Christine
This had lots of atmosphere and creeping dread, but collapsed under its own weight toward the end. Evidently the author had very explicit ideas about why things happened in the story, which were never even suggested in the text. Also, her ideas are kind of underwhelming, IMHO. You can check them out here: https://whatdoesnotkillme.com/2019/01/22/kellyrobson/
Very economical use of language to evoke a focused and coherent theme, plot, and character that all line up to deliver a whallop. I don't like biking and I didn't much like the main character, but Jones had me right there with him, regardless of all that! I'm definitely going to read more of his work in the coming year.
My 15-year-old asked if I'd be interested in reading this to help her with a school paper. (Worry not, this means I equipped myself to ask her interesting questions rather than doing the work for her!)
I'm so glad I said yes. Conrad was clearly a gifted writer, and had progressive (for his time) views about colonialism. What struck me most was this: while he clearly abhors the casual cruelty of colonialism, he seems even more repelled by its stupid futility.
Conrad's narrator is as artful and barbed as Jane Austen's, adroitly conveying his contempt with a factual description:
When near the buildings I met a white man, in such an unexpected elegance of get-up that in the first moment I took him for a sort of vision. I saw a high starched collar, white cuffs, a light alpaca jacket, snowy trousers, a clear necktie, and varnished boots. No hat. Hair parted, brushed, oiled, under a green-lined parasol held in a big white hand. He was amazing, and had a penholder behind his ear.
or even by merely relating a name: International Society for the Suppression of Savage Customs
My English Major soul thrills at the potential points of analysis and comparison. Kurtz is the hypnotic center of the tale, yet barely appears himself (Rebecca, anyone?). I'm actually quite curious about Kurtz and can't wait to check out Brando's portrayal in Apocalypse Now. And the story hammers at the thoughtless, egotistical presumptuousness of the white characters as they attempt to invade and improve a “dark” place, resulting merely in the suffering of both the natives and themselves (this review is being written about two weeks after missionary John Chau got himself killed by flouting laws meant to protect the Sentinelese people - it's not clear yet if he also managed to exterminate them with any of his foreign microbes).
Conrad wasn't the most evolved in his attitudes toward native Africans (or women), but his portrayal of the evils of colonialism is so well crafted and evocative, it continues to resonate in the present day.
DNF at 27%
Real, actual quote:
The courtyard was full of smoke, from which ghostly figures appeared and disappeared like ghosts.
I literally would not let my 10-year-old turn in a story with that sentence in it.
The main character is pretty much a Mary Sue - pretty, unusual hair color, insufferably brilliant at everything, vaguely Tragic Backstory, etc. etc.
Most characters are given names and actions, with no descriptions or characterization, never mind actual character development. The deepest characterizations are as follows: red-headed, awesome at everything, and emotionally reserved; red-headed and mean; blue-eyed; tall; tall and blonde.
Nothing about the time travel program makes any sense. What it's for, how it's funded, how it's staffed, etc.
There's also what appears to be a central tension - Historians can observe, but if they try to interfere, History will protect itself by killing the fuck out of them. This gets triggered by the mere interest the protagonist shows when a man gets followed by some thugs - she barely takes a step toward them, and a rock literally falls out of the sky to try to squash her.
And yet! In the next chapter, she spends weeks doing medical triage in WWI, deciding who will live and who will die. (Needless to say, she is FANTASTIC at it.) And her senior colleague gets all butthurt at their companion because he laid low and tried not to change things.
That was where I gave up. The author is a bad writer and isn't even trying at internal logic for her world here. Time to go read some more Connie Willis to see this done much better!
An enthralling take on an old fairy tale, that keeps the feel of a folktale, but with language and characterization that feel comfortably modern. I don't care if this is based on 100% authentic Polish folklore, or an amalgam of various folk tales, filtered through a Polish-American family's bedtime stories - it has a lot of heart and charm.
I don't want to spoil anything - I had a ton of fun just picking this up and going for the ride. And I'm putting Novik's other books on my TBR pile!
