This book was a refreshing surprise. I’ve read quite a few books that bored me recently, whether it was because they came off as terribly pretentious This book was a refreshing surprise. I’ve read quite a few books that bored me recently, whether it was because they came off as terribly pretentious or had un-interesting characters, so finding a simple but very human story, written without any frills or snooty artistic statement, was unexpectedly delightful – even when the story got crushingly sad.
“Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” is about friendship, love, video games and the way all those things get tangled up in our messy lives.
Sadie first meets Sam at the hospital: she is visiting her sister who is undergoing treatment for leukemia, and Sam is recovering from a severe foot injury sustained during a car accident. He hasn’t spoken to anyone since the accident, but when Sadie sits next to him in the game room as he plays Mario Bros, he begins to finally open up. But as friendships do, this one takes a sudden turn and Sadie and Sam won’t speak to each other for years. They bump into each other in a T-station in Boston and reconnect when Sadie hands Sam a game she has been working on; he plays it with his roommate Marx and suddenly knows that the only thing he cares about doing now, is making a game with Sadie. They embark on this project with Marx as their producer, and Sadie’s mentor as support, and at first it seems like a dream come true. But nothing is ever really that simple or static.
This novel is full of little insightful sentences that I couldn’t help but take a few seconds to underline, because they really captured truths I had experienced first-hand, or seen from very close, but not often encountered put into words in books. I know Sadie irritated some people, and with reasons; she does make a lot of rash and often irrational decisions, but while I would not want to hang out with her in real life, I really felt for her. She was so finely and realistically drawn, very human, very contrary: I have known Sadies, and the best you can do about them is give them a hug, they need it. I was actually much more annoyed with Sam, though just like Sadie, he is only really guilty of failing to communicate adequately. I also enjoyed the non-linear way the story was told, unfolding on how small moments have long-term impacts on people’s lives, how small details can turn lives around so dramatically – even when you don’t realize it right away
Other reviews mention that you do not need to know much about video games to enjoy this book; I am not a gamer, and if anything, I appreciated the details in which they explore the way games are created from scratch, because I really had no idea how this process worked at all. I do wonder how someone who actually knows games very well would enjoy the book, or if they would find it tedious. But the video game aspect is actually not the real focus here: what this book is about is the bond between people who care for each other, how that changes and evolves with time and experience – and what truly loving someone is about. It’s not romantic, if anything, it’s often quite tragic and difficult. But that’s life, I guess! I really appreciated that these characters were unpredictable, confused and infuriating, because that’s much more honest than what I am used to seeing in books about girl-meets-boy.
A fun, moving, off-beat book, with a lot of heart....more
If you’ve known me for a while, you might be aware that I adore Anthony Bourdain. The man, the books, the shows. Everything. Complete head over heels If you’ve known me for a while, you might be aware that I adore Anthony Bourdain. The man, the books, the shows. Everything. Complete head over heels sucker fangirl. I have no delusions though: I know he was far from perfect, in oh so many ways. Weirdly, that had always made me love him more. I think that his fucked up sides made him more human, more endearing. When I heard about this book, needless to say that I immediately pre-ordered it.
I’m not going to pretend this wasn’t rough to read at times, but the truth is that while I thought I couldn’t fall in love with Anthony any more than I already had, this book proved me wrong, and as soon as I was done with it, I went a binged a few episodes of “The Layover” and “Parts Unknown”. Even after devouring every book Bourdain has written, I learned new things about him in these pages. He really was a unique combination of charisma, social anxiety, bravado and deep vulnerabilities, and it is incredible to look back at his work and see the huge influence he had – certainly on food culture, but on culture in general. I may still be swooning, but I do believe he made the world a better place.
The things his daughter had to say were very moving, and I really appreciate that she felt comfortable talking about her father with the whole world the way she did. The last few chapters definitely had me reaching for tissues; it has to be noted that Asia Argento was not involved with this book at all, and that no one who was has anything truly nice to say about her, but there is no airing of dirty laundry – just many friends who were worried about Tony and who felt like he was in over his head.
An absolute must-read for fans, a very beautiful and intimate homage to a great man....more
This strange and fascinating work of auto-fiction is unlike anything I’ve read before. It’s sharp, funny – in that very dry British way – but also verThis strange and fascinating work of auto-fiction is unlike anything I’ve read before. It’s sharp, funny – in that very dry British way – but also very sad. The cruelty and heartlessness endured by Winterson’s alter ego was crushing to read about; I find stories of bad parenting, especially those involving fanatical religious sentiments, to be especially devastating.
