Dave J. > Recent Status Updates

Just about done. Despite some issues with the writing, this is a decent horror thriller. But Jones really dropped the ball at the end. He pulls a certain idea out of thin air and uses it as a convenient way to solve a core conflict. Very disappointing. Etsy's peculiar, teen angsty journal entries as framework aren't really effective, either. The book would be stronger without them.

Strong start, liking the setup and premise. Effective use of shadows in the art. Onto Issue #3 :)

Whew, finally reached Book Seven. Lattimore's translation is grand, lyrical and sweeping; the spitting image of "epic." The writing is akin to the more beautiful-sounding parts of the King James Bible (and not nearly as didactic). I tried reading Fagles' version (more modern but also great) and Pope's version (not so great -- his heroic couplets seem out of place), but I like Lattimore's the most.

Story's starting to get a bit long in the tooth (no pun intended). The preacher character's penchant for wordy, lengthy asides is causing me to enjoy the book less. I get that this is intentional, but it's a real immersion breaker.

"I wanted to go back to those days. I hadn't watched them with the right eyes, when they were happening."

Tragic end to the chapter. I like how the world feels vastly different depending on the journal entry. The writing is dense but not to the point where it keeps me from enjoying the book.

Completely forgot I was gifted this years ago. I was looking for The Divine Comedy but instead found this in my pile. Well, I'm in the mood for a light and funny book, so I guess I was looking for this, too.

Final stretch. Been a fun journey. I wrote some notes and intended to put them here, but then I realized I had a short review on my hands. I'll post it tomorrow.