This was good - Christie does a marvelous job of drawing each character distinctly. I had no trouble keeping straight who was who - a problem I sometimes encounter in mysteries!
The premise is of course a seminal one. Long before reading this, I've enjoyed the movies Clue and Murder by Death, and clearly they owe so much to this single novel. Christie carefully sets and orchestrates the story so her characters are trapped, and they know beyond a reasonable doubt that they're the only people on the island. Then - let the mistrust and paranoia begin!
And I think she plays pretty fair - I didn't figure out the mystery, but when it's explained (hang in there, it gets done), it does track without any authorial shenanigans.
There were two things I didn't care for - the final death seems too convenient, and planned much less meticulously than the others. The second thing is to do with the title - I'll put a spoiler in case you don't already know - I'd say read it without researching this! You can't help but cringe every time you read the word "soldier," knowing it originally said "n****r." Just - HOW, how did society not blink at that?! Well, I'm glad we've made some progress at least.
This was decent enough to read to the end, but doesn't hold a candle to its predecessor. It utterly fails to fulfill the promise of [b:Vicious 40874032 Vicious (Villains, #1) V.E. Schwab https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1532011194s/40874032.jpg 19250870].Really, this series would be great if it stuck to the basic framework of (don't laugh) Megamind - guy who sees himself as a villain winds up protecting people from his creation, who sees himself as a hero. The protagonist isn't perfect, but learns and grows into a true hero, even if he has flaws.Instead of pursuing the continuing story of Eli's evil pushing Victor to be better, this book creates a new supervillain and focuses a large percentage of the book on her, leaving Sydney, Victor, and Eli to function almost in the margins of Marcella's story. Unfortunately, Marcella is pretty much the most boring character ever conceived. There are Bond villains with more depth and charm.And Victor doesn't offer a foil to the power-hungry, amoral Marcella. Much more than in the first book, Victor is simply a clever psychopath rather than a flawed character we can identify with. I mean, he spends the entire book hunting down innocent people and murdering them in cold blood when they can't help him - even when they try to help and are no immediate threat! And no one (least of all the author) seems terribly fussed about this. Sydney raises one concern and is scared into shutting up, but Schwab can't seem to commit - she could have leveraged that moment to draw Victor as a really bad guy (arguably worse than Eli, since his motivations are less selfless!), and told a story about the people around him having to deal with that. But instead she has one character ineptly try to question his actions, and then treats Victor like a hero for the rest of the story.I was also disappointed that we didn't get much about the idea that EOs are missing some integral human element. I think there's one offhand mention that maybe people just become more themselves when they transform. But this was a major issue in the first book, and basically gets dropped in favor of lingering descriptions of Marcella's hair, eyes, legs, and outfits.If Victor couldn't embrace the Megamind role, at least we could have had Sydney as the protagonist, as she deals with having a guilt-ridden, messed up relationship with a father figure who is becoming more and more evil. Instead, we got a story mostly about:Marcella (violent sociopath)Victor (violent sociopath)Eli (violent sociopath, but at least gets an interesting origin story and thinks he's doing the right thing)June (marginally sympathetic at times, but ultimately a violent sociopath)(Also, a random complaint - EON was pathetic. This supposedly formidable quasi-military group could have solved 90% of their problems with lots of snipers and decent IT security.)
