Nik
Frack. I mean...I just...frack.
I am so torn. This is a phenomenal, epic, horrible tale. It's really, really hard to look past all the -isms and dismiss them as a sign of the times. It's also hard not to give credit where it's due, to an author whose prose doesn't feel superfluous (quite a feat, given the book's length) and who managed to evoke sympathy—albeit fleeting—for those undeserving of it.
And so it appears I've talked myself into a 5. Frack.
It's a story about an astronaut on a planet, how good can it be?
Turns out, pretty darn good. I'm not a space or sci-fi buff, and I haven't yet seen the film, and I'm pretty good about shielding myself from spoilers, so I didn't really know what to expect. I found the story surprisingly thrilling and quite often chuckleworthy. The prose is simple—which I appreciated, having just read Dickens a few days ago.
The Martian is just...well, it's just a fast, fun read, well worth your time.
Collection of Marple shorts. I don't much care for short stories, nor for the practice of using a thin plot to string together short stories (i.e., we're sitting around after dinner and telling each other stories; here they are). And although I thought the stories themselves were okay, I kept falling asleep whilst reading them.
When I first read this, many years ago, I loved the story and had few complaints. I still love the story, but this time around I found myself cheering for Dracula because the rest of the characters are so irritating. Okay, yes, I know, it was the late 1800s and things were very different, but I'm still irritated to be reminded of that. To think that saying a woman had the mind of a man was the highest of compliments! GAH! Because normally they're just fragile, hysterical creatures! Okay, so maybe less irritated and more apoplectic...
A gripping but rather horrific tale. Told well, but in dire need of editing. I've read a lot of reviews in which people criticise the writing. The writing itself is okay, but the trio of editors the author thanks should be fired. The editing is so atrocious, I would tell kids about to read this series that this is how they shouldn't write if they want to pass their English classes.
That's ★★★ when compared to the drivel that precedes this instalment in the series and ★ overall. I keep hoping the series will get better, because I like(d? past tense, possibly) Anita Blake, but that's probably not going to happen. My interest in Blake, her story, and the decisions and choices she makes, keeps me reading in spite of the rubbish writing. sigh
