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Roxane's Reviews > The Guest
The Guest
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This is one of the most stressful books I have ever read. And it is also I am a fan of Emma Cline’s prose and she does not disappoint in this novel. Alex, her protagonist, if you can call her that is some thing of a mess. She meets Simon, a wealthy man, and head to the Hamptons with him for the summer. And when he tires of her, chaos ensues. I held my breath throughout most of this novel, because the tension just kept building and building and building, and there was never any relief for which I commend the author to be able to hold the readers attention like that, and to make the reading experience so stressful. I cringed throughout most of this novel, and even though Alex was a profoundly unlikable character, which is fine, I was rooting for her in the end, hoping that maybe she would get out of her own way and find a way forward in her chaotic ass life. Anyway, highly recommend. And on a sentence level, the pros is *chefs kiss*.
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July 31, 2023
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July 31, 2023
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Elizabeth
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Jul 31, 2023 07:45PM
Sounds intense!
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Ouff i‘m intrigued af now
Stressful is a good way to describe it!
SO stressful! Curious about your interpretation of the ending, since it seemed quite open to different outcomes.
Oh this sounds intriguing …
not a fan of open ended endings...
Great book but disappointed in the ending.
Was enjoying it until the ending, which was just a huge cop out. Clearly, author did not know how to end it
Great review of this! Just finished and am so mad at the ending which just continues the stress.
I’ve never been so stressed out by a book yet I couldn’t stop reading it! A great character study and portrait of life on the south fork among the uber-wealthy. Alex never fit in there, never made an impression so wasn’t recognized when she “returned.” Except by Lori, who wouldn’t make a scene, just dealt with the “problem” discreetly. I think to be true to Alex’s nature, it couldn’t end any other way. (But maybe some readers would have liked to hear an approaching siren at the end?)
It it so strange to be rooting for such an intensely unlikeable character but I did! Like others have mentioned, I was initially let down by the open ending. HOWEVER, the last image of Alex when she shows up (looking rather gruesome) at Simon's Labor Day party is indelible, and the positions of certain dangerous players are set up on the chessboard. So it is clear things are going to go from a chilly reception at the party to something much worse.
I don’t like books where NOTHING happens. I was holding out for a successful ending (because you know a good ending can drag a mediocre book over the finish line!). Alas, it was not to be. I also listened to it and that was a mistake.
Just in from the library. I don’t even remember requesting it. Thanks for the heads up on it being tense and suspenseful. Hope I like Cline’s style. I haven’t read any of her work yet.
I felt the unease of this young woman’s life and thought the ending was the only one you could really have.
Ha - I did the same thing on my Kindle. I was so confused. Agreed on all your points. I feel like it was 300 pages of almost getting there, but never quite did
So true! I loved this
"Stressful" is an excellent way to describe this. I'm 1/3 through it and dumbfounded by Alex's choices.
Did not like this book!! Nothing happens…what is Jack’s malady? Was anyone hurt in the accident? Walking around the Hampton & finally reaches her destination…really??? So what happens when she sees Simon? I know…. It was all a dream or psychotic hallucination!
Loved this book!
Not a fan of this book at all. Did not like Alex and just felt like there were no answers to all the stories being alluded to. Cannot remember the last book that left me this dissatisfied.
Stressful for sure. I think Cline does an amazing job portraying a character who is completely broken ( I say that with tenderness). It is REALLY uncomfortable to be so close to Alex’s dysfunction and that seems to be the point. At first, I hoped for some familiar resolution because I wanted Alex to be okay. But then, there really are people who actually live in uncertainty making one broken response after another. This book gives a precise experience of what that is like for them.
@Melanie - That is what it is like being an addict in the midst of deep addiction. A diseased brain that constantly self-sabotages and wants to kill you.
I have no words for the ending :(
Love your review! Would not have called Alex a protagonist 😂
Although I did finish the book with almost everything hanging at the end, I wasn't pulled in my the "stress" and was getting quite tired of it. Not really sure what a fulfilling ending would be as it would be very unrealistic for this to have a tidy, upbeat ending and many other endings would have required many, many more pages.
Many more pages would have been better than ending this with nothing
VERY stressful, also unputdownable! However, I was not rooting for Alex, just hoping she would ‘see the light.’ What do you call a person like her? Almost psychopathic, in my estimation. Did she ever feel guilt, regret, or make a good choice? Did she ever look back and wonder if her actions, or inactions, caused harm to the people in her wake? Did she ever TRY to make something of herself? She was all of 22, and all she did was use people and live from moment to moment! This book made me SO angry, but I guess that was its aim. And bottom line, I couldn’t stop reading!
I agree with everything- it kept me on my toes and I loved the excitement of what was next! But I was really expecting these stressors that just kept adding up to just explode at the end. But nothing did!! I was questioning whether she was just insane the whole time and wanted answers!! Also- Jack. His meds…. I still wanna know what meds he was skipping daily!!
