George D
DNF
Wanted to try a book like this for a fun little pep up, 8 seconds into the audiobook and had to stop, the authors voice is such a terrible medium for this book and its contents. Distractingly so.
For a guy who wrote a book about ego being the enemy it's bold for him to assume that he is the best possible choice on the planet to narrate his own book. Makes you have to question everything he's writing if he thinks that he is.
A great example of the right ending clicking things perfectly into place and highlighting the themes in ways that get better the more I think about them. The ending made the book more tragic and less cynical than I expected it to be.
As a general story there are issues I could point at with the light plot, simplistic characters, and detached tone. But as a topical novel shining a light on horrific parts of the past that stays with you after you put it down, it's a great read.
The perfection of the pacing and plot aside, John le Carré is an exceptional writer, giving just the right detail to create a scene and navigating the complexities of class and society with an artists ease. The characters have their unique views and they express them profoundly.
Plus his spy-jargon is pitch-perfect and so smoothly inserted into the story that it took me half the book to realise I was reading something like “the headmen scoping a deaddrop picked up a double they could use for stock with the Cousins” and knew exactly what was going on without even thinking about it.
A third of the way into this book I had the strange experience of realising I must've read it as a teenager and completely forgotten. This makes young-me an idiot, because this is a masterpiece. Well written, complex world building that manages to balance the showing with the telling.
I can see how young-me may have had difficulty with this manifesto on anarchism, one that doesn't shy away from the difficulties and weaknesses of the system even as it promotes its values. Plus at one point the protagonist suffers some drunken premature ejaculation.
A masterpiece that gives a fitting ending to this transcendent trilogy. This novel/trilogy is an affirmation of the very art form of literature.
Like Cromwell himself, the novel is looser and more reflective than the previous two, past merging with present and dreams with reality, all leading up to a perfectly rendered ending (which I didn't know because my knowledge of the Tudors is limited - I actively avoided looking up anything to do with English history because spoilers).
A comically long book, and perfect.
My first Courtenay book and I can see why he's so popular, the man can write.
The story feels loosely plotted, changing between characters a little randomly, and zooming into some moments and then zooming out for a year to pass on a whim, this is a strength and weakness - the ending felt a strangely rushed but the unexpected, extended, and thoroughly enjoyable, sidetrack on Sperm Whale Sally was a little mini showcase of Courtenays ability to create an extremely convincing world and the strange combination of tragedy and warmth he can draw from it.
Mary is delightful, Ikey is great, and once you realise Hannah is basically a Dickensian one-dimensional villain she becomes fun too.
I would say this book is fundamental reading for anyone who wants to appreciate the world more but the long discussions of the artists that he knew and their works is probably prohibitive unless it gets you a little inspired like it did me (a nerd).
A fascinating first hand account of the days leading up to both World Wars. The shift of the world from old to new is beautifully rendered in Zweig's clean prose. I highlighted some very lengthy sections thanks to them perfectly capturing a moment I knew I'd want to go back to.
He didn't know it was coming but this is the best defence of a European Union I've ever read.
A worthwhile read if only just for an assessment of your own habits and an insight into the pressures societies put on us to drink and what that does to people.
Not gonna lie, very jealous of her level of success while being a raging alcoholic, I'm basically a teetotaller in comparison and still have a significantly less impressive resume.
It's fine, can see the appeal, but for me there's no magic hook that makes me want to keep reading. The orientalism is fun and over the top but it wasn't enough.
I gave up at page 566, which is outrageously late to be making that decision. That's on me.
After that many pages I'm definitely still counting it as having read it.
I thought this was the last book in this series so you can imagine my confusion when the size of the world and the complexity of the mechanics within it all completely blew open towards the end.
If I'm being pedantic I'll say it's not as strong as the more focussed previous entry - unsurprising since the last book didn't have to shoulder the burden of trying to smoothly add about a thousand new plot points to the series - but still a great time.
The finale could be quite epic.
As good as the last one but with that extra zing of Brandon Sanderson ultra-plotting leading to characters and events from the previous book being recontextualised in fun unexpected ways.
With literally any other writer you might think he's doing a ‘Luke and Leia are siblings actually' kind of thing, but since you know he's plotted out every story years ahead in obsessive detail you can feel safe it was all part of the plan.
Long story short, this book has another great Sando ending.
Cowboys and magic, you ain't sure if it's gonna work and then 12 seconds in you realise Sanderson has god damn done it again and made it look easy to boot.
It's a lighter read - not quite the epic complexity of his longer works - but still a ripping yarn with great action and fun characters. Can't ask for more than that.
The first time I read this book I was a little underwhelmed after hearing so much about its popularity. Now, rereading it years and years later, I am completely in awe of this masterpiece.
I don't know if there can ever be a better example of a book the author was slowly building towards writing with every previous book. A synthesis of all his beliefs and experiences funnelled through a literary style he had perfected over two decades.
What a fresh take: Slaughterhouse-5 is good.
