer's block. She felt there were a lot of concepts that possessed meaning but weren't explained. The allegory of the holocaust, the pear, and the animals are a few of the examples she spoke on. I feel it is valid to feel confused with the symbolism of these concepts, but such a negative review was unneeded. If Melissa had gone out and done further research earlier than before the addition to her comment, I believe she could've gained more understanding and appreciation. I believe everyone is entitled to their opinion, but that the proper research should be done first. I personally like the book, but I do understand where she is coming from as I had confusion about certain elements myself.
The review that I will be writing this discussion post about was found on the website 'Goodreads', the review was written by a woman named Melinda. In this review, she condemns the book and provides many harsh criticisms about the book. I think she brings up points that interest me because they contradict what Yann Martel said in the Zoom meeting. One of her biggest problems with the book was the rage she felt while reading 'one of the most hateful and ghastly jumble of horrors I have ever finished'. She wanted to give the book zero stars; however, Goodreads wouldn't let her. Although this woman has very strong opinions, I think Yann Martel mentioned some of her concerns in the Zoom that make me wonder how well she understood the book. I do agree with her on one thing, I think the book is very hard to follow and I don't understand a lot of things that I read because of how often he references other things.
When listening to Martel speak on the Zoom conference yesterday, I got my first look into the harsh criticisms of Beatrice and Virgil. At first, their claims of the trivialization of the Holocaust seems warranted. The New York Times claims the novel is awkward and a disappointment in comparison to Life of Pi; however, after listening to Martel himself speak on the topic, I now see that calling the novel a trivialization of the Holocaust is purely missing the point. Henry, and Martel himself, both mention the fact that wars are far more deadly, but are looked at differently than the Holocaust. Beatrice and Virgil does not downplay the horrors of the Holocaust, but purely puts them into terms that are understandable (as Martel himself said: 2 deaths are easier to comprehend than the murder of 6 million innocent people). Honestly, as I looked further, many of the reviews for Beatrice and Virgil claimed the book was underwhelming and awkward in comparison to Life of Pi, and not many reviews said much more positive things above that. Personally, I think this book doesn't get as much credit as it should, and those reviewing it only look at the Holocaust, and not the story.
The novel Beatrice and Virgil was very different and not like any other one that I have read. I have mixed feels toward it because there were many parts that I found to be interesting but then there were parts that I did not understand. As I checked reviews on this book there were a variety of responses. There were people who loved the book and how it was written but then there were those who did not. After reading through some of the comments on Goodreads there were a couple that stood out to me. David stated "this story is revolting. It is twisted, terrifying, and left me feeling filthy. I question the publisher, I question the editor, and I question Martel. I have no doubt his talent can craft something better than this disgusting concept." On a positive note, Tikva stated: "Yann Martel is an insane person, with an incredibly creative mind!" There were also a few people who had mixed feelings towards the book. Valerie commented, "it wasn't at all what I had expected and, like many, I'm not sure what to make of it. Dark and disturbing, most definitely....then again, perhaps that is the point." In conclusion, there were many different reactions and comments on Beatrice and Virgil. Yann Martel is an excellent writer but like everything else, there will always be negative and positive feedback on his work.
Obviously, I leave this comment until almost the last minute as usual, but honestly, among the first couple reviews, I saw two comments that contrasted each other very clearly. On Goodreads, Melinda described Martel's book to "People who enjoy cruelty to animals." Melinda rated this book with one star, although she made it clear that she would go lower if she could. Melinda makes no sense of the intense allegory and frequent references of other works. Although she makes accurate descriptions of the sheer amount of STUFF going on. She obviously fails, however, to see the deeper meaning of the piece, the reason he goes into such graphic and shocking detail.
The next comment discusses the exact same subject but with a completely different appreciation of Martel's writing. It just goes to show that different people have a different appreciation of an extremely deep piece of work like Beatrice and Virgil.
