Daniel > Recent Status Updates

always kind of in awe at writers who stop scenes in places I could never leave them. stuff you know's gonna have consequences, but they just skip over it. also: ENRAGED that my library doesn't have Acker's other book.

that plot step felt a little matter of fact. no planning or anything, just does it. there was a time gap so maybe off screen planning. idk. just something a bit odd about it from a storytelling perspective, imo. still, this is amazing

had this from the library, but it's $2 so i own it now.

not sure what actually happened in that scene, but something about the voice, the humor here is just really working for me. loving this 😁

ok, first demerit: neglecting to mention one of the secondary chars we've met a few times already is black and fat until 18%. still, some grade A banter in this book. can't imagine this isn't gonna get an easy 5 ⭐ when it's done

this is REALLY good :)

impressive opening

First piece is a transcription of a recorded lecture and were this book not printed in 1984 I'd blame some kind of computer error for "Certain writers of the cloaca-and-dagger school" on page 14 and wonder how that got by the editor. Then again, Macdonald was a birdwatcher...

I'm not sure this structure is doing the book any favors, and so far my most memorable takeaway is Sol Stein was a CIA propagandist, a tidbit which I don't remember coming across before.

Not loving this wave of strangers liking a random old review of mine for an obscure book that certainly didn't have enough likes to be on the first page before. WTF?

Feel like I should be reading this during wildfire season.

Reading this knowing what went on with Millar's (Macdonald's) daughter is just kinda... wow

This book is fantastic.
Random quote: The walls were lined with books, many of them in foreign languages, like insulation against the immediate present.
He doesn't do try to do this every page. His early work was clearly trying too hard, but later Ross Macd is perfect. (The very last books you can see the decline sadly.)

after the first time I read this I ran out and bought everything else Ross Macdonald ever wrote, and damnit I'd do it again. So good.

Gotta say, learning about lost novels you'll never get to read is a bit of a downside to literary biographies.

i wish this was a little more precise about when certain things happened, but it is engaging enough for me so far.

back to the Baldwin bio

it happened again! the horror!

hmmmmm

finally, getting some dirt. not all of it, for sure

pro tip: make sure your metaphors can't be read as literal

The last bit's been interesting. At the rate I'm going though, I guess I better hurry if I'm gonna finish it before it's due back.

ok, at least something's happening now

ok, i like the priest better, but after one short chapter of him, it looks like we're back to the awful beatriz for nearly 100 pages before we get the priest again. :(

not really feeling this. the writing, which is what I wanted to try this author for, is fine, but I don't like the fmc at all. sure, her backstory explains why she is the way she is, i guess, but I don't like her. different pov in the next chapter, so I'll keep at it for a while, see if it improves

Enjoying this more than the novel I'm reading, so far.

So far I am on team evil house. Definitely not on the editor's side after seeing "an hacienda". Perhaps I'm meant to read on in fear of seeing it repeated?

Ha!