Todd Warner
Celebrity, fame, mob-mentality, the cult of personality, and fear—both rational and irrational—and the power of teamwork/crowd-source/open-source . . . all wrapped up in a story of friendship, love, and a bit of sci-fi. Hank Green weaves a breezy, but tightly plotted, page-turner of a tale.
This is just an observation: It did take me a bit to get used to the first-person past narrative. And he quite often broke the fourth wall. Ok, what am I saying, I never really got used to that; it reads like a long blog-post in a sense. It's not a point of view that is natural to me for a novel, but . . . it's a style.
Regardless, it's a great story and a fun read that will make you think.
As Twain does, he hides social commentary in a quaint story and sneaks it all in before you realize what happened.
This books is funny, of course. Twain is one of those folks that makes you smile on every page. And he skewers major institution after major institution. In particular, he thumbs his nose at monarchies, hero worship, artificial class structures, the superstitious, and wow does he go at institutional religious entities. He also has a lot to say about mankind's infatuation with heroism through violence, blind patriotism, mob thinking, anti-intellectualism. The story applies today as much as it did then. All of this wrapped up in the story of a “modern” dude being transported to the 6th century. Where at first he thinks he is somehow in an insane asylum and then realizes that everyone is just insane (so to speak). Anyway. It's a must read, I think, if you want a complete western literary education but ...
BUT! I didn't love it.
The language is ... just too dated. Huckleberry Finn is one of my favorite novels of all time, but it didn't bog down in the language like this book did. I'm not sure why this was different. And all the 6th century folks spoke in a Twain-ified 6th century dialect that was sometimes quite funny (he was making fun of them) but also ... just too much.
And the book is entirely too long. It needed to be about 1/3rd shorter. Maybe more. It reminded me of Forest Gump and how it just went on and on and on and on. Anyway.
Glad I read it. It is indeed brilliant. But I will never read it again. :)
Phenomenal.
Funny. Forthright. Tender. Snarky. Just wonderful.
Of all the craft/advice books I have read, this one stands apart. The advice is thorough and well contextualized and written with careful thought. She writes like a mentor. She writes like a teacher. She writes like a friend.
So good. Recommend.
Let me start this off with, David Goggins is an extraordinary man. He rose up from an unbelievably abusive household and found a positive path in life that brought him success and fulfillment. Well, some fulfillment. Maybe “purpose” is the right word.
NOTE: A warning to readers, this is a book written end-to-end in bro-speak. I commend the ghostwriter (Adam Skolnick) for capturing that voice and putting it to the page, but it makes this book a hard read. If you are a 20-something-year-old male, you will probably have no issue with it. Adults though . . . this will be more challenging. I recommend just trying to push that aside and see the story for what it is.
The strength of this book is in the story of the subject's personal journey. It's remarkable and incredibly unusual. Interwoven with the personal story is a lot of philosophizing. I found this interesting, but . . . Goggins lived a bizarre life and is driven in a way that is singularly unusual. His personal journey is the strength of the book, but his philosophy on his approach to condition and training is interesting as well, if not unusual. He just takes it to 11.
You see. I can relate to the personal philosophy Goggins espouses. I was “that guy” in the military. In fact, I actually considered writing a book on the exact same idea (I even have a title and summary paragraph written out in my idea-bank). I was rock-hard, hardcore—a super-soldier as my peers called me—while in the military. I reached my maximum potential while I served. But I was normal-guy hardcore. I was never ever going to achieve what Goggins did because, well, I wasn't gifted with his genetics, to be frank. Plus, I didn't have that same focused drive. Not for the long haul anyway. I had and have many many interests (too many), but while I was in the active-duty military, I strove to be #1. Always. So, I was goggins, small-G. There were a lot of folks like me, but we were the 1%-ers in the military.
My story changed course when I decided I had had enough of the military and moved on. My interests diverged and diluted and, as my wife can attest, it took about 5 years for me to deprogram. I'm not a normal dude with normal dude issues for the most part and I am happier for that. I look back at my Goggins lifestyle wistfully, but I am glad that phase is over. Plus I learned a few things along the way that Goggins seems to only be catching onto lately.