After finishing Beatrice and Virgil, I have come to the conclusion that it is a good and well thought out book, but not my favorite. I will always appreciate Yann Martel's dedication to his craft, but this book left me confused in some parts. It just wasn't for me. The book was definitely not offensive to the Holocaust in any way. That would be exactly the opposite of what Martel is trying to do with the book. I read a negative review from The New York Times. Michiko Kakutani said that the book was "offensive" and "disappointing". Nowadays, I think most things that authors right about will be considered offensive for some reason that was not meant to be offensive. Kakutani even accused him of trying to emulate a Brazilian author and not giving him credit. This may be correct and may not, but either way, I do not want to read that book just to find out. There were positive reviews as well. While reading an article from The Guardian, by James Lasdun, he said that his novel provided, "clarity and confusion, insight and banality, boldness and a persistent, self-monitoring nervousness." He overall liked the book but said that he could tell Martel had a careful way of writing, which I can actually agree with.
Throughout this past week, I have been trying to analyze Beatrice and Virgil and I have formed many different opinions and emotions towards this book. This book is full of passion and meaning, but some aspects can be read as unknown. One review that I read talked about how the ending is memorable for all the wrong reasons—melodramatic and obvious where everything before had been subtle and mysterious. I can somewhat agree on this statement, yet I believe Martel made a smooth connection between everything being laid out and obvious than rather subtle and fine-drawn. I really think this book deserves a lot of credit for making the reader connect parts for themselves– making the reader think in a way they would not think they would be capable of doing.
Throughout the past couple of weeks, I have been trying to analyze Beatrice and Virgil and I have come to the conclusion that this book is very planned out like everything that is put in this book has a meaning. I personally am left confused in a lot of parts, so for me, the book just wasn't my favorite. When I was looking at the reviews over this book, there were many different opinions and responses. A lot of people loved the book, but there were also a lot that was confused and/or angry with the book. The people that loved the book just talked about how Yann Martel is a great author and a great planner with his writing and just stating their favorite parts. The ones that were more negative were about how the book was offensive towards the holocaust. I think in any book, no matter what, someone will find something offensive, that wasn't meant to be taken that way. I think being an author would be so hard just because of all of the criticism and hate you would get, but people's opinions don't matter. Overall, I think there was a lot more positivity with this book than I thought and I personally just wasn't as intrigued as I hope I would be.
After reading the novel Beatrice and Virgil and going onto Goodreads to find some reviews, I have found that this book has mixed emotions. Goodreads critics have given this book a range of stars and the average rating is 3.15 stars. After reading through some of the reviews, Mark's comment jumped out to me. He stated, "the worst book I have ever finished." He also says," I can't imagine ever reading Yann Martel again after this." While others state this is the greatest book they have ever read. Mary Murtz from Goodreads says, "I am on the side of considering it a masterpiece, I can not recommend it highly enough." Reading through other reviews people thought it should have been a short story or that the plot wasn't right. In my opinion, I liked the book but wasn't my most favorite. Overall, I think Yann Martel is a great writer and negativity and praise will always come with writing.
After finishing Beatrice and Virgil, I found that a lot of the dead weight at the beginning of the book where it's just Henry the Author writing about his up to meeting the Taxidermist Henry has a very good surprise and satisfying conclusion to the story of the revelation of the Taxidermist's symbolism in his Saint Julian highlighting, the discussions of Beatrice and Virgil (and their names of course), and the foreshadowing inside the book of Henry wanting to write about the Holocaust, sees that Beatrice and Virgil have parallels to what he wanted to write (that his wife calls him crazy over), and the fact people like the grocer were uncomfortable with the taxidermist. Mind you, I read the book in a single sitting, the beginning I had to force myself to finish but the end just kept going! Going off of good reads reviews, not a licensed person to review series but their view could differ greatly from mine after all, so some people who listed it with a 1*/5* said that the book was stale and boring (the beginning I agree with, it kind of just rambled for a while), they mention a story that apparently had a similar plot "Waiting for Godot" I can't say anything about Godot because I've never read it, and that the musings of Henry the author at the end were "Homer Simpson level deep". I found that the discussion that we had over zoom with Yann Martel really helped explain his choices which is why I think Beatrice and Virgil stuck better to me. But to each their own opinions, these reviewers may view the book differently than me but I enjoyed it but I would hesitate to recommend as the start was very slow. In some places, the negative reviews are kinda right, as the start of the story really could've been shortened to get the plot flowing faster but that's all I really have to say—the start is a drag but the ending saves the book.
