George D

Biggest takeaway: Jane Austen is not a fan of children.

This is basically a rough draft of Pride and Prejudice. Inferior in most ways but can see how it would've been popular at release.

Found it weirdly judgemental, like Jane Austen hadn't yet learned to add nuance to her judgements, characters motives and actions are spelled out rather than shown.

Elinor is the one of the most fleshed out one dimensional character I've ever read. She's perfect and her only issues are dealing with a world that isn't ready for her perfection.

Loved every passage about a bachelor over 35 being tragically, desperately, over the hill.

I'm surprised to say this is the strongest so far in the Ender's series. It's a little more philosophical than the others but in a way that suits what's happening on the page plus it also includes a fantastically realistic anti-heroes journey I didn't expect.

I'm really not sure about the whole young Peter and Val surprise, it felt like it came out of nowhere purely for the purpose of sequels

Considering who wrote this, it's fascinating to see the issues of religious fundamentalism discussed in such detail.

This is crack for any history fan. A true masterpiece of fictional worldbuilding.

Although definitely noticed this time that possibly the most old fashioned British influence over this whole mythos is the complete avoidance of anything overtly sexual in Tolkiens stories. When you compare his myths to their obvious forebear, the Greek Gods, you realise how much sex has been left out.

This isn't in itself a bad thing, but you'd be hardpressed to find any genuine historical myth from around the world that so thoroughly ignored one of the biggest features of human nature.

This book annoyed the hell out of me. Ray's personal story is really interesting, would've enjoyed more of that, but once he gets to his principles it starts feeling like a snake oil salesman who genuinely believes his elixir works.

It's interesting as a character study. Here's a guy who can't accept he's just another genius investor with the right level of tenacity and timing to make it big. He has to imagine he has invented some brilliant new philosophy to teach as well. The fact is, he's not saying anything wrong, its great and simple sounding fluff you can enjoy at that level and not dig into at all. Think of it as the Ayn Rand school of philosophy.

Couldn't make it through the Principles section before giving up.

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.