Dystopia has found a slight resurge in this novel about a post-apocalyptic state known as Panem, and the main character, Katniss.
Unlike ex...moreDystopia has found a slight resurge in this novel about a post-apocalyptic state known as Panem, and the main character, Katniss.
Unlike extreme versions of a dark future like Neuromancer or even Snow Crash, this book does not rely on "futuristic tech" to carry the illusion forward, but has a setting that is more "feasible" in terms of tech and social structure, however dark that feasibility might be.
Collins doesn't spent too much time with deep visual detail, giving just enough depth of description to allow for a decent working mind-picture that is efficient, if somewhat sparse (for example, the entire "world" is relegated to a handful of districts, each with a specific purpose, all surrounded by fencing and guards. What occurs outside those fences, while peripherally explored, is never truly investigated, so the entire canvas becomes very small and tight).
Primarily, this is a good book for young adult readers, that allows for satisfying reading for all ages -- especially those "full adults" who either have "young adults" in their lives.
The depth of the book happens inside the head of the protagonist, a young woman with some serious relational challenges. Her exploration of the ambiguities of other people's thoughts and intents, as well as her growing understanding of the feelings of others, combine to make for an enjoyable bedside table read.
Be forewarned, most of the people I know have found themselves turning pages past midnight because Collins doesn't cling, but she won't let go either.
Even though intended for a younger audience, this book is not a snack, and some of its content is steeply violent, but it is not a full meal, either -- do not expect a master-work of literature, expect a satisfying read.
It's a sandwich -- and like a sandwich, it gets the job done, fills you up, and can sometimes keep you awake late at night if try to consume it in bed.(less)
If you like to stare into the mirror for hours until you see your parents, this book might be for you.
With at least a small amount of defe...moreIf you like to stare into the mirror for hours until you see your parents, this book might be for you.
With at least a small amount of deference to Sr. Vasquez, I have to say that this book was a dull journey through self-reflection that likely lost a tremendous amount of flavor in translation.
The fact that this book is based on Columbian history from WWII put me at a disadvantage, because I know nothing about Columbian history. Thus, without further research, I found myself feeling as if I was the least important member of a group discussion happening between the author and his various characters, and while I am merely the reader in this relationship, I felt that perhaps I was in my rights to hope to be included more.
While I like to believe I am not a dolt, much of the nuance and intrinsic tension hidden in the turn of phrases of the original language were surely flying over my head while I trudged through the 77 pages that I could bring myself to read. Even though I speak very little Spanish, even "Los Soplones" strikes me as a more powerful term than "the informers." I would have liked to have the deviousness and darkness of "the black lists" that this book references be caught more (perhaps "The Betrayers" for example).
The fact that the publisher decided to be artistic and collapse dialog into the same paragraph without line breaks (as in "Why are you going there?""Because I wish too.""Oh.") just added to the difficulty in sussing out the subtleties that Sr. Vasquez likely planted between the lines; I fear deeply that much of the Columbian spice didn't make it across the translation.
Now, given all of that failure on the part of the English producers, I might have still succeeded to the top of this mountain of a book save for one thing: this is a book by a writer, about a writer, who reflects on a years long tension that he has had with his father, also a writer, about a book that the writer son wrote about one of his father's closest friends and the review that his father wrote about the book that he wrote about the life of this friend during a time when people were giving each other up to lists of names that were, well, written down -- the Black Lists. There's a LOT of writing going on about writing -- and the book spirals inward, leaving descriptive text to the side like so many faded flowers in a hospital room filled with dying writers.
While Sr. Vasquez may have an astonishingly lovely navel, I just could not bring myself to stare at it as long, or as deeply as he did himself.
I find it most telling that my edition of this book has a few weakly charming reviews written on the dust cover -- and every single one of them is by an author ... you know ... writers.(less)
This is a decent character piece. The plot line is much the same as many "hired expert" books, and the tension methods are also not complet...moreThis is a decent character piece. The plot line is much the same as many "hired expert" books, and the tension methods are also not completely uncommon either.
As I read this book, I found myself watching an author write a book about a character that the author knows very well, that we know to some depth, but not as much as I would have liked. I made the mistake of reading this second book in the "Nick Heller series" before reading the first. But I also noticed that there were many suppositions about the original character that seemed to have been repaired in this second book (the author mentions newly hired people, old relationships that are different, etc.).
The visual descriptions in the book are well done, and Finder doesn't wander far from the premise and direction of the story -- but there are some secondary story arcs that, while related to the completion of the book, tend to be given very short resolution at the end.
All in all, this book is likely Finder's intended attempt to develop the Nick Heller character more completely in the hopes of starting a potential series. I would say, as far as character development goes, Finder has started the process well -- I'm just sad that he had to be dropped into an interesting, but somewhat common story arc.
