What a wonderfully idiosyncratic portrait of an eccentric, idealistic, somewhat misanthropic but also compassionate elderly Polish woman who lives in What a wonderfully idiosyncratic portrait of an eccentric, idealistic, somewhat misanthropic but also compassionate elderly Polish woman who lives in a tiny cabin in the woods. Filled with Theories and riddled by Ailments (her use of the capitalization of such words is one of the many delights in this book), her first-person voice is one of the most original and compelling voices I’ve had the pleasure to read.
A profound, wicked, and poetic little book, this is the first work by the Nobel Laureate Olga Takarczuk I’ve read, and it won’t be the last. ...more
This novel is gloriously absorbing, deeply honest, vividly evocative, and packed with startling, moving, transcendent moments. It’s also incredibly geThis novel is gloriously absorbing, deeply honest, vividly evocative, and packed with startling, moving, transcendent moments. It’s also incredibly generous: full of life and ideas and characters, and it shines a light on the kinds of immigrant experiences that many people live through, but which are so rarely captured in our literature. I will definitely be seeking out her other work. Very grateful to have read this. ...more
It’s difficult for me to be as objective about this book as I otherwise might be; my own experiences in coming forward with my story created an indeliIt’s difficult for me to be as objective about this book as I otherwise might be; my own experiences in coming forward with my story created an indelibly powerful, deeply resonating connection with so many moments contained here. I had to take many pauses throughout, as I became overwhelmed by what the women Farrow writes about shared in their painfully traumatic stories. It wasn’t just the pain of their stories that overwhelmed me; it was the recognition of the incredible courage they displayed in coming forward, and how much I — and so many others — owe them for the transformations in our world that have resulted.
I’m also in awe of the frankness and candor with which Farrow shares in these pages his very personal journey throughout the arduous process of investigating the Weinstein story; his accounts of his failures to be a better ally to his sister Dylan are especially moving.
The world is a different place than it was just a handful of years ago, in so small part because of the work Ronan Farrow and other reporters did to amplify and support the voices of women who were harmed by powerful men, their voices silenced by lawyers and institutions and espionage agents and corrupt journalists, with coverups aided and abetted by too many people, over too many years. This book is a vividly harrowing document of the hard, tenuous, and exhausting work involved in bringing to the light those stories. I’m grateful to have read it....more
This is a dense, fascinating, strange exploration of diplomacy and otherness and culture clash that is packed to the gills with ideas and richly-conceThis is a dense, fascinating, strange exploration of diplomacy and otherness and culture clash that is packed to the gills with ideas and richly-conceived details. It is alternately vividly entertaining & somewhat obtuse, but I found myself more or less swept along the whole way. There is a tremendous amount that happens to the protagonist of this tale, and I can’t say that the cumulative emotional and physical effects of her jam packed adventures — some of which are downright traumatic — are always convincingly drawn. And there are probably a few too many words and phrases in italics throughout this novel, which seems to be a particular quirk of Martine’s, but that’s a relatively minor quibble.
This was one of the most celebrated SFF novels of 2019, and I can see why; it’s ambitious, confident, bold, and adventurous, much like its intrepid heroine, the naive but courageous ambassador sent into the middle of an empire on a very difficult assignment. I can also see why some of my bookworm friends weren’t as fond of it as I am; there’s something a bit distancing in the style Martine has used. But overall I’m impressed, and I will definitely continue reading this saga as its future volumes are released. ...more
This book was utter trash from beginning to end. Irredeemable hot garbage. I will never for the life of me understand how it has over 300k ratings herThis book was utter trash from beginning to end. Irredeemable hot garbage. I will never for the life of me understand how it has over 300k ratings here on Goodreads with an average over 4.
I had been hoping for a cheesy, enjoyable page turner, and I got a steaming pile of nonsense. It is without a doubt the worst book I have ever read.
Among its many sins are the frequent one-sentence paragraphs strewn throughout.
Like the one above.
And this one.
I can’t even begin to describe in a way that would do it justice the ridiculousness of plot, of characters’ behavior, of leaps of logic, of terrible similes.
I regret reading this book.
So much.
It was terrible.
One-sentence paragraphs are a crime against good taste.
This sequel is a fascinating continuation of the richly conceived story begun in Ada Palmer’s masterfully written Too Like the Lightning. It doesn’t aThis sequel is a fascinating continuation of the richly conceived story begun in Ada Palmer’s masterfully written Too Like the Lightning. It doesn’t achieve the exhilarating heights of its predecessor, in large part because the voice of its narrator, Mycroft Canner, feels somehow more muted and somber here than it did in the first novel.
Palmer is wrestling with huge ideas in these books, for which I admire her greatly. I will definitely continue reading the final two novels in this 4-part future history. ...more
Marlon James has written a wild fever dream of a novel that builds off of traditions of fantasy — a hero, a quest, a fellowship, vengeance, magic, swoMarlon James has written a wild fever dream of a novel that builds off of traditions of fantasy — a hero, a quest, a fellowship, vengeance, magic, swordplay, romance — and twists them up into something far more brutal — almost hallucinatory in its violence, incredibly heady with its depiction of sex. And yet it’s also pulsing with life and heart and love and longing, and peppered throughout with dialogue that is witty, engaging, and wholly original.
