A heavy, haunting, and beautiful read. Writing sharply divided between poetry and prose, it still catches the reader off guard, lost between both. WriA heavy, haunting, and beautiful read. Writing sharply divided between poetry and prose, it still catches the reader off guard, lost between both. Written in many voices, fonts, styles, and dimensions, the genres of horror, love, academia, poetry, and autobiographical all compete for this book's shelf.
A difficult read, emotionally, mentally, and physically. Unavailable in electronic form, the heavyweight of this book depresses the reader. The dark tones and manic narration further dig the reader deeper. Similar to the author's predicament, the only way out is to finish.
Some readers will find it too much and give up; others will find it too much and continue. This book is not for them. Then there will be those who relish every word, lost in the haze of its pages. This book is not for them. This book is not for you.
I do not recommend this book to anyone, but it is absolutely worth reading....more
A beautiful example of rethinking old ideas to form a story that feels both original and authentic. What emerges is a fictional biography with a themeA beautiful example of rethinking old ideas to form a story that feels both original and authentic. What emerges is a fictional biography with a theme of "be careful what you wish for". The story spans centuries; French historical fiction intertwined with a contemporary New York narrative, all following one life's events.
Addie has promised her soul to gain freedom from her peasant life, a life where she has no say in who she is to marry, where she is to live, or what she is to do. In doing so, she has unwittingly become free of the world. Losing the ability to leave any marks or be remembered, except by the Devil...
What follows is a lonely 300 year-long journey of her struggle to keep finding a reason to live. In a life without her name, anyone to love, or anything to leave behind, she turns to art as her refuge, becoming a muse. But the Devil wants her soul, and the story cannot be so simple.
A haunting book. Superficial in concept but deep in execution. Examining themes of loneliness, mental health, and philosophical ideas on living. Written in a poignant, poetic, but beautiful demeanor, highly recommend. ...more
This book is a poignant exploration of all the darker shades of gray that emerge in wartime, told through the stories of two sisters. The author's wriThis book is a poignant exploration of all the darker shades of gray that emerge in wartime, told through the stories of two sisters. The author's writing is beautiful, poetically describing their bleak life from war-ravaged Paris to the occupied French countryside. Small, sorrowful details complete the immersion of the reader into this regrettable world, slowly unwrapping a mystery introduced in the first chapter. Their experiences with casual brutality, painful indifference, and so much suffering are difficult to read, but hard to stop, the writing too compelling. Highly recommend to all, especially readers of historical fiction. Excellent audiobook too....more
A mosaic of richly colorful and textured tiles; each small piece a detail with its own tale, all together forming the story of a family.
Told as a shiA mosaic of richly colorful and textured tiles; each small piece a detail with its own tale, all together forming the story of a family.
Told as a shifting perspective of an immigrant family in America. It begins with the father's tragic past, followed by the mother set to marry a man she has never met, finally settling on their son. Gogol, navigates life as a first-generation American. Choosing to adopt the American culture as his own, he's constantly reminded of his family's culture by his obscure name.
The character's thoughts and emotions are exquisitely presented. The narration from one person's view to another's is seamless and refreshing. The story spans decades, but the writing is so smooth it flows quickly. Highly recommend to asian immigrants, as a few of the small intricate details will resonate strongly. Highly recommend to others to enjoy a beautifully told story.
Quotes:
"Like a kiss or caress in a Hindi movie, a husband’s name is something intimate and therefore unspoken, cleverly patched over."
"The news of these deaths never gets lost in the mail as other letters do. Somehow, bad news, however ridden with static, however filled with echoes, always manages to be conveyed."
"...he can understand his mother tongue, and speak it fluently, he cannot read or write it with even modest proficiency."
