Tom Merritt
Fantastic. Such a wonderful critique and send up of fantasy classics like C.S. Lewis, T.H. White and obviously newer fare like J.K. Rowling. It seems to answer the question of what people today would do if they were confronted with classical magical worlds. This is a modern book by far but e love of lore shows through in every curse word and every disdainful ennui filled sigh of its very modern characters.
I didn't get my standard Coupland vibe of cultural gestalt from this one. I'm talking about those moments when you nod in understanding and agreement when a character does or says something that you don't expect in a book but really captures your current everyday experience. It's there in thin layers but this book went somewhere else.
The storytelling at the end seems to be a modern day Canterbury Tales. The tales almost seem a parody of earlier Couplan works. Gen A actually tries to pull a deeper meaning out of those stories. And it almost succeeds. But when I finishe this book I didn't have that experience of thinking I just read something that captured and added to my understanding of our world.
That said I enjoyed the story and it did pull me along enjoyably.
Disappointing. I really wanted end of the world stories, of which there were several. However the editor chose to define apocalypese as any revolutionary change. Fair enough, and certainly led to including some very interesting stories. But it's just not what I signed on for.
I definitely enjoyed this book. As a huge fan of “If on a winter's night a traveler” by Italo Calvino, the idea of interrupted stories is not a bad one for me. And what a perk to get to see them finished. The nested nature of the second halves was elegant and enjoyable. I wrestled with whether I would classify this book as “important” as some have said. It's themes are well expressed and its issues well defined but rarely was I shocked by them. However I was always entertained enough by the stories not to have minded. And then there was Robert Frobisher. Without spoiling anything, I can only say the end of his story moved me. And provoked new thoughts in me. And I feel, was important. And that's not to take away from the other stories which are magnificent. It's a book well worth reading.
Well I feel a fool for holding out on this one for so long. An intricate plot woven deftly and very much told in art as well as text. I was very impressed at the way meaning was layered and mirrored from the superheroes to the newsagent's corner to the comic book pirate story.
Brilliant. It did take me awhile to get swept up in it. I liked it fine from the beginning but from the moment Lady Thyme calls Fitz back fromt he keep to meeting the Forged Ones and on I was hooked.
This book also made me extra nice to my dogs.
Well it was just as good or better the second time. And made me want to go on a road trip.
Murderbot is one of my favorite sec units. Well the only one I know but still. There is no adventure that goes unenjoyed by me. These books are like my personal Rise and Fall of the Sanctuary Moon.
The early part of it was worth reading, even for a coffee table book. Excellent look into how the story developed with great extracts from actual notes and scripts. Would love to see more of that!
An excellent thought-provoking book. It takes a lot of risks by trying to predict two futures as well as explain a lot of science, but overall I think the issues it raises and discusses around free will far outweigh whether Sawyer made a mistake predicting Windows 2009.
Good
A well-told end to an important coda to Return if the Jedi with some delicious bridges to The Force Awakens.
A fantastic journey. Stephenson's alternate world is compelling, realistic and interesting. His device of moving you through many different aspects of the world continues his tradition of changing scenery to keep the story compelling while characters maintain their consistency.
Anathem deserves a whole wiki devoted to understanding the rich world Stephenson created. I was slightly let down by the final stage of the story, but not much really. No spoilers so I can't really go into why, but part of my let-down might be that it had to end.
Another great read
I didn't want to finish it because I love being with the crew of the Rocinante so much. When's the next one?
Inventive and incendiary
Joe Hill manages to channel a bit of the modern mainstream novel through the mystical genius of his own Locke and Key and season it lightly with a bit of his family heritage to tell a compelling and enjoyable tale that delights and surprises.
This tale is very slow to get into. It bears a lot of similarity to the version included in previous partial publications. The opening chapter is very dry like the Silmarillion. I like this part of Tolkien's work but I felt like I'd read it, and was expecting his son had worked it into more of a story.
After the first few chapters, it does get into more of a tale, and less of a historical record, however it only occasionally gains the personal presence of the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings.
All in all I found myself compelled to pick it up each night by the end, and so feel as if it was worthwhile. The magic of Tolkien is preserved by his son, and I give it a 4.
I loved getting the perspectives from each of the view of the Rocinante. I also loved splitting them up so we can see a little more of what they're like outside of Holden's orbit. My only quibble would be that the story arc leaves me hanging which in show business I believe is called leaving me wanting more. Which ultimately is a good thing but damn. All of the Expanse novels have left you on a hook for the next one but never as intensely as this one I don't think. SO MANY MYSTERIES! ALL THE MYSTERIES!
Very Tolkien-influenced. Somewhat lighter than Tolkien but more weighty than C. S. Lewis. Teh Aes Sedai remind me of the Bene Gesserit.
I liked this book but unlike Pattern Recognition I didn't get sucked into it. The short chapters were interesting but I think it kept me from building the kind of immersion I expect. But a lukewarm experience ina Gibson novel is still hotter than most books.
Excellent read. I left my laptop at home accidentally during a trip to the Sierras and bought this for something to do when not hiking around or eating. So glad I did. Cayce has become one of my favorite characters of all time. The central mystery was compelling and kept me going. Gibson does good as usual.
Delightful. L adore Lila and desperately wish for her to find a ship. Kell is a lovable lug and the world of magic and the multiple Londons captivated me. Well done!
This story may not be for everyone. But it was for me. And I loved it. It was a story full of wind and clever looks and the smell of honey. And some darkness. But just enough.
I liked this though it very much reminded me of a more restricted version of Cloud Atlas.
Ugh. Very good writing. Exceptionally well crafted. Interesting twist and turns. But ultimately disappointing. Small town Midwesterners struggling with rich east coast elites is not new. Manipulative women who take advantage of emotionally unavailable men is not new. So I don't hate the book but to me it's a well written thriller not literature. Which is fine. There is a place for that.
This book started for me as a fascinating challenge in perspective shifting both with the change of personal pronouns and the multiple segment personality of the ship both when complete and when torn as Breq. Left there it would hVe been a good and fascinating story. But Ms. Leckie did not rest on that laurel. By the end of the book I was surprised to learn that not only had my brain been well accustomed to accepting ‘she' as irrelevant to the gender of a subject, but I was enjoying a rich and satisfying science fiction story of intrigue, and depth. This is without a doubt the best thing I've read all year and overhead some very excellent things.