**spoiler alert** It's unlike me, and I was so close, but I just couldn't bring myself to finish this book. Maybe someday I'll skim through the printe...more**spoiler alert** It's unlike me, and I was so close, but I just couldn't bring myself to finish this book. Maybe someday I'll skim through the printed version, but I could only take so many hours in my car alternately dying of boredom and railing at the tape player. I'm still aghast at the sheer number of ways Pullman managed to run this promising story into the ground.
Just for starters...
1) The excessive introduction of new worlds and characters was hugely distracting. His parallels between the species and their relationships with "dust" could have been powerful if he hadn't belabored the point. I was completely incredulous at how much time was dedicated to Mary Malone's lessons in mulefa anthropology (or xenology, or what have you.)
2) Ok, much has been made of Pullman's "extreme antipathy to the Church." Not owing loyalty to any side of the religious debate, I was just offended by what terrible fiction it made. His struggles with faith are clearly deeply personal, so why do we get ZERO character development along these lines? Instead we get a shoot em up political thriller that just happens to involve a crazy heretical showdown with god's minions, who are inexplicably evil. (To be fair, perhaps this personal connection is made in a stirring conclusion? Too little too late for this reader.)
3) I originally thought the whole dust=loss of innocence=puberty theme was cool, but I got increasingly creeped out by Pullman's rendition of Lyra and Will's coming of age. I wasn't outraged that he sexualized 12 year olds, as some people were. I just thought the epic romance angle was bizarre and blatantly unrealistic. Puberty makes kids awkward before it makes them fall in love!
ps - I just came across a quote from Pullman which had me do a doubletake at some of my above criticisms... clearly we're on the same page, except... not. "I have said that HIS DARK MATERIALS is not fantasy but stark realism, and my reason for this is to emphasise what I think is an important aspect of the story, namely the fact that it is realistic, in psychological terms... I'm trying to write a book about what it means to be human, to grow up, to suffer and learn. My quarrel with much (not all) fantasy is it has this marvellous toolbox and does nothing with it except construct shoot-em-up games." (less)
OK, I'm sure this is a powerful book, but I couldn't get past the first few chapters. It's one of those intergenerational epics where you start to bec...moreOK, I'm sure this is a powerful book, but I couldn't get past the first few chapters. It's one of those intergenerational epics where you start to become wary of turning the page because the cast of characters is sure to expand exponentially. And gloomy backstories that show little regard for chronology stand in for plot. I have way too many books begging for my attention to sort this one out.(less)
Just finished the first section. I want to be more moved by it. I hate that I spent my emotional investment in Holocaust literature at a tender age. T...moreJust finished the first section. I want to be more moved by it. I hate that I spent my emotional investment in Holocaust literature at a tender age. Thanks to ingesting the entire Oak Park Public Library's holdings on this subject by 13, I just can't find much catharsis or inspiration from reading survivors' tales as an adult. Instead I'm just left with my shame. How can I really be desensitized to suffering on that scale?
Will report back on the second, more theory based section. As mentioned in another review, I do like a good existentialist manifesto.(less)
Sigh, I really wanted to love this book as I did Curtis' others, but I couldn't get past the first few chapters! This is the second YA book targeted a...moreSigh, I really wanted to love this book as I did Curtis' others, but I couldn't get past the first few chapters! This is the second YA book targeted at boys that I've had to jettison lately for similar reasons. At the risk of sounding girly, I can only handle so many extended anecdotes and tall tales about fishing / snakes / frogs / fly guts / gory deaths / vomit. Though I'm sure it goes over well with the intended audience.
Also, either the dialect is really annoying or the reader on the audiobook just can't pull it off very well. I'll try to pick up the actual book someday and give it another try.(less)
Calling this one. I find no redeeming value. I even hate Mrs. Dean by now. I struggled through the first half just to find out I'm supposed to read hi...moreCalling this one. I find no redeeming value. I even hate Mrs. Dean by now. I struggled through the first half just to find out I'm supposed to read history repeat itself with Cathy and Linton????? No. Thank you.
---
OK, I'm more on board with this now that Mrs. Dean is telling the tale and there's some action. But I just don't buy the romance / romantic angst.
