7,451 Books
See allDreamlike, but that is not necessarily a compliment.
The story feels very uneven, with some very successful and transcendent stories and some decidedly less so. The metanarrative struck me as strained and didn't seem to do a good job of explaining Anodos' motivations, actions, or what was going on.
As a parable, some of the interludes are excellent, some more questionable.
It literally took me years of searching to figure out what book this was! Easily one of my all-time favorite books from childhood.
Maybe I'm just a sucker for weird dream-like worlds. It took forever to get through, but I absolutely loved it.
An absolutely incredible look into the human mind and the attempt to grasp things beyond human understanding.
This is the first book I've read in one sitting since 2018. It's that compelling.
Giles interpolation of Chinese commentators and both Chinese and Western examples greatly aid in clarifying, expanding, and even sometimes challenging Sun Tzu's assessment of the Art of War, to the great benefit of the reader.