I'll be reading more of Finder's books -- but I'll be expecting more surprises than I found on the stage around this strong character.(less)
I did not finish this book. I wanted to enjoy it, but the main problem I had with this book was that it was attempting to address terrorism as if 9/1...moreI did not finish this book. I wanted to enjoy it, but the main problem I had with this book was that it was attempting to address terrorism as if 9/11 hadn't happened ... from what I can tell, it is set after 9/11 would have happened, but creates a fictional future that just clanged too hard in my ear to enjoy.
This specialist, who works for an anti-terrorist group and is trying to interfere with the possible weapons trade to Iraq while working for a fictional president ... it's too distracting. So I stopped reading it. I couldn't care about a character that can't exist.
This is a chick book - no doubt about it ... but I was given the opportunity to go into the "women's chamber", and similar to the football p...moreThis is a chick book - no doubt about it ... but I was given the opportunity to go into the "women's chamber", and similar to the football players wearing pink in October for Breast Cancer Awareness month (http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/), I felt lifted by the participation in this story as a reader, even if I am a dude.
I chose to read this book in large part because it was in the Goodreads recommendation section (which is an awesome service of this site!). I started it primarily because I wanted to see if the recommendations are still good when I "go way out there" (they are) and got caught by the book because it gives a phenomenal view into a sector of history and life that I would never have seen otherwise.
The book is set in China under Emperor rule in the 19th century. The point of view is that of a "second daughter" of a general farmer -- a girl with virtually no social standing in her own family, which is a family we would likely say was "working class/blue collar", having little political power of its own.
As a "guy guy", I figured they'd lose me at the first lotus blossom or whatever -- but the exquisite view into female life in 19th century China kept me coming back for more and more (and, frankly, it got pretty brutal in there, too).
This is not a spoiler - she and her female siblings, counterparts, and friends all learn and practice a limited form of Chinese "female writing" called "nu-shu", which the author attributes as one of the primary purposes for the development of the story. This "hidden" language of women (a real thing in China's history, which was almost wiped from the history books by the Communist Revolution) serves as the unifying thread throughout an adventure of life that covers all manner of class in the Hunan district.
It is captivating to see how each social stratum lived, how attitudes were about women and girls-- which is masterfully described by Lisa See in the experiences of the main character and subsequent statements that she makes about women ("their only worth is in their ability to make sons", e.g.) more than in over-wrought diatribes that might accuse the reader of being blind to the insane inequalities of the era.
This style of "matter of fact" declaration of the inequalities doesn't belittle the reader's sensitivities or intelligence; you can tell that See knows when we will cringe and when we will be simply appalled -- she doesn't feel the need to go into speeches in case we didn't get that it was ridiculously bad for women in 19th century China.
All in all -- I would put this book right up there with Memoirs of a Geisha of course, but I'd also put it right up there with many other historical fiction books I've read.
The writing is superb, the character development is sublime, and while the circumstances and course of events get a little harsh at times -- well, 19th century China was pretty harsh most of the time. How do I know? I read this book.
This book (and series) is a classic, and one of those series that "all the cool kids" have read. Even David Bowie references it in one of h...moreThis book (and series) is a classic, and one of those series that "all the cool kids" have read. Even David Bowie references it in one of his songs.
Don't go into this series looking for rainbows and sunshine -- Donaldson has not interest in blowing sunshine at you. This series is quite stark, quite harsh, and often nominally dry to the point of dull for a page or two.
And yet, I still gave it 4 stars. Why? Because it is a strongly written classic that serves as one of the pillars for fantasy and "otherworld" epics that have followed it.
Come to the book for the curiosity, stay for the adventure, it's darkly worth it.(less)
Imagine you went to some smokey dive to hear a guitarist on a Saturday night, and find out he's the next Jimi Hendrix, but he doesn't truly know it ye...moreImagine you went to some smokey dive to hear a guitarist on a Saturday night, and find out he's the next Jimi Hendrix, but he doesn't truly know it yet.
You get there, and the musician is gifted, truly gifted. He is playing rolling harmonies, chord variations and doing it all with a mix of joy and ease that makes you realize you've stumbled on something wonderful. But he's wearing a giant frog hat and calls himself "frogman wonderful", and between sets tells nervous stories of his life as a frog.
That's what reading this book is like.
The guy is nervous the way any new talent would be -- he's wearing the frog stuff because he isn't quite sure of his own abilities yet, doesn't believe he's actually completely talented. In that seedy night club, you ignore the frog stuff, because the music is so good. You realize that, like any other new and undiscovered amazing talent, this guy isn't aware that he's actually the next Jimmy Page or Eddie Van Halen or whatever -- he's still a little nervous... so he calls himself Frogman Wonderful.
Lee Child's first book, Killing Floor, is his first book. So every once in a while, Child puts on a frogman hat in the form of silly flourishes that first writers sometimes do. For example (no spoiler here), the main character finds himself driving around Georgia in an antique Bentley during the story (that's the one that a chauffeur would drive his English Lord around in). An unnecessary flourish that, in the hands of a lesser writer, would be distracting -- but by the time you get to that, and other flaws, you just don't give a flying rip at all -- you're here for the music... and the music is just so sweet.