Goggins outdid his peers by sheer willpower and focus. Brute force. And a healthy dose of genetics to help along the way. I was the same way (minus the super-genetics). I always said, “I may not be the smartest person in the room, but I will outwork anyone.” And I did. This has its positives, but over time it becomes inefficient and draining and eventually, counter-productive. You have to morph into “work smart, not hard.” In the book, it sounded like Goggins was slowly coming to that realization as well. Maybe that will be his next book. I will read that one as well (let's hope the bro-speak is toned down). Additionally, I'd be curious to know how many people lose the message he delivers simply because he is such a mutant. I wonder if his message truly resonates with those far from his archetype.
Regardless of my nit-picking, Goggins is right on all accounts. We can achieve far more than we think we can. We can all suffer more hardship and discomfort than we think we can. And most importantly, we all need to step away from our comfortable lives from time to time. Otherwise, we stagnate and decline. If you are utterly comfortable, it feels good at the moment, but over time, it will slowly erode your potential. To grow, one must challenge oneself. Goggins slams home this point.
Goggins is an interesting fellow. A very singular human being. This book is a fascinating read, but ... 3 stars from me. The best books get 4 and my favorites get 5, so 3 stars in good company. I hope Goggins can find true sustained contentment. A little more balance. Assuming he is not a narcissist (he comes across as potentially narcissistic), I hope he can finally cobble together a family and find a way to live a normal, happy, and sustainable life. Right now, he does not appear to be there yet, but he's still relatively young. Maybe that will be his next book.
I wanted to like this book: An exploration of utopian societies, the singularity, reincarnation via simulation, AI, the ingenuity of people; even stickin' it to The Man . . . It had the makings of a great novel but ended up being bogged down by its own ideology, overly clever slang and jargon that makes it almost impenetrable (and I am a techno-dork!), and characters archetypes that were far FAR too stereotypical and impossible to truly identify with. It didn't help that all the characters went by nicknames that obliterated their individuality. All of them. It made them semi-anonymous and difficult to envision.
This book is just too much of too much. I wanted to DNF it, but . . . I don't DNF books. I pushed through. An aggressive editor who knew how to say “No” probably could have saved it from itself.
Ugh. Again, I really wanted to like this book and it pains me to write this review. It's a book signed by the author no less. A guy I greatly admire and follow like a fanboy. Alas, this is not a book I can recommend. Sorry, Cory.
...
Hey! In reading the reviews, there are people who seem to like it. So, the audience is out there. That audience simply doesn't include me. :(
An immersive, unique, character- and setting-driven read.
The only significant criticism I have for this book is the narrative gets a bit wooden when it drifts away from the main protagonist. It also tends to be a bit too sentimental and overwrought. But on the whole, the story is very nearly perfect.
The world building is so visceral. The protagonist ages from 6 to adulthood and the author really immerses you into her mind and setting. You grow with her throughout her trials and tribulations . . . her cruel then caring education.
There is a murder mystery here and the story almost doesn't need it given how interesting the characters and setting are which makes this a compelling for reread. But the mystery is tense and keeps you at the edge of your seat to the end.
Oh! And the science! The book serves also as an exclamation of love for the natural world—a love for the small things, the overlooked things, by an overlooked girl— and expertly examines human behavior through the lens of a naturalist.
Just a fun and fantastic novel.
McCarthy is the master of description and dialogue. All the Pretty Horses takes you on an incredible journey with a young man and his best friend seeking escape and adventure and a new life abroad only to find all those things and far more than they bargained for.
This is a coming of age story in a sense, a story of a boy searching for a purpose in a world where the life he knew was just turned upside down.
The story is fantastic. The pacing is perfect. The writing though is what sets this apart. The writing is superb. Some of the best stuff I have ever read.
”[. . .] they smelled of smoke and tallow and sweat and they looked as wild and strange as the country they were in.”
Yes. Yes, they did. McCarthy writes poetry on every page. There is no author in recent memory that can paint a picture, paint a mood, like McCarthy. This particular quote captures the texture of the story. For all your aspiring writers out there. This is masterclass stuff.
A solid book. Kicks off with some concrete and succinct advice and then becomes a valuable reference book. I bought it looking for more handholding than it gives, but it's really geared to be a reference versus a huge book of examples. Which is probably more valuable long term. This is an excellent resource. I suspect it will be quite dogeared in no time.
Four stars cuz ... well, I only give five stars to certain rare books, or books that mean something exceptional to me. Depending on how much I use this over time, I can see it becoming a five-star book.
