Gina Yates

I'm beginning to wonder if there is now a category of literature related to the pandemic where all of the characters are lost souls who drift from one thing to another and nothing very interesting happens. I think this category does exist and this book belongs in it along with several other recent books I've read.

This book was kind of meh. Not terrible, but I really was glad to get to the end. I kept hoping something interesting was going to happen or that at least one of the characters would grow or change in some significant way. Neither happened. All of the characters remained mostly the same and none of them did anything all that intriguing. I did slog through to the end, but I don't recommend that anyone else do the same.… (mehr)

What a quirky, enjoyable book. Even though the main character, Hope, lives a pretty aimless life, she is just the most compassionate and funny person - I laughed out loud several times. The only complaint I have is that I thought the books' namesake, Brooks Nixon (Narcissus Nobody) didn't even need to be in the book! I didn't see the point of him, it didn't seem to really tie in with anything. I mean, I do see the connection between his trajectory and hers, but the book could have been just as good without him! Still, a super enjoyable read.… (mehr)

Narcissus Nixon is about a Hope Townsend, a young woman who loves animals and isn't as great with people. The book follows her through a stretch of years spanning her adulthood from college age to 40. Throughout these years, Brooks Nixon makes appearances in the form of news headlines and interviews. Nixon wrote advice about love and how to get a man to commit, and then one day did a 180 and started promoting anti-monogamy. This has a bit of influence over Hope.
While nothing major happens in the book, Hope is a relatable character, and I felt understanding towards her with her jobs and her messed up relationships with men. I think a lot of people might see a little bit of themselves in Hope; years pass with Hope at the same jobs, involved in the same old relationships. It's not exciting, but it is believable. Though there isn't a great deal of growth for Hope, Narcisuss Nixon at least, isn't full of the clichés we're all used to, and for that I like it.… (mehr)