Jeanette is adopted by a fanatically religious mother, and a mostly aloof and absent father. For many years, life amongst her mother’s community of fundamentalists and missionaries is all she knows: when she asks questions, she only gets evasive answers, she suffers from horrible neglect and is never shown any kind of affection by the people who bring her up. It is only once she has to go to school with other children that she realizes that there is something off about her upbringing. Eventually, she falls in love with one of her converts, Melanie, something her congregation strongly opposed and condemns as a sin. But Jeanette can’t accept that the love she feels is wrong…
I am not a fan of religious fundamentalism, and I do take a certain satisfaction in reading any book in which people who take their religion that seriously are described as behaving monstrously – few things strike me as more abhorrent that rejecting a child who simply wants to be themselves because that goes against whatever lunatic nonsense a person has been indoctrinated in. In that regards, I sympathized with and rooted for Jeanette: I wanted her to get out of there and go live life on her own terms, and even if there is a bittersweetness to the conclusion, it was satisfying. However, I am clearly not the only reader who felt like the introduction spoils the book: the pretentiousness that oozes off those few pages gives the rest of the book an after-taste of bitterness that the clever writing and interesting structure can’t quite manage to make up for.
I hesitated between 3 and 4 stars, and finally decided to round it up, because it was better than the other Winterson book I read. That said, I’m not sure I’m interested in reading more of her work....more
An interesting but uneven novel by a very good writer; how am I even supposed to rate something like that?
"Little Heaven" is the story of three mercenAn interesting but uneven novel by a very good writer; how am I even supposed to rate something like that?
"Little Heaven" is the story of three mercenaries hired by a woman to go to an isolated religious community to find her nephew, who has been taken there by his father - and hopefully, get him out. But there is something old and hungry that lives in the wilderness surrounding the compound of Little Heaven, something that doesn't want anyone to leave... Fifteen years after their first visit to that strange and haunted place, the three unlikely partners have to go back, as the life of one of their child is now at stake.
Perhaps I was not in the ideal head space for this book. The non-linear narrative was cleverly executed, but I didn't have a lot of patience for it, or for the slow build-up. It all made sense at the end, but the first half felt like it dragged on forever, and it was a relief when the action finally picked up, even if (because this is Nick Cutter) it got super disturbing and extremely gross very fast.
If you are curious as to what the story of Jonestown would be like if it had been mashed together with Stephen King's "IT", then absolutely check this book out....more
Dual-language review, as I am fairly certain that non-French readers may not be interested in/have access to these graphic novels.
Quatre ans ont passéDual-language review, as I am fairly certain that non-French readers may not be interested in/have access to these graphic novels.
Quatre ans ont passés depuis que j’ai trouvé en librairie la première bédé adaptée de l’oeuvre de Pagnol (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...). Depuis, la collection a vraiment explosée, et j’ai fait le bonheur de ma librairie locale en commandant une grosse pile de titres il y a quelques semaines.
Je connais probablement le texte de “Marius” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) par coeur. J’ai lu la pièce une douzaine de fois et je ne compte plus les visionements du film réalisé par Alexander Korda (et plus récement, la belle version signée Daniel Auteuil – il n’est pas Raimu, mais il adore tellement l’oeuvre qu’on s’en fout pas mal). Mais le plaisir de visiter de nouvelles interprétations est quand même très présent. Je dirais même que de toutes les bédés de cette collection, à date, les deux tomes de “Marius” sont probablement mes préférés.
Le texte, écrit pour le théâtre, se traduit très bien en format de bande dessinée, et le petit texte en annexe témoigne du travail qui a été fait pour tenter de récréer le plus fidèlement possible le Vieux-Port de Marseille avant la Seconde Guerre Mondiale, qui a défigurée une bonne partie du quartier ou se situe l’action. Les personnages ne ressemblent en rien à la distribution des films, ce qui est parfait: autant qu’on puisse adorer Pierre Fresnay et Orane Demazis dans les rôles principaux, ça ne servirait à rien d’essayer de capturer leur jeu sur la page. Sébastien Morice a donné aux personnages des visages nouveaux, mais fidèles à l’esprit de l’histoire que Pagnol imaginait lorsqu’il vivait à Paris et souffrait d’un grand mal du pays. J’adore également les petits clins d’oeil aux autres livres, films et pieces qui sont cachés dans les arrière-plans!
Bref, si vous aimez Pagnol, cette collection est un trésor et “Marius” en est le plus magnifique épisode (du moins, pour le moment: les éditeurs vont bien finir par publier la suite!).