With skillful enough authors, the black and white on the paper can mix into color. This book, a correspondence of letters between enemies on the frontWith skillful enough authors, the black and white on the paper can mix into color. This book, a correspondence of letters between enemies on the frontline of a time war, is best described as experimental fiction. Unfocused, confusing, and challenging to read, the experience is still rewarding and satisfying. The letters blur the lines between poetry, prose, and insanity. Wartime romance tropes are present, but only as incidental symbolism, barely noticeable. Seldom giving hints about the world the protagonists live in, the narrative focuses more on the purple thread that connects the main character Red and Blue.
Experimental, Romanic, Hard Science Fiction; not for casual reading, but can be read casually.
Highly recommend for readers looking for original, provocative, cerebral literature. Highly discourage others. ...more
One beautifully written and poignant story about a lonely little girl, trying to survive in the marsh wilderness. One starkly contrasting, but enthralOne beautifully written and poignant story about a lonely little girl, trying to survive in the marsh wilderness. One starkly contrasting, but enthralling story about a murder investigation over a body found in the marsh.
These stories together, tell an engrossing tale about the ecosystem of marshlands, the tragic lives of those abandon, and learning to trust in one's self and others.
A very emotional narration about a (fictional) teen's decision to end her life. That said, it's also a great story, and keeps the reader very engaged.A very emotional narration about a (fictional) teen's decision to end her life. That said, it's also a great story, and keeps the reader very engaged. The topics discussed are all the stereotypical high school problems normal to this genre, but they do find their extremes in sexual assault and suicide. This is young adult fiction, however most adults will also find this book relatable when looking back on their past.
Rarely do I find a book adaptation better than the book, but in this case, I felt the Netflix's show based off this book is better. It does a better job with characterization and storytelling, and it incorporates today's technology. Highly recommend this book, but support the show over the book. Highly recommend reading/watching with somebody else. ...more
These are well-written stories that will no doubt resonate with a certain type of reader. However, none of them resonated with me; well written as theThese are well-written stories that will no doubt resonate with a certain type of reader. However, none of them resonated with me; well written as they are, they're bad stories. This is because the experiences the protagonist go through don't change them. They just experience something, and then the prompt abruptly ends. The character isn't changed, and nothing of value is learned. That's unfortunate as most the characters are self-absorbed, petty, mean, banal, or any pick of mediocre adjectives. No story stood out to me as much better or worse than the others. The themes and messages of some of the stories are unsettling or very stereotypical; in no particular order, here are a few: - Rape isn't a big deal; you can just move on like nothing happened - Gay males are a girl's best friend, and they are fashion experts - Cheating on your partner is okay if you're in love with the other person - Material possessions can and should define you
Additionally, the representation of men in this book is extremely unfavorable. Almost every story depicts straight men in a negative light (cheaters, careless heartbreakers, meanies, or even radical muslim extremist... seriously).
The type of reader who will enjoy these stories might be: - the misguided feminist - the "I'm done with men" girl (recently single) - the "cheating is okay if you are in love or if it feels like destiny" person
I don't recommend this book to most, but had to give it three stars because it's very well written and does have some great lines in it, my favorite being:
"There’s something terribly sad about a very young girl sobbing on the street without restraint. You just know she must have a broken heart."
If you think you can read objectively without getting tricked by the non-plight of the protagonist, it might be worth a read for some of the brilliant prose. ...more
These stories are metaphorical extremes of the trials a lot of guys go through when playing the dating game. The thirty or so stories are unique... buThese stories are metaphorical extremes of the trials a lot of guys go through when playing the dating game. The thirty or so stories are unique... but about subjects that are so commonplace they are relatable. The stories are written by an average male, so his stories are biased as such. If you are rich, famous, a model, or a woman, you likely won't find this book as funny. You might instead find it melodramatic or a little pitiful because you've never had these problems in your life; enjoy having and eating your cake.