Couldn't put it down! Went and bought a hard copy because reading this on a Paperwhite is decidedly suboptimal.* (And decided to just buy [b:Gemina 29236299 Gemina (The Illuminae Files, #2) Amie Kaufman https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1480097137s/29236299.jpg 44560442] right then, since I was thoroughly hooked.)What genre is this? I see elements of: -Hard science fiction-Space Opera (meant non-pejoratively)-Military science fiction-Action-Adventure-Character study-Romance-Feminism-Horror (FTR, it was shelved at B&N under “YA Fantasy.” Wut? No.)While some would style this a teen romance in a science fiction wrapper, I think it's a lot more sophisticated than that. My perspective is that Kady is the protagonist, and her character development and motivations to become a hero are tightly linked with her romantic relationship, but there's a lot more to it than that. Kady's journal entries reveal that Ezra means a lot to her as an individual, but maybe even more as a symbol about her life and her identity.There are lots of engaging characters, desperate fights for survival, cunning military tactics, noble sacrifices, and food for thought about what it means to be a human, to be alive, to be conscious, to relate to others.Highly recommended - just make sure you have some free time so you can binge-read it once you get addicted!*The formatting is at times immersive and evocative, and on occasion gimmicky and a little annoying. Overall I liked it though. And I really need to see Super Turbo Awesome Team vs. Megapanda rightnow.)
A totally addictive story. It's a bit of a long book, but it doesn't feel like it - I flew through this, eager to find out what would happen next (or what had happened to get us here - brilliant structure).
I did feel like there were some flaws, like the decision Eli & Victor make seems underwritten and far too cavalier/immediate. Plus on occasion, there would be a strange sentence structure or a misused word that would snag my momentum a bit. But overall, this was just entrancing.
I'm dying to learn more about the personality changes EOs experience - what is real, and what is mistaken interpretation? Are people just feeling their pre-existing traits in a more powerful way when social consequences don't control them anymore? It's left ambiguous here, though of course characters' actions speak to the issue. Still, lots to be delved into in the sequel. (Which needs to be published now, please!)
This was incredible! Miller somehow managed to meld an eons-long epic with an intensely personal character study, told in an improbable synthesis of Homeric and modern language. She generally uses quite simple and relatable phrasing, but also employs her own version of classical epithets (think “wine-dark sea” and “bright-eyed Athena”), and generally crafts her prose so you just feel that this is a goddess speaking, not a mere mortal.
The story is somewhat long, and sometimes languid, but it never drags. We get a sense of Circe's timeless isolation, but with a compulsion to turn the page and find out what happens next.
Fans of Greek mythology will be delighted to see so many tales woven (heh) so skillfully into this first-person account. Miller really made old stories come alive for me, as well as filling me in on details I had never encountered before. I also felt her representation of gods and their otherness was outstanding - the gods are freaking scary and capricious, and Circe's journey away from their point of view is compelling. (I guess some purists might protest at license taken with some of the ancient characters, but I highly recommend simply accepting this as one of many iterations on these myths.)
A special shout-out to the audio book, read with beautiful skill by Perdita Weeks. She absolutely makes Circe come to life, and is just mellifluous and pleasant to listen to as well!
Plenty of racism, and honestly the plot is pretty stupid. Not Sherlock's best outing. But five hearts for the story of Watson getting all smitten and acting dumb around his wife-to-be.
ETA: I'm adding back one more star for the fabulous quote: “‘My mind,” he said, “rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram or the most intricate analysis, and I am in my own proper atmosphere. I can dispense then with artificial stimulants. But I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave for mental exaltation.”
I really, really wanted to love this. I adored Cantero's other English-language novels, and I pre-ordered this figuring it would be a sure winner.Unfortunately, this just didn't work for me. The characters are either two-dimensional, or so extreme I couldn't relate to them. I think I see what he's going for - this should be like Sherlock Holmes having to share a body with John from [b:John Dies at the End 1857440 John Dies at the End (John Dies at the End, #1) David Wong https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1189289716s/1857440.jpg 1858059], and how they somehow wind up saving the day, despite their conflicting styles. Only, for me Adrian and Zooey came across as less subtly drawn than either Holmes or John! I guess Cantero's hyperbole fell flat for me, while it clearly worked for other people. The plot also didn't quite gel for me - but I can see how this may be more about my dislike for Noir overall than a specific failing of this story. The solution to the mystery is pointless and impossible to predict. That's just not my bag.I will say that there were some laugh-out-loud moments, and there were some interesting themes around gender, siblings, Noir tropes, and fiction in general - I just felt like Cantero merely touched on them, opting to focus more on zany action.I'll definitely check out Cantero's future work. I think my enjoyment depends a lot on what the genre is, so hopefully the next one will be more in my wheelhouse!
