Review of Misery Loves Company

[margherita mantovani]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Misery Loves Company" by Paul Marino.]

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2 out of 5 stars

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Review of Misery Loves Company.
After finishing reading the book I was left with an uneasy feeling. The main theme is very sensitive and the author treated it with extreme superficiality. I am of the idea that difficult topics can be downplayed by an experienced pen, but in this particular case I found the author's choice insensitive. The book contains strong scenes (sexual assault, murder) described as if they were everyday, unremarkable scenes. I found the writing steeped in machismo and racist at times. The basic idea of the book is a good one: to talk about a disease in goliardic and simple terms so that a wider audience will learn about it without having to go through a challenging read. However, I find that more attention to certain themes and experience in writing is needed to get there. Also, I would have preferred more suspense and a clearer chronological order. The character's movements are not well understood or in what order the events happen. All the characters in the story are poorly described; the intricate feelings that lead them to perform obscene acts are not explained as if it were not an emotional strain for them. I did not particularly appreciate the punctuation. Sentences are short and often disconnected from each other.
In conclusion, unfortunately, I would not recommend reading Misery Loves Company to those who appreciate books of some emotional depth. I think a proper rewrite could make the book much more enjoyable and profound, while still remaining a light read that does not require experienced readers. The characters should be rewritten with much more detail, exterior and interior, as well as the places where the events take place and the succession of them. The writing should be more delicate in certain passages and enriched with empathy, without assuming that the central theme of the book cannot be highly disturbing to certain readers.

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Misery Loves Company
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[Rena_smith]

I was discouraged by your review from reading this book because it does not sound like an enjoyable read, even though the title is enticing. Thanks for your honest and detailed review.

[Gerry Steen]

I would have difficulty stomaching a story that describes sexual assault and murder as everyday, unremarkable scenes. I hope that the author takes your critiques into account. Thank you for this review.