I’ve read quite a few contemporary fantasy novels that break from the typical European medieval setting, with all of its tropes, but have too often felt let down by the authors’ inability to shore up their world building with believable, interesting characters, beautiful writing, and a meaningful plot. N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth Trilogy succeeded, and China Miéville’s Perdido Street Station, and now happily I can say Marlon James’s Black Leopard, Red Wolf has as well. He uses African folklore and mythology as a basis for his vision, a vision he then explodes out into a wonderfully complex, evocative, dark, enthralling adventure.
This book won’t be for everyone. It’s excessive and intense and very violent, but for me it just works, and I’m grateful to have read it. ...more
This is a trenchant, intelligent, clever, and deeply moral examination of the madness that lies at the heart of the threat of nuclear war. Written in This is a trenchant, intelligent, clever, and deeply moral examination of the madness that lies at the heart of the threat of nuclear war. Written in the mid-80’s, when the long Cold War was on its last legs, reading it now is a sort of time capsule experience, but a satisfying and provocative one nonetheless. Morrow isn’t quite as brilliant and compulsively readable as Vonnegut at his best, but he displays excellent and thoughtful craftsmanship, and a rare gift for satire that truly bites.
My reading of this was slower than it might otherwise have been due to a very busy work schedule; the unusually long time I took to complete it is not reflective of its quality. ...more
This novel is filled with vividly rendered scenes and moments, snapshots that capture the complex, beautiful, and ugly ways in wFascinating and poetic
This novel is filled with vividly rendered scenes and moments, snapshots that capture the complex, beautiful, and ugly ways in which we are connected to the people who are closest to us. The narrator is grappling with the means to make sense of his life, to parse the hatred and love he feels for his mother, who brought him to the United States from Vietnam when he was a baby.
At times, the grappling of the narrator (who may or may not be a direct stand-in for the author Ocean Vuong) leads to a bit too much of a reach in the writing itself; certain metaphors feel clunky, and a perfectly rendered, delicately bittersweet scene sometimes dissolves into too much abstraction. But there’s an undeniable ache in this brief but richly detailed novel, and I very much appreciate how much heart infuses it, even when, sometimes, its words overwhelm the sense of what it’s trying to say....more
I appreciate so very much the wellspring of generational trauma and history that animates the themes and imagined beings and creatures in this novel, I appreciate so very much the wellspring of generational trauma and history that animates the themes and imagined beings and creatures in this novel, but I wish that Heath Justice had received more copious and diligent editing in bringing his vision to life. I think it’s deeply inspired of Heath Justice to find a vivid, fantastical path for refracting the legacy of the decimation and degradation of Native Americans at the hands of their white oppressors; the Trail of Tears in particular receives a thoroughly upsetting and harrowing treatment here. And I feel the pride and love he clearly has for the indomitable spirit of so many of the characters he’s created. If he had found a more economical means of telling his richly conceived tale, and if he had a better handle on pacing and dramatic tension, I would have been completely swept away.
As it stands, though, I’m glad to have spent time in the world he created, and I hope he continues to ply his craft, since he has so very many promising ideas. ...more
I’m a very big fan of Nalo Hopkinson, having absolutely loved her novel Midnight Robber, and having enjoyed many of her stories in her collection SkinI’m a very big fan of Nalo Hopkinson, having absolutely loved her novel Midnight Robber, and having enjoyed many of her stories in her collection Skin Folk. This novel, her first, featured some of her best qualities: a vividly alive sense of place and culture, and a welcome willingness to blend the mundane with the fantastical. But overall, I couldn’t help but feel that it was a first novel, lacking some of the confidence that was on display in her other work; there was a tendency she seemed to have here of over-explaining emotional beats and story logic. And the plot felt less fully-realized than it could have been, instead becoming a series of unfortunate events.
I will still seek out more of her work, but I would recommend Midnight Robber before I would recommend this novel. ...more
This is a warm 3-star rating, as opposed to an annoyed or disappointed 3-star rating. There is much to enjoy in this novella: an imaginative take on aThis is a warm 3-star rating, as opposed to an annoyed or disappointed 3-star rating. There is much to enjoy in this novella: an imaginative take on an alternate-history, steampunk New Orleans; sparky, dialect-infused dialogue; and a fun, propulsive plot. It just ultimately feels a little thin in the end, and while aspects of the first-person voice work, I didn’t always buy it as being as authentic to the character as it could be. Still, I will happily seek out other work by P. Djèli Clark, as he’s clearly a writer of ambition, and brings to bear a refreshing approach to SFF literature. ...more
This started out in a promising fashion, with a welcome tone of jaunty adventuring, enhanced by the presence of two winning, enjoyable main charactersThis started out in a promising fashion, with a welcome tone of jaunty adventuring, enhanced by the presence of two winning, enjoyable main characters. But as it wore on, the pace got more and more sluggish, and the plot devolved into confusing court intrigue, with an anticlimactic ending and a “to be continued...” message on the final page.