I visited goodreads.com to find a review. Ms. Bryant showed us this site last year and it's really cool because people can talk about a book and ask different questions they have. I read through those questions, one pertaining to the games of Gustav specifically, and I think it's really helped me understand. There's also links to videos with Yann Martel which is cool. Anyways, the overall review on Goodreads was 3.15 stars which is sort of low for a novel we would read in class, Lord of the Flies is 5/5 stars on Common Sense Media. A specific reader, Melinda, gave the book a ⅕ star rating. In her title she suggests that those who love animal cruelty will surely enjoy this book. I think she's missing the point Martel was trying to make. He obviously isn’t a fan of animal cruelty and mistreatment and in to way did he glamorize it in the novel. The harsh fact is that disgusting, horrible, and unimaginable treatment was forced upon Jews during this time. Martel’s novel about the Holocaust wasn’t meant to be a fun, easy read— no book on the Holocaust should be.
After finishing this book, I thought to myself it definitely was not a waste of time. So, when I looked into these reviews, I found that the reviews were quite negative overall. I went to the website good reads suggested by Ms. Bryant back in the day. There are over 3,000 reviews on the website, and an overwhelming number of them are one or two stars. Most of them discuss the fact that the story just seemed very nice to start with but became more and more bland over time. The fact that good amounts of books are just Henry's play being thrown in was another large criticism. So, my argument would be that it was not warranted, if the book is not your cup of tea, who cares, move on. Because there are also a lot of people that found it to be an interesting novel. Also, my reviews were not anyone specifics, more so they were a collection of reviews on the website.
Now that I have finished reading Beatrice and Virgil, I honestly don’t know how I feel about the book. I liked some parts of the story and disliked other parts of the story. I found it hard to read sometimes because I wasn’t intrigued by the book sometimes. I am left feeling confused about a lot of parts of the book. After looking at some reviews of the book on Goodreads, I have found some people feel the same and there are a lot of mixed reviews. I read a lot of reviews of people who absolutely hated the book. One woman named Melinda expressed her dislike of the book trough her comment, ”I am shaken with rage as the book is one of the most hateful and ghastly jumble of horrors I have ever finished”. Many of the reviews I read were about how the book was offensive to the holocaust. One review by a woman named Rita stuck out to me. She said, “I felt traumatized. The book was a traumatizing experience. I think that’s why so many people reacted with such anger. It was a hurtful, manipulating, offensive book. But, given the context...the forewarning...I think that’s what it was supposed to be”. She said that she did feel traumatized after reading the book but that was what Martel was trying to accomplish and I never really thought of that so I thought it was interesting. Overall, I think Yann Martel is an amazing author but Beatrice and Virgil was not one of my personal favorites. When reading the reviews I found a lot of positivity and also a lot of negativity. I think with any book there will be both people who love the book and people who hate the book as well.
I was looking at a lot of reviews and came across some good and some bad ones. The review that stood out to me the most was Melinda's. "Shaken with rage as the book is one of the most hateful and ghastly jumbles of horrors I have ever finished." I thought I would take reviews from readers like me not professional readers so we would have the same insight into the book. personally, I loved the book and it kept me on my toes till the very end of the book it was a really fun read for me. Before reading this book if you have had the great opportunity to read Life of Pi you will be very disappointed. Every book you read cant be the best book you read so you have to give the author some breathing space. Also getting insight from Yann Martel himself and using the animals and foods in the book have such a greater impact on the read. I think people should look deeper into the book with lenses on instead of being narrow-minded right when they don't like something they have to find the deeper meaning of what Yann Martel is trying to get across.