Super fun with a really wide assortment of perspective and imaginative storytelling. This anthology has something for everyone: A western. A superhero (supervillain) tale. A Lovecraftian horror. A sad, but introspective story of love and loss. Gritty noir-ish crime. Even a bit of steampunk action. This is a super-fun anthology where every story offers something unexpected. A real treat. Recommend.
Of all the how-to books on storytelling structure that I have read, this one is the best. Comfortably the best, I think. Thorough, extremely well-written, well-structured, insightful, sometimes academic, and clear.
The book could have been edited down a bit and the author gets a smidge repetitive, but I get why he does what he does. He presents the same arguments from one direction, then another, then applies and gives examples from another, etc. etc. The benefit is that you understand his points better because he has fleshed them out thoroughly. Do I think a bit too thoroughly? Maybe. It's a quibble. Buy this book anyway if you write stories.
Note: Into the Woods is focused on screenwriting, but don't let that stop you if that's not your thing. Storytelling is storytelling. It all applies.
Outstanding. The best instructional on “structure” that I have read thus far. Take notes. Highlight. And then implement. The book has a nice conversational tone, but so much meat. And maybe most importantly, copious examples. At times the layering upon layer of detail, nuance, and all the different spins of the beat-sheet can feel repetitive, but it's necessary for an instructional book of this type. And, man, oh man, the examples! I can't imagine the amount of work that went into developing this book.
The writing. Gaimen's writing feels (sounds) effortless. Almost poetic. He is just such a joy to read. I wish I could write half as eloquently. Man, I wish I could read his first draft and compare.
Story. This may be my favorite his novels ) that I have read, of course). I have liked the others, but not loved. I loved this novel. It was such a great and thought provoking adventure packaged up as a childhood dream wrapped in an adult's nostalgic recollection. That just may have happened. We all have recollected stories of our youth that we are just barely clinging to... Gaimen really captured that phenomenon and then cranked up the story. Just wonderful. Recommend!
Ghosts. Faeries. Old houses....
And intrigue. And romance. And mystery. Even a bit of politics.
Ms. Beall's prior book in this series, Seven Turns, was marked by just how fun it was. It also had some truly great characters, all set in a town that was a character all its own.
The 2nd in this series takes all that and cranks it up a few notches. Even more on the line. Even more intertwined plotlines. Even more references to classic rock... And just as fun! Her characters become your friends and neighbors. As a reader you will fully immerse yourself into this community.
Oh! And it is funny! A lovely dry sense of humor permeates the whole series.
This is a great book. Recommend!
What a fun book. Great characters. Great dialogue. Great settings and scenes. Lots of twists and turns in a world both grounded in reality and mysticism. Kim Beall leads you down a road that, just when you think you know where it may head next, unexpectedly veers to the right. So much fun.
I loved this book. You will too. I can't wait to read the next in the series, Moonlight and Moss.
Ms. Dupré's second novel tells the story of a set of intertwined families that experience emotional hardship and joy, tragedy and triumph, kindness and cruelty. The author is expert at painting a picture of deep love and connection that only then has the rug pulled out from under it. She is expert at reminding us that nothing is ever black and white. There are good people and bad people –good people that do bad things, and bad people and situations that are, in the end, far more complicated than they seem to be on the surface.
This book touched me with its bittersweetness and humanity. And it's the humanity that is its ultimate strength. The characters are people you know and deeply care about. They are people you have probably run into time and again, and ultimately, they are you and your life experience at some level. I can't recommend this book enough.
So. Good.
Outstanding novel that combines full on mystery with suspense, plus psychological drama, plus time-travel-sorta, plus plus plus... And the premise is just so darn clever!
What I loved most about this was its examination of what it means to be human. The 6 protagonists are fully fleshed out characters with differing, but converging motivations, who all wrestle with that big question of “What does it mean to be a human being?”
In summary, Six Wakes (by the way, I LOVE that title) is both a page-turner and something that makes you think. Great novel. I enthusiastically recommend.
Simply outstanding.
...
Side note: It only took about 100 pages to get used to the way he writes dialogue. He, like some others (Cormac McCarthy comes to mind) greatly reduce the punctuation used and no quotation marks at all. Frazier is such a strong writer though that unless you approach the book casually, you don't often get lost in the narrative. Still, it took me some time to adapt to the style.