While I appreciate aspects of this work, especially the charm and authentic feel of the aforementioned two main characters, I don’t anticipate continuing on with their story, unless I can be assured that the later entires improve significantly. ...more
This was, in many ways, a very powerful reading experience, and in others it very slightly missed the mark. I admire greatly Colson Whitehead’s ambitiThis was, in many ways, a very powerful reading experience, and in others it very slightly missed the mark. I admire greatly Colson Whitehead’s ambitious approach to distilling the monumental, tragic, disastrous history and legacy of slavery in America, and many scenes and moments are vividly and painfully rendered. It’s difficult to put my finger on exactly what keeps his approach from being wholly successful, but perhaps it’s the sense that the individual episodes of Cora’s adventures don’t always feel connected to what came before.
Still, the activity of bearing witness to the perseverance and degradation and trauma of Cora and her fellow slaves and former slaves, feels ever necessary and vital. And Whitehead’s prose has a welcome, brutal simplicity and poetry that never lays it on too thickly.
A wonderfully imagined, complex, deeply felt book....more
I have rarely been so moved by a book as I was by this one. Written in a wonderfully lucid, accessible, open-hearted manner, it powerfully evokes in iI have rarely been so moved by a book as I was by this one. Written in a wonderfully lucid, accessible, open-hearted manner, it powerfully evokes in its twin stories a past and present that are complex, mournful, alive, and immediate. This novel is a beautifully generous testament to the necessity and power of bearing witness, of leaning into the moment that’s before us, and of forgiving ourselves when we inevitably mess it all up.
This book came highly recommended, and highly acclaimed, and early on, for the first third or so, I found many aspects of iWell, I finished. Finally.
This book came highly recommended, and highly acclaimed, and early on, for the first third or so, I found many aspects of it compelling, but I also was haunted by a feeling of shallowness. It reached its apex, for me, in a sequence that I found intensely moving, in which Jude allows his life to be changed by Harold. This sequence was emotionally rich, grounded, keenly observed, and complex. And earned.
And then the book just continued to reveal itself, to me, as a sham. I stopped believing in the behaviors of its characters, I saw ever more clearly that none of these characters had a distinctive voice, and the piling-on of tragic circumstances besetting Jude just felt numblingly and melodramatically improbable and, ultimately, prurient.
I trudged and trudged my way through it, and, I guess, I feel a sort of relief at finishing it. I had been warned it was heavy, and sad. I don’t mind heavy and sad books. In fact, some of my favorite novels of all time are intensely heavy and sad. What I do mind is an inauthentic rendering of heaviness and sadness, and lazy writing, and unearned drama. And this novel is terribly guilty of all of those things.
I’m pretty much in the minority, here, since this novel features more 5-star ratings among my Goodreads friends than probably any other novel I’ve read. But it’s how I feel. If anything, this novel demonstrates to me what not to do if I ever endeavor to write one of my own, and for that I can be grateful....more
Just wonderful. A beautiful, delightful, keenly observed portrait of a brilliant, awkward, deeply courageous teenaged Welsh girl who knows a lot aboutJust wonderful. A beautiful, delightful, keenly observed portrait of a brilliant, awkward, deeply courageous teenaged Welsh girl who knows a lot about SFF literature and even more about magic and what it means to be alive. This was my first Jo Walton book and it won’t be my last. ...more
This is a mildly diverting tale that spins its wheels with world building and exposition a bit too much. I respect Novik’s singularity of vision, and This is a mildly diverting tale that spins its wheels with world building and exposition a bit too much. I respect Novik’s singularity of vision, and the assured manner in which she convincingly pulls off the tone and vernacular of the dragon-rich alternate history in which this is set, but I craved a much more urgently charged engine to drive this story forward. The few action set pieces are well done, clear, and involving, and the central relationship between Laurence and Temeraire is endearing. But there’s not nearly enough of a rich meal here to persuade me to continue on with the series. ...more
David Mitchell has written a profoundly impressive mosaic novel, the 7 distinct stories of which display an almost unimaginably diverse range of tone,David Mitchell has written a profoundly impressive mosaic novel, the 7 distinct stories of which display an almost unimaginably diverse range of tone, style, approach, and narrative voice. Ultimately, though, it is a tough novel for me to fall all the way in love with. While its breadth and scope are born out of a compelling and urgent exploration of important themes — the dangers of colonialism, authoritarianism, corporatism, eugenics, class structures, and war (to name a few) — I can’t help but shake the feeling as I was reading this of being privy to a very talented craftsman conducting an elaborate, flashy, showy, enjoyable exercise. The moments when I really felt for and with the characters’ inner lives were too few and far between for me to ever be completely swept away by their exploits.
I’m glad to have read it, and I remain deeply impressed by how skilled Mitchell is at having pulled off such an unlikely feat. I’d love to see him drop more deeply into his character’s hearts in his other work, though. ...more
Loading...