Beatrice & Virgil has been both praised and condemned. Read some of the positive reviews & harsh criticisms online. Are these positive reviews and/or harsh criticisms warranted? Reply with 150+ words, including whose/what review you read about the novel.
Beatrice and Virgil has been criticized because it takes the Holocaust and prevents the controversial topic in a fresh and innovative way. Many critics have said that it takes a major historical event and that Martel creates an image that minimalizes and degrades the size and impact of the Holocaust. Michiko Kakutani says that Beatrice and Virgil "has the effect of trivializing the Holocaust," degrading and also offending those who lived through the horrific event. Another critic, Edward Champion, points out the details that Martel left out. He says that the book has a lazy exposition, overwritten sections, and a terrible protagonist among other problems. Yet, Martel does these things to create the artistry Champion claims Martel lacks in Beatrice and Virgil. Champion views the novel through his narrow eyes only looking at and making clear what he think a good book needs. It is almost as if the Champion doesn't want to touch on the meaning and story behind the novel itself instead looking at it as a book with no symbols and no allegories. The harsh criticisms Champion imposes upon Martel are not warranted because of his unopen mind towards the book. Other people on sites such as Goodreads leave behind glowing reviews praising Martel for Beatrice and Virgil. Dianah, through a comment on Goodreads, describes Beatrice and Virgil as a book that will "completely draw you in." Barbra commented saying that Martel really makes his readers feel what Holocaust survivors when through. She says, "It tore up my insides and made me bleed. The positive reviews mentioned above capture what Martel really does. He connects with the readers and draws them in furthering the impact the novel has upon them. Martel created a masterpiece for generations to come to enjoy.
When I looked up some of the reviews of the book Beatrice and Virgil, there was a good variety of them. There was some really good reviews about the book, and there were some pretty harsh ones as well. One that really popped at me was the review by Kara Babcock. In her review, she said some pretty honest and blunt things. She made sure she got her points across to the reader by writing 8 whole paragraphs in the review section. She said that the book was boring and it did not leave her captivated but it just made her shrug at the end of the book. She said that she has read Life of Pi and that is why she gave Beatrice and Virgil a shot. She said that it did not move her in any sort of way with it being written about the Holocaust. She went on to say that she would call this book bad but she would not call it good either. She gave this book a 1 star rating out of 5. I think this review was warranted because she had a lot of good points in her review, some that I did not really think about before reading it. She explained why she thought what she thought and that was enough for her to think the way she did.
Through this week I have been able to finish reading Yann Martel's novel-Beatrice and Virgil. I really liked the Life of Pi, so I was excited to see what would happen in this novel as well. I have to say that Mr. Martel did not disappoint, I really enjoyed this novel also. I must say that I enjoyed Life of Pi a little better but this one showed many familiar skills that Yann portrayed in the first novel. In many reviews, I found that most agree that Life of Pi was better; there were many reviews on both sides of the spectrum of love and hate. Robert Hanks, of The New York Times, felt that although this novel may not top the Life of Pi, it still is of very good quality. He writes, "Martel’s latest novel demonstrates the same gift for vivid description and wholehearted feeling, but it’s a lot more resistant to summary. “Beatrice and Virgil” is allusive, teasing, fragmentary." I agree with this statement wholeheartedly. The novel is filled with descriptions from the pear scene to the taxidermist's shop that helps us interpret every ounce of what is happening in every scene. I also felt the same way about the novel teasing you, it gave me a similar feeling to a murder mystery novel in a sense. We know so little about the taxidermist and as the novel goes on and on we learn more and more, then out of nowhere, we are hit by a complete plot twist at the end of the story. Let me just say, that was some plot twist. Overall, in my opinion, I find it hard to every hate a novel. Just because I dislike it does not mean it does not have good parts, it just does not interest me. From this standpoint, I can see why people dislike the novel and they have a right to their opinion; however from me, this novel gets another two thumbs up.
