In Watermelon Sugar Review

Reading In Watermelon Sugar felt akin to reading poetry for me. It made no sense. One of my English professors has told me that poetry isn’t about plot, characterization, storylines, or the like. It’s about how it makes you feel when you read it. So after reading this short novel, I mused about how that’s likely what the author was intending for the reader to take away: a feeling. Perhaps. This is just a hunch, as there is a plot, but one that didn't make much sense to me, and the characters are very flimsy as well. There aren't many themes or motifs. Descriptions of wacky characters and creatures, a sky that’s different colors depending on the day, strange happenings and history in a small community, a unclear line of thought, and not very linear story. I didn’t dislike the process of reading it though, so I suppose I can't say I hated it. I just felt so utterly ambivalent. The pacing was quick, and it was very fast to get through. 

Unfortunately, similar to my relationship with poetry, I wanted to “get it” but didn’t. I wish I could find some beautiful insight or meaning in simplicity or whatever was trying to be conveyed here. But I didn’t feel anything for the characters or anything really. I didn’t even really understand what the point was.

I wish i could say I just discovered this off handedly, because I saw that it is sort of categorized as a classic on a certain site owned by one of the richest men on the planet who also owns another site that isn't very into treating their workers well, which starts with a Good and ends with a reads, but I will admit I found out about this book from the Harry Styles song inspired by his ex girlfriends favorite book. But beware, as the book has absolutely nothing to do with the song. Despite all that, I’ve read my fair share of books and classics alike, and have never encountered such a strange simple one as this. Is that the point and the main pleasure of reading this? I'm not sure.