Rat 🛸
no one does a story about memory quite like Ishiguro, he has that down. while this is definitely the least I've liked an Ishiguro book it's still a good read. I love the stuff about Britain's complacency, oppressive empire and general lack of regard for the life of Chinese people. Ishiguro is so good at writing people who at home with the British status quo and using their own perspectives to show them up.
*spoilers*
I thought the mystery was wrapped up in a satisfying way 💙
so cute. it means a lot to me to see a main character with a double chin, no matter how small that might seem. Eleanor looks a lot like me.
truly just a good time for people who love Pride and Prejudice, Bridgerton and Heartstopper. I really like that Eleanor is very flawed. George is so cool. I wish we saw more of Charlotte and Robert's romance, I love how he's clearly emphasised as being hot and fat.
I wish there was a little more variation in the faces, Sophie and Charlotte looked very similar in certain panels.
love love love the historical context at the back.
I was a bit unsure of the book at first - I really didn't like the idea that in every "good life" Nora had there had to be some kind of turnabout that made it a tragedy and not better than her usual life. It grew on me as it went along, though, and I'm really charmed by the librarian as she reminds me of my own high school librarian.
I really love how UKLG does world-building; she doesn't do it for the sake of thinking of fun character names or wondrous settings or exciting aliens. She does it to delve into the question of how another society would work, whether we could truly live beholden to each other rather than to governments and money. The society is so fleshed out with it's virtues and flaws and characters who make the world operate.
in terms of the narrative, I did enjoy, but felt that more could have happened for Shevek on Urras. The conversations were interesting but the plot was thin. I would have liked him to go to Thu, as he always generalises "this is what it's like on Urras" when he has only experienced one government there.
even with the slow plot (until the last quarter!!) I did really enjoy. I am very interested in Anarchism, I believe in some anarchist ideals, and I think that Le Guin does well to create a situation that makes anarchism work. One of the reasons I don't believe Anarchism could work within my lifetime is that no matter your form of government (or lack of government) you will still have the same people in your society; there will still be enough greedy people, cruel people and apathetic people to exploit others if they are not restrained from doing so. On Annares, there are only people who have chosen to be there, only people who believe in the cause, so this problem is solved by social pressure.
There were aspects of the descriptions of Urras that really haunted me, the beauty and brutality of a capitalist society rich in natural resources.
really love this collection. I feel like it captures the breadth of sci-fi and kehuan and has many stories that feel specific to Chinese culture. So brilliant to get to read this in China!
my favourite stories were the first and last. Starship: Library should be a recommended text for Ecudation students.
I kept back a couple stories in case I want to read them with my short story club.
there's a lot I love about this and also a lot that's frustrating. Looove the world building of the colonial history, that was so interesting to me, and I really like Mickey's relationships with Nasha and Berto.
I don't care for the plots with Cat though. Feels like it cheapens the relationship with Nasha. I wasn't 100% on board with the characterisation of Marshall in the movie but I think him and Toni Collette were more interesting than what we got here. I wish there was more stuff about the creepers because what we get is good!
I also enjoy that Bong Joon-Ho injects some anti-capitalist stuff into the film where it feels like the natural conclusion of what's going on here.
Depending on how much I connected with the stories my opinions varied hugely. I really loved Breastfeeding and The Long Braid - women's stories of resilience and autonomy always get me. I love the reoccurring theme of the sea and of women's rights, and I was very haunted by any details about relations with settlers (like in the one about grapes).
Contains spoilers
some things are really funny on reread like Finnicks seeming obsession with bread and Katniss being oblivious to everyone flirting with her.
Beetee, Wiress and Mags are Sooo good. the bit where it describes Haymitchs games is iconic. I love and hate it.
there's so much nudity in this book?? like not only is there the famous Johanna scene but she's also naked during training and at one point the main characters all lose their outer clothes and are just in underwear for the rest of the games? what??
Soooo funny rereading this now that I understand what an unreliable narrator is because the first time I read this I took it 100% at face value that Peeta was smart and manipulating the Capitol audience by having it look like they're in love but now I realise Katniss is just a cynical person and Peeta was madly in love with her the whole time. She keeps being like 'he's sooo good at manipulating everyone' meanwhile Peeta is just crying because he's saddd.
Haymitch in this hits so hard after reading SotR.