-
It’s been four years since I found the first graphic novel adaptation of Pagnol’s work in a bookstore. Since then, the collection has exploded, and I made my local book-seller really happy by ordering a huge pile a few weeks ago.
I probably know “Marius” by heart. I read the play at least a dozen times, and I can’t count how many times I’ve watched the classic Alexander Korda-directed movie (and more recently, the Daniel Auteuil adaptation – he’s not Raimu, but he loves the material so much that no one cares). It’s still an absolute pleasure to look at new interpretations. I would even say that of all the graphic novels in this collection to date, the two volumes of “Marius” are my favorite.
The text was written for the stage, and it lends itself very well to the graphic novel format, with a little annex discussing how much work went into faithfully recreating the Old Port of Marseille before World War II, as the bombings destroyed most of the neighborhood in which the story is set. The characters look nothing like the cast of the movies, which is perfect: you can love Pierre Fresnay and Orane Demazis in the main roles, but it would be silly to try to capture their performance on the page. Sébastien Morice gave the characters new faces, but kept them faithful to the spirit of the story Pagnol dreamt of when he was living in Paris and suffering from great homesickness. I also love the little references to other books, movies and plays that are scattered in the backgrounds!
In short, if you like Pagnol, this graphic novel collection is a treasure and “Marius” is its most magnificent instalment (at least for now, as I imagine the sequel will be printed eventually!)....more
Dual-language review, as I am fairly certain that non-French readers may not be interested in/have access to these graphic novels.
Quatre ans ont passéDual-language review, as I am fairly certain that non-French readers may not be interested in/have access to these graphic novels.
Quatre ans ont passés depuis que j’ai trouvé en librairie la première bédé adaptée de l’oeuvre de Pagnol (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...). Depuis, la collection a vraiment explosée, et j’ai fait le bonheur de ma librairie locale en commandant une grosse pile de titres il y a quelques semaines.
Je connais probablement le texte de “Marius” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) par coeur. J’ai lu la pièce une douzaine de fois et je ne compte plus les visionements du film réalisé par Alexander Korda (et plus récement, la belle version signée Daniel Auteuil – il n’est pas Raimu, mais il adore tellement l’oeuvre qu’on s’en fout pas mal). Mais le plaisir de visiter de nouvelles interprétations est quand même très présent. Je dirais même que de toutes les bédés de cette collection, à date, les deux tomes de “Marius” sont probablement mes préférés.
Le texte, écrit pour le théâtre, se traduit très bien en format de bande dessinée, et le petit texte en annexe témoigne du travail qui a été fait pour tenter de récréer le plus fidèlement possible le Vieux-Port de Marseille avant la Seconde Guerre Mondiale, qui a défigurée une bonne partie du quartier ou se situe l’action. Les personnages ne ressemblent en rien à la distribution des films, ce qui est parfait: autant qu’on puisse adorer Pierre Fresnay et Orane Demazis dans les rôles principaux, ça ne servirait à rien d’essayer de capturer leur jeu sur la page. Sébastien Morice a donné aux personnages des visages nouveaux, mais fidèles à l’esprit de l’histoire que Pagnol imaginait lorsqu’il vivait à Paris et souffrait d’un grand mal du pays. J’adore également les petits clins d’oeil aux autres livres, films et pieces qui sont cachés dans les arrière-plans!
Bref, si vous aimez Pagnol, cette collection est un trésor et “Marius” en est le plus magnifique épisode (du moins, pour le moment: les éditeurs vont bien finir par publier la suite!).
-
It’s been four years since I found the first graphic novel adaptation of Pagnol’s work in a bookstore. Since then, the collection has exploded, and I made my local book-seller really happy by ordering a huge pile a few weeks ago.
I probably know “Marius” by heart. I read the play at least a dozen times, and I can’t count how many times I’ve watched the classic Alexander Korda-directed movie (and more recently, the Daniel Auteuil adaptation – he’s not Raimu, but he loves the material so much that no one cares). It’s still an absolute pleasure to look at new interpretations. I would even say that of all the graphic novels in this collection to date, the two volumes of “Marius” are my favorite.
The text was written for the stage, and it lends itself very well to the graphic novel format, with a little annex discussing how much work went into faithfully recreating the Old Port of Marseille before World War II, as the bombings destroyed most of the neighborhood in which the story is set. The characters look nothing like the cast of the movies, which is perfect: you can love Pierre Fresnay and Orane Demazis in the main roles, but it would be silly to try to capture their performance on the page. Sébastien Morice gave the characters new faces, but kept them faithful to the spirit of the story Pagnol dreamt of when he was living in Paris and suffering from great homesickness. I also love the little references to other books, movies and plays that are scattered in the backgrounds!