After reading through many hateful and wonderful comments about Yann Martels book Beatrice and Virgil, I chose this for the hateful comment, "I literally just finished Yann Martel's new book Beatrice and Virgil (B&V for brevity's sake) about 10 minutes ago. I am shaken with rage as the book is one of the most hateful and ghastly jumble of horrors I have ever finished. At least it is mercifully short. In fact, it is so short, it can hardly be called more than just a long short story. The main story clocks in under 200 pages, there is tons of white space and the last 8 pages are "games" that feel lifted from works about the Holocaust ranging from Roman Polanski's The Pianist to Sophie's Choice."
And I chose this for the wonderful comment, "I can't believe this story only got 3 stars in the cumulative rating. I know I love Yann Martel, and I personally relate to this book, but I thought it was written brilliantly - and I mean BRILLIANTLY!!! It's a very tough book to read. I felt like I had experienced something close to the pain of the Holocaust when I finished it. It tore up my insides and made me bleed. I still can't think of it without feeling angst and sorrow in my heart." I personally believe that everyone has the right to their own opinion, many people thought this book was amazing and eye opening, while others thought that it was the worst book that they have ever read. The good thing about opinions, is that everybody has one but no body can have a wrong one. This book changes lives, in both good and bad ways.
When I first looked up the reviews for Beatrice ad Virgil, I was kind of surprised to see that it only got a 3.2 star out of 5. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I like the mystery surrounding the taxidermist and the buildup of events to the ending of the book. The only part I didn't really enjoy was that it almost got too descriptive sometimes and I got bored. I didn't. really see how some of the descriptive paragraphs really added to the book. One review I saw said that everything happened so fast that at the ending they were kind of confused and shocked by the way the book ended. Some also did not appreciate the bloody ending either. Overall I think the book got a lesser rating than it should have but I do understand some of the negative feedback. In my opinion, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to a friend.
After reading Beatrice and Virgil, my initial impression was that it was a very good book. Than again ever new book I read turns into my favorite at the time and this one definitely checks that box. Seeing what other people say about something you enjoy is always interesting and sometimes offending but nonetheless good to hear. This book elicited both of those feelings. I decided to go with Goodreads reviews as the NY times would've pestered me to join their website I read too many articles off there website but I digress. Immediately the first review I see is a 1 star which was shocking to me. Melinda writes "I am shaken with rage as the book is one of the most hateful and ghastly jumbles of horrors I have ever finished.". Everyone is entitled to there own opinion, but this seemed to be a bit of an over-exaggeration to me as she then proceeded to add 6 paragraphs after that and 2 updates just being mad for no reason. The second review could not be more different compared to Melindas. Rita writes "I loved the first par so much, the simplicity and innocence of it. It was so seemingly transparent and human and honest.". Pretty stark difference. She elaborates more in the following dozen paragraphs about why she rated Beatrice and Virgil 5 stars. Essentially she loved the book not because it was a fun read. But because it elicited emotion. Looking at more reviews, Beatrice and Virgil seems to be book readers either loved or hated. Pretty interesting result if you ask me. Between the two reviews, I would agree with Rita more. The book was a great piece of literature that gave you and experience reading it that most books would not.
Like any piece of art, Beatrice and Virgil has collected its own array of criticism and praise. Yann Martel features the Holocaust heavily in this novel, a topic not conventionally written in any form of fiction. Therefore, it has been analyzed by a host of critics. James Lasdun of The Guardian writes, "Yann Martel's follow-up to Life of Pi is a risky fable about genocide", a snarky comment at the beginning of an article which is mixed with confusion, discontentment, and Lasdun's attempt to understand the novel so he can truly judge it. While he excepts and understands that Martel portrays Henry as an author who is nervous about publishing such a controversial topic, his final thoughts are, "Beatrice and Virgil seems, despite its evidently large ambitions, strangely trivial and narcissistic,". I believe that Lasdun's thoughts and opinions are fair, so are all opinions on any piece of art. The beauty of art is that, besides the obvious theme of the work, the meaning is basically up to the viewer. Art impacts people in a variety of ways, as it should. Although telling a "made-up" story, fiction teaches us about the world, ourselves, or things we deal with as humans. So if people see Beatrice and Virgil negatively, there is nothing wrong with that since it is their personal take-away from the story. Facts and data are solid in their meaning and impression, but fiction and art are fluid.