The book starts at a walking pace, and until the very end, remains ruthlessly at a walking/sauntering pace -- but keeps the story unwinding and captivating from page to page. Like that slow moving monster in your nightmares, our protagonist just keeps putting one foot in front of the other, never ceasing, never stopping, never letting go -- and in a strange but beautiful way, never completely caring either.
Child hooks you from page one, and before you know it, you're just walking along with this main character, getting more and more embroiled in this situation and less and less willing to let it go.
Judging from this novel, Lee Child is a gifted story teller and fully capable of amazing things. I lost a lot of very good sleep staying up with this book because it wouldn't put me down.
Read it, you'll like it, and by page 10, you'll realize you've found a new friend in Lee Child and that you're caught in a situation with the protagonist that won't let you walk away ... something's up, and someone's gonna pay for it.(less)
As with any religious book, objectivity is impossible (since religion, by loose definition, is subjective experience of that which is unproven); so he...moreAs with any religious book, objectivity is impossible (since religion, by loose definition, is subjective experience of that which is unproven); so here's my subjective opinion as a Christian.
Non-believers If you are a non-believer, you're going to fall into one of three general groups: atheists, agnostics, and seekers (and that fourth most special group made up of all the people who just refuse to be grouped by a small-minded Christian, dammit :) ).
If you are actually a member of that fourth group, I'm gonna call you an anti-theist (basically, someone who does care and wants it all snuffed out). If you are a member of this group, please don't read this book or the rest of this review. The book will just make you angry because it's completely biased against everything that makes sense in the world. If you read it, or my review, you'll just be confirmed in your anger, which serves no purpose. So go home, you're right, it's a book written by a man who used to hate Jesus before we tricked him into believing, and this review is by another blank-eyed drone as well.
If you are an atheist, then this is not a book that will entertain you, because it is biased FOR Christ. I have one (ONE) friend who is an ACTUAL atheist ... a person who has no relationship with the question of God (a-theist as opposed to anti-theist) ... she just doesn't care and she wouldn't be bothered to read this book any more than I would be bothered to read a treatise on corduroy pants (I'm an a-corduroyist, I just don't care). Go read the phone book or something, it will interest you just as much.
If you're an agnostic, this book could actually interest you. It is written by a relatively well-educated (Yale, I believe) and erudite (Legal Editor of the Chicago Tribune) man who was investigating his relationship with God and used the tools and training of legal forensics to challenge the authenticity of Christ. As you can guess from the title, you know how that investigation turned out; but the journey is enlightening in regards to many of the fallacious suppositions presented by disbelievers -- and I promise you that this book won't "strike you Christian" if you read it. I'd suggest reviewing the chapter headings and see if that whets your appetite. If so, enjoy it, it's short and interesting. If not, God be with you, thanks for reading my review.
If you are a seeker, by which I mean someone who is beginning to realize that, whoa, this Jesus topic has legs of its own and I'm not sure what's happening in my life but it might be cool (is He like really real?) -- I'd suggest that you read this book with a Christian friend, perhaps even a Pastor or Youth Pastor. It's got a lot of great conversation starters, and it doesn't propose any ideas that are dramatically challenging if reviewed with an open and willing heart. If you can't find anyone else, then maybe you're reading this review for a reason - ping me and maybe we'll read it together.
Christians If you are a Christian, TCFC is a good book to offer a concise list of rebuttals for common arguments against Christ's authenticity (it's the case FOR Christ, as in the legal DEFENSE). It can be used as a conversation facilitator with folks who are seeking something Spiritual, and often as a decent structural underpinning for the initial process of coming to the Lord.
Most Christians who love this book tend to love it because it represents a good set of responses to some of the tougher questions raised by "arguers." It helps avoid personal conflict and gives a Christian the opportunity to say "here, read this book", thus taking the heat off of the way you dress, or how you voted in last year's election. It allows Christians to show some desire to share the Spiritual Love of God that we all enjoy without having to debate and argue directly with the very person with whom we were originally trying to share our Joy (presumably a friend).
That's its purpose. It is not a goad to trick smart people into believing mythology, or an attack on "the left" from a sneaky author -- it's overtly titled the case FOR Christ, and it's that -- one side of a limited debate based upon a FEW questions that often confound Christians and Spiritual seekers about Christ.
Everything else is noise. This is a book that, like religion, involves personal opinion -- and just as no amount of yelling or screaming is going to change whether you do or don't like chocolate ice-cream, no amount of screaming or yelling is going to make people change their feelings about this book or its Topic.
Changing subjective opinions can only be a shared process of Love based on trust, and website reviews are a stark medium for sharing words of Love on any subject, wouldn't you say?
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