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http://tinyurl.com/75kqs24
Definitely popcorn fare. But satisfying popcorn fare.
What I like the most about it is that Berg doesn't make it too fairy-tale. The dragons? They're angry, hateful, horrible beasts, caught in a web they haven't been able to ...morehttp://tinyurl.com/75kqs24
Definitely popcorn fare. But satisfying popcorn fare.
What I like the most about it is that Berg doesn't make it too fairy-tale. The dragons? They're angry, hateful, horrible beasts, caught in a web they haven't been able to escape from, but still not cuddly monsters by any stretch of the imagination. Her protagonists are extremely flawed people, and she changes up their allegiances, hopes and dreams at almost every step of the way. That's what keeps it interesting to read. She may not be the most skilled fantasy writer in the world, but she knew how to create this story and create it well. I enjoyed it for precisely what it was.(less)
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http://tinyurl.com/7ys4r2n
I felt nothing special about this book when I started it, and for about halfway through it. It seemed an intriguing tale about somebody with a completely unique "illness" that no one understood, and while I recognized that t...morehttp://tinyurl.com/7ys4r2n
I felt nothing special about this book when I started it, and for about halfway through it. It seemed an intriguing tale about somebody with a completely unique "illness" that no one understood, and while I recognized that the surrounding passages were describing the impact of someone with a strange disease, and how this affects those around the person, I didn't see it as more than a tale of that. Until I hit about the 2/3 mark.
At this point, the book changes rather dramatically, and without giving anything away, it's safe to say here that its focus is completely altered. Instead of talking about how illness affects the body, Ferris starts talking about how illness affects the spirit. The unexplainable nature of this particular illness is not as important, then, as it was in the beginning of the tale.
This makes the last 1/3 of the book the strongest part of the story. To some degree, however, I feel that Ferris wasn't entirely sure how to handle this change, and the supporting characters around our main character lose clarity and seem to be around merely to guide the timeline. This is unfortunate; I think Ferris could have pulled off something truly spectacular if he'd had a better idea of what to do at this juncture.
Of course, this doesn't mean the book is not worth a read. I consider it one of the best books I've read in the past 6 months.(less)
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http://tinyurl.com/7am9hro
This is probably not a book you should read in many, many, itty, bitty sittings. In other words, don't make it a bedstand book. It's short, and can be read in one afternoon without any trouble.
This being a classic, I'm w...morehttp://tinyurl.com/7am9hro
This is probably not a book you should read in many, many, itty, bitty sittings. In other words, don't make it a bedstand book. It's short, and can be read in one afternoon without any trouble.
This being a classic, I'm wary of saying anything at all about it that hasn't been said a million times by everyone, especially by much smarter people than myself. So, maybe just some general feelings instead.
* The writing is gorgeous, especially his descriptions of places. I especially loved his description of the lawn outside Gatsby's house and how it creeped up to the house itself. What a bizarre and moving way to describe a lawn!
* He is also a master of describing the elements of a scene in as few words as possible, while at the same time providing enough words to give you a completely full picture of that scene. Is there anyone else who has ever achieved that?
* The story is really just a noir on the face of it. I know there's a ton of symbolism under that face, but I am usually pretty bad at recognizing these even when they're thrown in my face, so I won't pretend to tease that all out.
* The last few pages felt to me like a clue to Fitzgerald's thoughts on American culture, and the divide between East and West, which harkened back to the rest of the book, but made you try to re-evaluate the entire book after you set it down. I have ambivalent feelings about that kind of novelistic approach.
* If nothing else, the book really makes you hate rich people. Or at least, rich, amoral people.(less)
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http://tinyurl.com/6qx9kx7
This is by far one of the best science-fiction stories I have ever read. In fact, if Scalzi does this well with novellas, all his books should be this length. At least all his books that have one very vital thing to say abou...morehttp://tinyurl.com/6qx9kx7
This is by far one of the best science-fiction stories I have ever read. In fact, if Scalzi does this well with novellas, all his books should be this length. At least all his books that have one very vital thing to say about our culture and our path forward.