---
Still working on this. Slowly. The only character that I have any sympathy for is the poor maid. She had to live it in the first place, and now the narrator expects her to tell the whole story besides cleaning up after him.
Can I organize a narrator coup? Mrs. Dean promises "I could have told Heathcliff's history, all that you need to hear, in half a dozen words." ---
I give up... it's gotten to the point I can't even read snarky commentary on the Twilight series without being familiar with this book. I guarantee that I will hate it beyond the telling, but hey, you never know when seriously low expectations will redeem something after all. (less)
Well, the verdict is that I should learn to trust my feelings. I made it through 1+ discs, and I will say the travelogue and insight into tramping aro...moreWell, the verdict is that I should learn to trust my feelings. I made it through 1+ discs, and I will say the travelogue and insight into tramping around the US was really intriguing. But I could only handle so much sobbing while driving. I thought it would just be a story of how one too-intense kid couldn't handle his own life (tough enough) but it turned out to be a story of his blowing into other people's lives just long enough to let them get attached, refusing their heartfelt offers of help, and then dying very publicly, ensuring them a lifetime of guilt... I turned the CD off forever after the last heartbreaking story: an 80 year old WWII vet tried to adopt Chris, actually took Chris' fervent advice to abandon his home and camp out in the wilderness, and upon hearing of Chris' death immediately renounced God, resigned his church membership, and got drunk after 50 YEARS of sobriety. Maybe this is the stuff of high literary tragedy. As real life, it makes me CRY.
---
It's been way too long without an audiobook, found this in unsaleable condition at the store. But I'm only one chapter in and it's so intensely depressing... I have a feeling that this is a cautionary tale I don't need to hear.(less)
Why did no one tell me Friedman is a blowhard BEFORE I waded through 300 pages of this nonsense? Now to track down something resembling a thoughtful t...moreWhy did no one tell me Friedman is a blowhard BEFORE I waded through 300 pages of this nonsense? Now to track down something resembling a thoughtful take on globalization.(less)
I only made it through 2 chapters, but I feel compelled to bring down the rating. For a book dealing with the movement of food, published in 2007, mar...moreI only made it through 2 chapters, but I feel compelled to bring down the rating. For a book dealing with the movement of food, published in 2007, marketed as following in the tradition of Kurlansky and Pollan, I'd call this not just irrelevant but irresponsible.
The writing and research are uneven. There is little compelling history or food writing. Confusingly, I found no attempt to address any of the current hot topics surrounding hyper food mobility - local eating/food safety/public health/oil/sustainability. And when the author did venture into political territory, it was to spout all kinds of tangential conservative talking points about free trade, market creation, and cheap consumer goods!! Get off my bookshelf!
It's hard to think of a topic less obviously related to sweeping changes in global culture. And yet... I spent the whole first chapter on the Roman olive oil trade squinting for any context, let alone deep or insightful analysis. Finally my jaw dropped at this.. "While oil merchants talked money in the Square of Guilds, these slaves were out on the docks, their backs glistening with beads of sweat as they unloaded pot after pot of olive oil beneath the fiery Italian sun. And those pots were extremely heavy. An amphora weighed about sixty-six pounds when empty. When full, carrying about six gallons, it weighed more than double that. For the slaves, then, the amphora was a heavy burden. For the men and donkeys lugging broken shards up the slopes of Monte Testaccio, the amphora was a chore. But for the olive merchants of Baetica, it was something quite different - an extraordinarily efficient ceramic vessel at the heart of an international trade that thrived many centuries before the word globalization had been coined."
OK. Did she just casually mention that the entire system was based on SLAVE LABOR and then CASUALLY BRUSH IT OFF in favor of the TRADE BENEFITS?? Also, does she have ANY IDEA what globalization IS? Also, is she extremely preoccupied with innovations in the technology of food transportation containers?
The answer, unfortunately, is YES.