One star above “did not like it” for a pretty creepy monster/ghost and suitably nihilistic ending.
Minus all other stars for constant dangling participles and other offenses against writing, plus a boringly recursive character arc - “This house is creepy - I'm going to leave . . . but fame awaits!”x1000
This was delightful! Sometimes I think I've just aged past enjoying YA, but then something like this will come along. I was thoroughly enchanted and I couldn't wait to find out what happens next. Simon's friends and family are a lot of fun, and his journey was compelling (despite the fact that I'm not too big on coming of age stories). Looking forward to reading [b:Leah on the Offbeat 31180248 Leah on the Offbeat (Creekwood, #2) Becky Albertalli https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1510886704s/31180248.jpg 51820754]!
I remember having this book as a kid - this may have been the book that sparked my love of weird fiction and horror. But somehow I retained no memories of the plot; I only remembered that I had read it and that it had great illustrations by Edward Gorey.
So it was delightful to revisit this with a fresh mind - experiencing the story all over again. And I was not disappointed! Uncle Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmerman are awesome, fun grownups and Lewis is a believable, sympathetic character, even when he's making some bone-headed decisions.
I'm really looking forward to seeing the movie with Jack Black and Cate Blanchett! I guess a lot of people will assume the movie is just an imitation of Harry Potter - isolated orphan child goes to live with quirky, loving guardians who show him that magic is real. But of course, this was written 24 years earlier than Rowling's first volume. It stands up surprisingly well, and was enchanting and amusing.
This didn't quite bring it home for me, but it gave the story a decent closing. Note I didn't use the term “resolution.” There sure as hell isn't a tidy bow on the end of this story, which is pretty much to be expected. But I wish the hints at explanation had more follow-through. It's like he gives enough breadcrumbs to make you think there's going to be an “aha!” but then there hardly ever is. We do pretty much get an explanation of how Area X started - but of course, it's wrapped in a lot of “human cognition and perception cannot conceive of this” baggage as well as poetic nature descriptions and first-person hallucinating and navel-gazing, so it can be hard to unpack.
If you're willing to tolerate the ambiguity, I still recommend the series! It brings the weird in a way that's both unique, and also echoes everything from The Color Out of Space to Rebecca to Lilith's Brood.
When I finished [b:Annihilation 17934530 Annihilation (Southern Reach, #1) Jeff VanderMeer https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1403941587s/17934530.jpg 24946895], I noted that I'd like more information on the shadowy government agency running the expedition. And that's exactly what we get here - in a fun, satisfying way. It gives a lot of insight into the Southern Reach and Central, and just how much they're *#&@ing with people's minds and lives.Amusingly, this also has a lot of keen depiction of standard workplace dramas, which was fun for me as a corporate drone.Once again, we have a story about a creepy mystery and a clandestine government agency, told through the very personal, introspective story of the main character. I actually didn't like Control all that much, but I could sympathize with his situation. The creep factor accelerates as you progress, and there came times where I wasn't sure if Control was just hallucinating or things were really happening. But I mean that in a good way!This did answer questions and have some juicy revelations, and of course built up even more questions, which are poised to be answered (I hope) in the final volume, [b:Acceptance 18077752 Acceptance (Southern Reach, #3) Jeff VanderMeer https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1403941598s/18077752.jpg 25384096].