I don't want to say much more about it. I fondly hope that those who are a) already sci-fi fans and b) haven't read it, will seek it out and devour it as I did. I will say three things, though. 1) it is not what it seems it will be 2) the subject matter takes a detour you are likely not to expect and 3) it is a thoughtful review of one of the deepest divides in our society and societies around the world.(less)
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http://tinyurl.com/7q25vys
It is true that I never read this classic in high school (I think we were the Jane Eyre class instead). I will never stop wondering how I would have felt about it if I had read it then as opposed to now.
(Note: I am not readi...morehttp://tinyurl.com/7q25vys
It is true that I never read this classic in high school (I think we were the Jane Eyre class instead). I will never stop wondering how I would have felt about it if I had read it then as opposed to now.
(Note: I am not reading any commentary on the novel before writing this. On the other hand, that is something I will definitely do before book club.)
It is clearly a clever person's writing. Not even because of its structure, which is a story within a story (within a story, in parts). But for its time, and not forgetting that it was written more than 30 years after Pride and Prejudice, the writing style is exactly what I expected: verbose, formal, passionate. What it is that I was NOT expecting was the gothic horror play that pervades it.
Really. I knew nothing about this book, and had never watched any adaptation on film or TV. I thought it would be dreamy, that the characters would be unforgivable or misguided or awful to each other (but of course, oh so formally) and then everyone would be redeemed through a series of experiences and events that unfold as the story continues. Not even remotely the case here! I am more than eager to find out what history knows of Emily Brontë's life, because it must have been a desperately troubled, and perhaps abusive, one. How else would she be able to drag such hatred of humankind from her characters?
Yes, yes, there's a love story. But it is so deeply hidden for most of the book that it sank into the mire for me, and I forgot it. And ended up having to focus on horrible, nasty, no-good people. Blech. I appreciate the writing, but I am not enamored of the tale.(less)
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http://tinyurl.com/7k32wrt
I was going to write that I couldn't be more conflicted about this book, but then I realized that I only had one positive thing to say about it.
Negative #1: The writing. It should be obvious within a few pages that this is a...morehttp://tinyurl.com/7k32wrt
I was going to write that I couldn't be more conflicted about this book, but then I realized that I only had one positive thing to say about it.
Negative #1: The writing. It should be obvious within a few pages that this is a poet writing a novel. The problem with a poet writing a novel is that these are two different art forms. I think it's likely extremely difficult to move from one art form to the other, and this book is evidence of that. The flowery descriptive language is beautiful in and of itself, and it does match the story as it evolves but...
Negative #2: ...the plot is ridiculous. Not the foster homes part; I am certain that is as awful in real life as it is here. But when your protagonist, at barely 14 years of age, becomes, without a word of warning, a sultry, confident seductress, all believability in the character flew out the window. Plus there's the dog attack scene. And the whore next door. I mean, really.
Positive #Only: However, her mother is gorgeously drawn. You admire her and hate her and wonder at her sanity and all these conflicting feelings can only come as written from a daughter's perspective. If you read interviews with Janet Fitch, she makes it obvious that this is the only thing she did not make up in this novel. No wonder it rings with truth.(less)
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" Having written that, I want to add a caveat. I lurve this book because it's classic Clarke, in that everybody says and does all the right things at al...moreHaving written that, I want to add a caveat. I lurve this book because it's classic Clarke, in that everybody says and does all the right things at all the appropriate times. They are all way cleverer than they have a right to be. Discussions are interspersed with scientific meanderings, but always interesting ones. And last, but not least, when there's trouble, there's always, and I mean always, a scientifically interesting way to get out of it. I think RwR is one of the best examples of him doing this, which is why it's one of my faves. BUT, I think the plotting itself leaves much to be desired. There, now I've said my peace/piece. :)(less)"
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