I persevered for one more chapter, on the modern use of standardized shipping containers. Specifically, the refrigerated ones used to send fish from American fisheries to China in giant tankers. Where women make nothing doing the dirty work of prepping the fish and then ship them BACK to the American consumer, months later. Naturally, the author thinks this is a FABULOUS idea! At least she addresses one of the social consequences full on. Well, she quotes Dickens and carries on about how grand it is to eliminate the dirty back-breaking labor of the dock workers. But, wait for it... "The container has arguably been one of history's greatest agents of change - and not just for the 'wharfies' who lost their jobs. Containers brought consumers new and exciting goods from remote places... Americans and Europeans could acquire cheap television sets and washing machines. Rattan furniture became fashionable. People bought things they previously would have never dreamed of possessing as the container helped foster the consumer revolution." Yay for buying shit we don't need! Yay for more random container technology! (And, oops, did I just let slip that this system is super susceptible to terrorism? Don't worry, we're throwing lots of money at a technological solution! Military-industrial complex to the rescue!)
She makes ZERO mention of the environmental/health costs of pointlessly shipping the fish around the world. She also claims that consumers just aren't interested in the human rights violations of the fish-boning women abroad! And even if they were... "Globalization has side effects that are harsh - whether for poorly treated workers on one side of the world or those who have lost their job on the other... Yet these are problems best addressed on land, through retraining programs, financial safety nets, and tough measures to prevent labor abuses. They are not reasons for halting the passage across the ocean of traveling T-shirts or moveable feasts." Ah yes, government gets to clean up the mess, but how dare they regulate. Thank you for THAT old song and dance. Because we aren't hearing it enough these days.
Then the chapter veers into a rather incoherent rant against critics of globalization, complete with a litany of torn-from-the-decade-old-headlines examples of violent protests by misguided peasants and anarchists. Did you know that developing nations and protesters are hypocrites and corporations their victims? Poor Nike, etc. I barely paraphrase.
This is about where I threw the book down with disgust, drawing stares from my fellow Southwest passengers.
Dude. Publish your right-wing agendas to your heart's content, but why bother to hide it in a book masquerading as something relevant to the current discussion of food politics? How can this be the same Sarah Murray that apparently blogs about sustainability for the Huffington Post????(less)
Hmm. I'm really interested in the specific history of Chicago here. But I don't think I can put up with the author's moral framework. He makes it all...moreHmm. I'm really interested in the specific history of Chicago here. But I don't think I can put up with the author's moral framework. He makes it all about this supposed trade-off between quality of life and individual freedom. I think that is a false dichotomy, and he doesn't offer any real evidence. "Things were better in the 50s because everyone conformed, too bad that was a rough deal for minorities" just does not do it for me.(less)
Huh. Is it just me, or is this totally unreadable unless you want a specific worldview reinforced? This is pretty out there in the Cult of Vegetariani...moreHuh. Is it just me, or is this totally unreadable unless you want a specific worldview reinforced? This is pretty out there in the Cult of Vegetarianism. This is quite dense, and I'm sure there's some valid history in there. But I do not have the patience to pick through the speculation and spiritual rambling.
Is there a vaguely objective/accessible history out there? Or some type of collection of essays from different vegetarian traditions would be really worthwhile. I'm confused that there isn't more published on this topic.(less)
Linda was right. Way academic. Not exactly dry, but so focused on analyzing "metaphors for urban space" or whatever his lens is that you have to squin...moreLinda was right. Way academic. Not exactly dry, but so focused on analyzing "metaphors for urban space" or whatever his lens is that you have to squint to find actual information! Is it too much to ask for a little history in my history books?(less)
OK, I'm finally going to call it - not going to be finishing this. I actually liked the crazy poem, but immediately lost interest in the meta-literary...moreOK, I'm finally going to call it - not going to be finishing this. I actually liked the crazy poem, but immediately lost interest in the meta-literary plot.(less)
wtf?? This edition has the smallest print I have ever seen in a work of fiction. In particular, the periods are so tiny you can barely see them, and i...morewtf?? This edition has the smallest print I have ever seen in a work of fiction. In particular, the periods are so tiny you can barely see them, and in many places they are MISSING ENTIRELY. Back to the library with you.(less)
Yawn. This is one of those magazine articles someone tried to stretch into a book. I thought it would be worth a skim but it's just a string of locavo...moreYawn. This is one of those magazine articles someone tried to stretch into a book. I thought it would be worth a skim but it's just a string of locavore talking points mired in unconstructive criticism. Nothing you haven't read everywhere else.(less)
Yikes. I can't imagine finer war reporting. But holy crap, I'm going to have PTSD just from the first few chapters. Someone who is made of tougher stu...moreYikes. I can't imagine finer war reporting. But holy crap, I'm going to have PTSD just from the first few chapters. Someone who is made of tougher stuff than me, please read this! (less)
Whoa, I file this under giving-sci-fi-a-bad-name. At first I just found it not my cup of tea. I don't go in for short stories or mythical far future s...moreWhoa, I file this under giving-sci-fi-a-bad-name. At first I just found it not my cup of tea. I don't go in for short stories or mythical far future stuff to begin with. And Smith is so obsessed with moralizing about traditional gender roles it borders on misogyny. But I tried to persevere and finish this for the SF Masterworks group.