In short, if you like Pagnol, this graphic novel collection is a treasure and “Marius” is its most magnificent instalment (at least for now, as I imagine the sequel will be printed eventually!)....more
I succumbed to the hype with this one, and I am not sure how to feel. My opinion of this book is clearly an unpopular one: I am quite able to recognizI succumbed to the hype with this one, and I am not sure how to feel. My opinion of this book is clearly an unpopular one: I am quite able to recognize that this is a sweet story and has a valid message (let women be whatever they want when they grow up!), and I love stories about nerds and cooking (being a nerd who loves to cook, and all), but a few elements in this book were really off for me.
Elizabeth Zott is a chemist, which is not an easy thing to be when you are a woman who is smarter than all your male colleagues in the 1950s. She is not taken seriously by her colleagues because she doesn’t have a PhD and because they find her attitude insufferable. One day, she takes beakers from a famous colleague’s lab: Calvin Evans is a notorious grudge-holder, but he is charmed by the unusual Elizabeth, and very soon, the two fall in love and start building a life together. Alas, their happiness is short-lived and Calvin dies, leaving Elizabeth a single-mom, a situation which unexpectedly leads her to a career as a cooking show host. She doesn’t think much of the job at first, but she ends up making a bigger difference than she could have ever expected.
Sigh.
The characters are really interesting, and Elizabeth’s unexpected journey was fun and moving. But the writing was average at best: I never got a sense of atmosphere, or feel that this was taking place in the 1950s and 60s (despite the text frequently reminding us that hey, this is the 1950s!). Because of time the story is set in, the feminism feel both righteous and ham-fisted: we know those years were just rampant with misogyny, that women were denied many opportunities men took for granted and that sexist double-standards were applied to basically everything. But Garmus’ need to underline this with a thick marker at every opportunity can feel redundant and anachronistic. I agree with her that all these things were terrible, but Elizabeth’s expectations that people admit to being sexist pricks and immediately change their behavior was not realistic for the time her story is set in. Fucking hell, it's not even realistic today! Her feelings regarding changing her name if she gets married, for instance, are perfectly understandable by today’s sensibilities, but I am not sure they would have been a realistic point of contention in the 50s. Elizabeth is undoubtedly a gifted scientist, but I couldn’t help but get the feeling that this was not as relevant to the story as her looks and quirks, which were much more emphasized. Granted, I haven’t met that many chemists, but I’m sure they still simply refer to salt as salt when they are cooking. I do, however, know many people on the spectrum, and even they try not to be as abrasive and oblivious as Elizabeth can be when it comes to basic social skills.
I also felt like this book could not quite decide what it wanted to be. Is it historical fiction or a romantic comedy? Because the tone get confused between trying to be funny and cute and trying to address very serious issues in their historical context. You can’t quite mix “Mad Men” and “Down With Love” and get something coherent. The result feels like too much telling over showing, and many of the set-ups feel a bit far-fetched. This makes the book feel stiff and inorganic.
I think that Six-Thirty was my favorite part: I am guilty of anthropomorphism when it comes to pets (my cat has a wide vocabulary of meows and chirps and she makes herself understood easily, so I assume all pets are like that), and I tend to like them more than humans anyway, so this dog struck me as the most reasonable and fun character. I also really appreciate that this book has a strong message about the validity of chosen family: this is something close my heart, and it’s always nice to see it validated in fiction.
This apparently going to be a TV show with Brie Larson; I’ll reserve judgment on that until I see it, but one’s hoping for a little improvement on the source material....more
I won’t attempt to summarize this book, and simply say that everyone who picks it up will learn something, or think about things a slightly different I won’t attempt to summarize this book, and simply say that everyone who picks it up will learn something, or think about things a slightly different way. This book is an accessible guide to the idea that sexuality is not something that happens in a vacuum, it is part of a much larger cultural and social picture. It is very progressive, left-leaning and obviously sex positive. It is also not a sex-ed guide in the sense that it doesn’t discuss the biology or mechanics of sex, but rather seeks to expand understanding of sex’s significance and the mutual influence between sexuality and culture and society.
I freely admit that politically speaking, this book preaches to the choir with me, and that the philosophy of fluid sexual identity and removing the moral weight from the concept of “normal” are things I strongly agree with. I did find a few points very idealistic, and it is more broad than deep about some concepts, meaning that readers interested in some specific subjects will have to dig through the book’s recommendations towards more specialized resources. But it is nevertheless eye-opening, and sparks the conversation about many topics in a non-judgmental, non-threatening way – which is how all talks about sexuality should be approached, really.