After reading the very interesting and creative book Beatrice & Virgil by Yann Martel I have many thoughts about it. All of my thoughts are positive. Yann Martel took an approach that had never been used to tell a Holocaust based story, and it worked for him very well. A reviewer on GoodReads named Melinda gave the book Beatrice & Virgil a one-star rating. Melinda stated, "I am shaken with rage as the book is one of the most hateful and ghastly jumbles of horrors I have ever finished. At least it was mercifully short". I agree with her statement that the book is very short, but I disagree with her saying that the book is only worth one star and that it is ghastly. I thought it was a simple but interesting book. Rita from GoodReads said the book was "seemingly transparent, and human, and honest". I agree that the first part was very simple.
I enjoyed reading another one of Yann Martel's books, Beatrice and Virgil. Even though Life of Pi was my favorite book we have read in class, Beatrice and Virgil came in at a very close second. While I was very fond of Martel's work in this book, I was surprised to see that others didn't feel the same way as me. I feel as though this book touched nerves for those who truly do not understand the true meaning of the book. There are many sensitive people in this world. I used the site Good Reads to find my reviews on this novel. There were quite a few and they were extremely varied. Marry Murtz gave the book a full 5 star rating and left the comment, "Oh. My. God.", following that was a long list of this she loved about this book. Another review left me shocked. Donna left a one star rating and comment saying "it was grim, appalling, and terrible." After reading some of these negative reviews, I am still a great fan of this book and would recommend it to many.
To be frank, I loved the book. I thought it was so interesting. I read it all in three days—the pages turned themselves, so to speak. However, some of my peers deemed the book to be overly detailed, confusing, and boring. I can understand their personal views, for many when reading an assignment piece of literature we just skim or read the words right off the paper; however, giving yourself the time to be patient and really understand and read in between the lines of the novel allows us to gain a better insight to the novel itself. Mr. Martel told us in the skype call that he received criticism in Beatrice and Virgil from many who believed he made light of a dark situation which therefore lessened the severity of the reality of the Holocaust. For example, Goodreads reviewer Cher Staite claimed that the book was just a bunch of pretentious worlds with no storyline at all from a meaningless author. Or Jordan B., who thought he book was highly offensive and borderline blasphemous since Martel used metaphor to compare a donkey and a howler monkey to the victims of the Holocaust.
At the beginning of Yann Martel’s book Beatrice and Virgil, it was very hard for me to read and understand what was happening in the book but after the interview with Yann Martel, Many parts of the book began to become clear and was very easy to get into after. So while reading reviews on Yann Martel’s book I was able to relate to both the good and bad reviews on GoodReads. One of the good reviews being “My first reaction was a howl, a braying if you will, into the vastness. Martel does not allow us to look away.” I would agree with this after our interview with Yann. One of the bad reviews being “The whole construction made a very forced impression when I read it, and afterward I continue to struggle with it.” I could also agree with this review because I thought the same before the interview with Yann Martel.
I will be honest. I read the whole book in one day. That day is today. While I was about half-way through, my mother decided to look up the book to see what it was about. She wanted to know what I thought about it at the end because of some of the reviews she read. Most of the comments praised the books, but there were some that were negative. This is why she got concerned about what I was reading and we got into an argument. Although I don't know where she got the review from, I know that it talked about how the book can be traumatizing. I would agree with that; however, it was not. Had I thought more in-depth and analyzed the book more than I was, I definitely feel like someone could be traumatized. I also think that a reader who did not pay attention to as much detail as I did and as they should, would also be traumatized. However, I do think that traumatizing is a very strong word for this book. In the end, when describing what happens to Beatrice and how she is tortured, it did shake. me a little bit. I am a very soft person and I don't handle those types of things well. Someone else might have been able to read the book just fine. However, I do not think that it was overly explained or too disturbing. I am not thinking about it constantly and I got over it. The book just emphasizes how the world isnt' perfect and the world can be cruel.
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