Then. Then I got to the story "The Crime and the Glory of Commander Suzdal" which holds the dubious honor of being the most hateful piece of fiction I have ever read. It's literally about GAY MONSTERS FROM SPACE COMING TO GET US. Not even in a metaphorical way. It's... not subtle. So the premise is on some far away planet "femininity became carcinogenic" (!) and thanks to another sci-fi standby, a cold-hearted woman scientist, all the women transgendered into men. Cue B-movie as produced by the Family Research Council.
"Since they did not have the rewards of family life, they became strutting cockerels, who mixed their love with murder, who blended their songs with duels, who sharpened their weapons and who earned the right to reproduce within a strange family system which no decent Earth-man would find comprehensible... The family, as they recalled it, was filth and abomination which they were resolved to wipe out if they should ever meet it."
"Mankind could not meet the terrible people of Arachosia without the people of Arachosia following them home and bringing to mankind a grief greater than grief, a craziness worse than mere insanity, a plague surpassing all imaginable plagues."
Hoooooly crap. I felt dirty just retyping that. This from a man who is widely considered a visionary and master of the genre. I don't want to censor his writing or lessen the inspiration readers have taken from him, but it makes me sad that amidst the rave reviews I couldn't find one single reference or discussion online regarding his gender issues, let alone this virulent homophobia. Scifi community, you're letting me down!(less)
I'm officially bored. On the surface I see all the elements other reviewers have loved - the worldbuilding, the strong characters, the clash of cultur...moreI'm officially bored. On the surface I see all the elements other reviewers have loved - the worldbuilding, the strong characters, the clash of cultures... but it's just not hitting any of my scifi buttons. Too bad, I was excited to read a female author included in the SF Masterworks series.(less)
I can't believe that I'm not loving this book! It's so extremely up my alley and so universally beloved! I think I just want the oral history to stand...moreI can't believe that I'm not loving this book! It's so extremely up my alley and so universally beloved! I think I just want the oral history to stand on its own. Instead it feels a bit weighted down with Wilkerson reminding us of her thesis five times every paragraph. The migration, it was epic, we get it. Imbued with meaning. Transformative. Did I mention epic? (Also, there was lynching. Let's revisit that. Fun times.)(less)
I want to like this book so hard. It has that bluesy introspective title. With matching art, maybe the prettiest Trek cover I've seen. Galanter does h...moreI want to like this book so hard. It has that bluesy introspective title. With matching art, maybe the prettiest Trek cover I've seen. Galanter does have a knack for the crew's voices, but the writing overall comes off as amateur. There's this weird lack of any pacing whatsoever that makes it kind of boring and difficult to follow, despite the apparent BILLIONS OF LIVES HANGING IN THE BALANCE etc. Back to the library.(less)
By p. 7 I can tell you that this is JUST as terrible as you've been led to believe. In the first scene alone, we get references to facebook, texting,...moreBy p. 7 I can tell you that this is JUST as terrible as you've been led to believe. In the first scene alone, we get references to facebook, texting, Beyonce, and Justin Timberlake. Plus a way TMI look at Elizabeth's sex life. Yeek. The only saving grace is a string of flashbacks to good old Sweet Valley high.(less)
This book was really grabbing me, but the INSANE amount of backstory crammed into the beginning started to ring some warning bells... Gah, turns out t...moreThis book was really grabbing me, but the INSANE amount of backstory crammed into the beginning started to ring some warning bells... Gah, turns out that despite being labeled #1 it's actually a follow-up to another trilogy! These modern kids' series are as bad as comic books with their infinite variations and spin-offs! Seriously, I shelve these books for a living and cannot keep them straight. (less)
Loading...