If you are an average single male who's desperately in search of companionship (see: sex), and have gone through the right of passage of online dating known as being "catfished". Or had a date roll her eyes when she first saw the car you drove or watch you wore. Or been dumped for inexplicable reasons for somebody as bad as Hilter and don't understand why... you'll likely relate to this book. It's not all sad stories twisted to be funny; some are just sad, some are just funny, and some are just twisted. It's a fun book, making light of a subject that needs more humor in it. This book reminds its readers how absurd the things we take seriously really can be....more
It is not often that a fictional book can explain philosophy better than works on philosophy; it does so here. What philosophy exactly? I'm not sure..It is not often that a fictional book can explain philosophy better than works on philosophy; it does so here. What philosophy exactly? I'm not sure... the book deals with the topics of "heaviness" and "lightness" as applied to love, politics, and the general disposition of the human being. However, the character development of the novel's protagonist is so superbly melancholy, the philosophy only hits you later.
The writing is in a class by itself. Ideas, sayings, or passages are repeated (often verbatim) many times throughout the book, and instead of being superfluous, they are essential for both character development and the reader's understanding. The slightly anachronistic style events are narrated in seems odd, but works so well with the shifting perspectives of the protagonists.
I listened to the English version of this book (translated from Czech). Great, but sobering, book. ...more
It's short story, so here's a short review: It's good; great, if you like any of Chuck's work. It's short story, so here's a short review: It's good; great, if you like any of Chuck's work. ...more
This book is not for the causal reader; it takes place in a world where taboo does not exist, moral absolutist should stay away. The themes this book This book is not for the causal reader; it takes place in a world where taboo does not exist, moral absolutist should stay away. The themes this book explores are so diverse, the word that comes to mind is "cacophony"; how else would the topics of artificial intelligence, sadomasochism, and Asimov's laws of robotics come together? Surprisingly well. This book is as much science fiction as it is fantasy, and the philosophical questions it brings up will probably need to be addressed at some point in our society as we keep moving forward towards a technological singularity. Elements of this story definitely pay homage to classic science fiction, dystopian, and dark fantasy novels, but it remains very original. The ideas explored are challenging, but the narration is not. Highly recommend this book to those looking to challenge themselves by reading something completely outside of their normal reading habits.
Why would such a tragic story be called "Laughter in the Dark". It seems to be contradictory when you consider that laughter is associated with positiWhy would such a tragic story be called "Laughter in the Dark". It seems to be contradictory when you consider that laughter is associated with positive emotions. Maybe laughter should be associated with all emotions, not just the favorable. It could be said that laughter is just a response to too much of one emotion for a person to comprehend, be it joy, anger, anxiousness, or sorrow. So maybe this uncontrollable response is just a sign of a temporary state of insanity. If so, Nabokov expertly explores the form of laughter that is derived from despair, and the insanity it causes. In the first paragraph of the novel, the entire story is revealed. However as our narrator says "...although there is plenty of space on a gravestone to contain, bound in moss, the abridged version of a man's life, detail is always welcome". These details are what make this depressing story worth reading.
Postscript: It seems that those who have read Nabokov's literature previously rate Laughter in the Dark lower compared to those who have not read his other work....more
Usually I am pose, composed, and objective when reviewing a book; the demeanor that the hundreds that read my reviews expect. BUT I CANNOT DO THAT FORUsually I am pose, composed, and objective when reviewing a book; the demeanor that the hundreds that read my reviews expect. BUT I CANNOT DO THAT FOR THIS REVIEW! This book kicks so much ass, I devoured it in three days - like a rabid addict I was either consuming its content or salivated at the next opportunity to do so. This book was written for me, the dude who was socially awkward in adolescence and retreated to the unjudging solace of his mind to escape reality. Programming code, watching cartoons, reading sci-fi novels, playing DOS games, or enjoying cult media... these were all forms of escape, and this books pays tribute to them all+. If you were anything like me growing up, or enjoy playing MMORPGs I think you will relate with a lot in this book. If you were one of the cool kids growing up, there is a lot you won't understand in this book (it is extremely esoteric), BUT it is still an excellent piece of experimental fiction and does a great job merging the genres of love, mystery, fantasy, sci-fi and auto-biograpy together. READ THIS BOOK. Then write a great review for it and never say any thing negative about it. EVER!...more
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