A satisfying end to the story begun in [b:Spill Zone 23532871 Spill Zone (Spill Zone, #1) Scott Westerfeld https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492473454s/23532871.jpg 43134535]. Of course, satisfying explanations are the natural enemy of creepy horror, so the tone of this one isn't as enchanting as the first volume. At times I felt the mystery was overexplained - particularly the driving motivations of Vespertine and the King Wolf Thing, which are IMHO laughably pedestrian. I wish they'd managed to keep the otherworldly vibe a little more.But it's still there - just not as strong as in the first half of the story. The art continues to bring the shivers, as well as some aching beauty. And I do appreciate that we get more insight into what the hell is going on. And a true conclusion of the main story, even if everything isn't wrapped up, and some enticing threads are dangled in front of us. It strikes the right balance.
I'm really glad my reading challenge led me to this! It's suspenseful and engaging, and the art is great!
I'm also really mad my reading challenge led me to this! Because evidently the story has been left hanging. It's been over 4 years since the last issue was published, and no sign of further content, but from the reviews, it sounds like the mystery wasn't wrapped up! I can't decide if I want to read issues 6-17, only to be left in suspense. But then again, I might, because this was an entertaining ride.
The experience of reading this story can be summarized as, “Wait, what?”
I have to give Partridge points for sheer ridiculous audacity. He takes an unexpected point of view and unapologetically plunges ahead with it. The story is distinctive and intriguing in many ways.
However, it's also highly variable in quality. I guess this has the merit of being the least-horrible use of second-person narration I've encountered? The writing throughout had me similarly ambivalent: just as I was musing on an inventive plot point, a howlingly bad simile would yank me out of the story. Just as I was getting interested in a character, a cardboard cutout would caper into frame and ruin the mood. Worst of all, just as I was getting invested in the lore behind the tale, it petered out. Horror benefits when an author avoids overexplaining, but this suffers from a clear case of underexplaining. For me, this needed an eventual reveal that would give us a picture (however fuzzy) of how this cycle got started and what was at stake.
This is short and economical, so if it sounds intriguing, definitely give it a shot. It was imperfect but entertaining.
I'm glad I read this - it's a notable entry in the development of Lovecraftian fiction. I had really loved [b:The Events at Poroth Farm 7055789 The Events at Poroth Farm T.E.D. Klein https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1458812325s/7055789.jpg 7307112], and I'd read “Black Man with a Horn” some time ago and remembered liking it. This is a larger helping of T.E.D. Klein, so it seemed promising.Unfortunately, the story I'd already read was the strongest entry in this collection. Aside from the issues noted below, “Black Man with a Horn” was a pleasure to revisit, with one of the best opening lines in all of weird fiction: There is something inherently comforting about the first-person past tense. It conjures up visions of some deskbound narrator puffing contemplatively up a pipe amid the safety of his study, lost in the tranquil recollection, seasoned but essentially unscathed by whatever experience he's about to relate.How can you not read on after that? And I find the story mostly delivers, with a more modern take on the standard piecemeal research leading to unutterable realizations of horror. Enough is implied, without too much being revealed. There's a lot of atmosphere, and intriguing use of modern settings to good creepy effect, which can be hard to pull off. There's also an overarching theme of aging out of relevance that ties everything together (and to HPL himself) effectively.The other stories left me a little meh. They have their moments, but mostly failed to connect. The narrator of “Children of the Kingdom” is obnoxious, and Klein's attempt to have him record his wife's first-person narrative in his diary comes of as ludicrously clunky. (Not to mention it's in service of some plotting that fails in every possible way in characterizing women.)“Petey” left me utterly cold - a bunch random names spout random dialog, taking way too long to set up a pretty underwritten reveal.“Nadelman's God” had an interesting idea, I guess, but seemed pointless when the main character is totally unsympathetic, and everything revolves around his personal perceptions. The final element that detracted from my enjoyment was a lot of unalloyed racism. Throughout much of this book, you have to get past a concerning amount of “people of color are weird and Other and scary!” It's arguable that Klein is depicting the beliefs of his characters and not endorsing them. Indeed, most of the protagonists are deliberately unlikable, and even the narrator of BMwAH is depicted as a relic. For some readers, there's probably enough distance from the characters that their offensive beliefs and behaviors just add to the characterization. But for me it was hard to put up with.