bookshelves: rock-n--roll
I was not very impressed with this book. The subject matter had a lot of potential, but it seemed to me that both plot and characterization were ignored in favor of shock value and cheap sensationalism. Rather than feeling like a story about family love, no matter how strange that family, it felt far more like exploitation from an author who hadn't done much research on the subject.
The real breaker for me was the deus ex machina of the explosion killing everyone off rather than resolve the growing tension and the climax in the family, nor is the dual plotline of saving her daughter handled well; rather it's all clunky and does not tie in or feel relevant to the earlier story in any way. With a few further drafts and some real plotting, this could have been a far better novel. As it is, it just feels like like an incredibly rough draft that has been hastily written. ]]>
Vanessa
added a quote:
"Do I dare
Disturb the universe?
In a minute there is time
For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse." — T.S. Eliot
"Do I dare
Disturb the universe?
In a minute there is time
For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse." — T.S. Eliot
Vanessa
added a quote:
"Life isn’t divided into genres. It’s a horrifying, romantic, tragic, comical, science-fiction cowboy detective novel. You know, with a bit of pornography if you're lucky." — Alan Moore
"Life isn’t divided into genres. It’s a horrifying, romantic, tragic, comical, science-fiction cowboy detective novel. You know, with a bit of pornography if you're lucky." — Alan Moore
Vanessa
added a quote:
"It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life." — Terry Pratchett
"It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life." — Terry Pratchett
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My name is in this book, so let's be clear about this up front. But I'm proud of the fact that I worked on this book, and that my name is in it. Go forth, creatives, and sell your work. I'm inspired to do my own. See you on Etsy! ]]>
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bookshelves: not-so-guilty-pleasures
Diana is back at some of her best with this book, though I'll say the ending felt a bit rushed after such a wonderful, steady build. Still, the things that disappointed me in A Breath of Snow and Ashes aren't problems so much here. Mostly she operated on far too many things she's done in the past, but this book drives us toward the inevitable conclusion, sometimes breathlessly, so, and now I'm forced to endure another three or four years of waiting for the next.
Gabaldon's strengths as a writer lie in her ability to weave together a world so rich that I feel transported there. Even at her worst, she is better than 90% of active writers, and in Echo she is far from her worst. And she never fails to leave me both heartbroken for her characters, and wanting more. ]]>
bookshelves: rock-n--roll
The book is interesting, and as a pseudo wannabe academic, I loved the format and layout of the stories, but there were times when I just wanted the narrator/author to get on with telling the story, already. There are times when the construct feels a bit too transparent, though I'm willing to give the author the benefit of the doubt-- after all, for a book about a house that gets bigger and shifts and changes on the inside, the whole thing really is about shifting perceptions and unstable construction.
In a lot of ways, it's a brilliant piece of work, but I'm a bit of a traditionalist in that I believe the story is still the most important thing, and that is often weak and not all that original; plus, it's hard to get into the meat of the story and to empathize with Johnny or any of the other characters; the story holds its distance. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I'm an emotional reader, so for me, the artifice and being held at arm's length isn't always a good thing.
Still, from a purely cerebral standpoint, it's definitely a worthwhile read. ]]>