Let me start with a big thank you to my lovely husband (AKA Book Santa) who knows that I love Tidhar’s work and who made sure his most recent novel waLet me start with a big thank you to my lovely husband (AKA Book Santa) who knows that I love Tidhar’s work and who made sure his most recent novel was part of my holiday book bundle. You’re the best!
When I read a book by Lavie Tidhar, not only is my mind blown by where his imagination takes him (and his readers!) but I also inevitably learn a lot – often stuff that you won’t find in most history books. “Maror” blends multiple story lines connected by one character, the enigmatic Cohen.
Tidhar’s muscular but almost cinematic prose never disappoints, and while he usually shines when he pens mind-blowing speculative fiction, “Maror” is solidly anchored in history and the gritty realities most of us would rather ignore. Indeed, most of the characters are based on real people – as are the events described. I am not very familiar with the history of Israel, but after reading “McMafia”, I can’t say that I wasn’t particularly shocked to read through events that sound like they belong in a book by James Ellroy or a Quentin Tarantino movie (I realize it’s not even the first time I link Tidhar’s work to Tarantino, by the way, but they are both incredibly clever and not afraid of graphic violence).
The book is a collection of stories spanning more than 30 years – these stories are connected by the presence, sometimes central and sometimes only very peripheral, of a man named Cohen, who is the only one who seems to see the greater picture. There are corrupt cops and politicians, kids trying to make a life for themselves, people trying to understand what happened to their friends and relatives, people seeking justice. Very few here find what they are looking for.
It is difficult to connect with any of the characters, but I don’t think that this was Tidhar’s aim; I think he was trying to show what the cost of ideals can be, even when that cost is terrible, bleak and blood-soaked.
If you enjoy this man’s book, this one is absolutely worth your attention, but be mindful that you are in for an often brutal exploration of the underworld....more
After reading Kuang’s “Poppy Wars” trilogy, I was very curious what she would do next, and the synopsis for “Babel” instantly drew me in. Oh, you wantAfter reading Kuang’s “Poppy Wars” trilogy, I was very curious what she would do next, and the synopsis for “Babel” instantly drew me in. Oh, you want to talk about languages, translation, academia, racism and colonialism? Where do I sign up?!
Robin Swift is a young orphan from Canton. When his mother dies, he is taken in by an Englishman, Professor Lovell, who brings him back with him to England and begins to train him to become a scholar at the (fictional) Babel institute, at Oxford University. When Robin gets there, he makes friends with the other member of his cohort, but quickly realizes that most people who attend the university do not think he (not to mention his fellow scholars Ramy and Victoire) belongs at Oxford. While the work remains interesting and keeps him busy, Robin soon begins to see that the prestigious school he attends is as rich and resourceful as it is because it exploits and preys on people just like him and his friends. He will have to make a choice about his loyalty, his survival and his conscience.
I immediately knew upon picking up this book that Kuang would use her setting for work in a commentary about racism and colonialism. And it isn’t the most subtle of commentaries: I’m not sure anyone who will pick up this book actually thinks colonialism was a good thing, so perhaps some of the heavy-handedness could have been scaled back a bit. I did think that she did something interesting with the way Lettie realizes what her friends go through on a daily basis, and the bitter sting of them having to comfort the person in a position of privilege when they are the ones who have been suffering. I think all characters would have benefited from a little more breathing room to be developed and grow; this is really the point on which I think it would have paid off to maybe split this story into a duology instead of trying to make it all fit in one big book, because more time spent on Ramy, Letty and Victoire would have made their motivations and actions even more relatable.
I know the technical talk about language and translation felt a bit heavy for some readers. But to me, this was delicious – because I am a dork, and I am very happy with my dork status. This is the sort of thing that, as the offspring of a linguist and occasional translator (who does translation herself at work regularly), I love to nerd out about. Translation is a complex and nuanced process, and often closer to art than to science, and I loved the way Kuang talks about it.
The magical system is not really the focus of the story, though it is instrumental to driving the plot forward, and made me think of the scriving magical system in Robert Jackson Bennett’s “Founders trilogy”, which is brilliant. It’s an interesting system that bridges technology and magic in a really clever way, without bogging down the story with too much smoke and mirror, and I really like that subtle way of making a story fantasy without weighing it down too much.
There really is a lot to unpack with this novel, and I feel like I am not quite doing it justice here. The long story short is that I really enjoyed it, even if my progress on it was quite slow, and that while I felt some elements might have been improved by giving them more time and space, this was a great book by a promising voice in fantasy literature. ...more
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