Daniel > Recent Status Updates

This feels like more atmosphere than plot, though hints of one are beginning to appear. The main character doesn't feel well integrated though. Aside from the flashes of sexuality he mostly reads much younger, though not always. idk.

👍

Hmmm

Can Monopoli change my mind in the remaining 25%... hmmm, we'll see.

not that I hadn't guessed the dumbass was going to pull something like that eventually, but it's still disappointing

Was like 70% expecting Mateo to be a weird little religious figure type who everybody orbited but nobody really knew. That's not the vibe at all so far tho. Enjoying the graffiti parts of the story, it's Fletcher's work life that feels grubby. And again, not a fan of making characters writers. I do think characters are made up of pieces of the author, but I don't wanna read your self insert. At least try to hide it.

When you only recognize a character by the apartment, not their actual name.

This is different than I expected so far. Fletcher gets around, don't he. And I have connected a dot. On account of reading the sequel first. 😏

A few chapters behind on #whale weekly, but I don't care because I refuse to go along with this out of order nonsense.

That last one confused me a bit... Thought I was missing something from not reading Porcupine City first, cuz the delayed explanation. But damn.

why do you hurt me like this, Ben?

don't do it to me again, Monopoli. so many feelings

I don't want any of them to have done it. 😟

Well, I bet he's going to be in the sequel. 😏

Ok, I'm into the "Character" section and it's much more interesting than the meh "Detail" (Flaubert/description) chapters. I guess that makes sense as I've never really understood the problem with "white room" syndrome. Like isn't in the character's internal life that's the point? Who cares what anything looks like.

Kind of a sad tone to this book. Not like standard PI gloomy either. His gayness is the source, not my favorite thing, but I do feel for him. It's not really what I was expecting, but it's still good.

There have been a few moments of mild interest, but so far not seeing what ever past me thought rated 4 stars here. (I didn't and really still don't remember a thing about this book.)

Hope Pat's not the killer. Liking it so far.

Kind of got a hardboiled PI meets country house mystery vibe so far. FYI if anybody's been waiting for the price to drop it's 2.99 on kindle right now.

Melville goes drama mode. 36 gets a bit uncomfortable toward the end, but omg does it have the rhythms. The couple short soliloquy chapters that follow are hard to parse though.

James Wood: The novelist should thank Flaubert for inventing the modern realist style.
[insert sample of same from Sentimental Education]
Me: Takes out notepad, writes 'Flaubert'.
Above that, writes, 'Time Travel Assassination Targets:'

oh, surprise! that was not a secret identity I was expecting 😮

i did not mean to stay up till 2:30. also just bought book 2...

sometimes it's like, wtf? are you stupid? you've had this for ages but you you just kept on not reading it, like a moron.

Me: decides to try and not buy books this month. has bought 18 books this month, cuz sales :/
Also Me: (looking at kindle trying to decide what to read next) wtf are all these books, and why did i buy them?

Ishmael's such a funny little man. I'm glad I decided to do the readalong despite having just read it recently.

free at last!

rippin right along