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3.28 AVERAGE
3.28 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
I needed an 'I absolutely detested it' star for this book. The only reason I read it was because someone lent it to me, with a very strong recommendation. I read it in Spanish, and thought it was so bad due to the translation, but after reading other reviews on here I've come to the conclusion that it's simply dreadful in any language.
I'd like to know how many times the word 'energy' appears in this book, because the whole thing is so repetitive it feels like you're reading the same page over and over again. It gave me the impression it can't make its mind up whether it's a truly awful self-help book, or a truly awful novel. In the first case, the 'message' could've been transmitted much more effectively in a half-page essay, and in the second, the story is so lacking in substance and just about everything else, that it was all I could do not to abandon it half way through. The reason I didn't is because I hate leaving books half-read, mainly because the optimist in me believes it has to get better. Needless to say, in this case it most certainly didn't.
I'd like to know how many times the word 'energy' appears in this book, because the whole thing is so repetitive it feels like you're reading the same page over and over again. It gave me the impression it can't make its mind up whether it's a truly awful self-help book, or a truly awful novel. In the first case, the 'message' could've been transmitted much more effectively in a half-page essay, and in the second, the story is so lacking in substance and just about everything else, that it was all I could do not to abandon it half way through. The reason I didn't is because I hate leaving books half-read, mainly because the optimist in me believes it has to get better. Needless to say, in this case it most certainly didn't.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Not what I wanted to read at the time. It took so long for me to read it that I never finished it. I'll pick it up again in the future maybe.
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This really should have been a pamphlet with the nine insights, or maybe a series of blog posts. It definitely doesn't work as a novel, and it is a far cry from an adventure.
All that being said, I enjoyed thinking about the insights and energy and how we affect and interact with each other.
All that being said, I enjoyed thinking about the insights and energy and how we affect and interact with each other.
I first read this book back in middle school, and back then, it made a profound impact on me. Some of the concepts about energy and human's use of it are things I still think about. Now, returning as an adult, I have a somewhat different perspective.
Redfield has good story concepts and ideas, but unfortunately he leaves a lot to be desired as a writer. Where when I was younger I didn't recognize or could ignore a lot of things, there were certain words, phrases, directions the book took that had me questioning what younger me though. It didn't help that I was reading the book aloud to someone else either; that just made the issues that more glaring.
First and foremost, you could make a drinking game out of the amount of times that someone looks intensely at another person in this book. It happens nearly every page, sometimes more. We began shouting it out loud at certain points because it amused us. Same goes with conversation and the use of the word "said". And that goes to the conversations itself; there is no conversation that doesn't mean something in this book. Everything has a message. Which gets a bit tedious. It's like it's the only way the author has of expressing his views so there's a lot more telling than showing that happens.
But it does have some good points. I still find the concepts of energy a bit magical in this book. Who wouldn't want to view energy that way or use it? For adventure, it does have a compelling narrative; religion and government trying to limit what might take their power, etc.
My advice is, don't take this book too serious. It's not going to be a guidebook. Enjoy it for what it is and view it as the author's concepts of the world around and things he would like to see.
Review by M. Reynard 2020
Redfield has good story concepts and ideas, but unfortunately he leaves a lot to be desired as a writer. Where when I was younger I didn't recognize or could ignore a lot of things, there were certain words, phrases, directions the book took that had me questioning what younger me though. It didn't help that I was reading the book aloud to someone else either; that just made the issues that more glaring.
First and foremost, you could make a drinking game out of the amount of times that someone looks intensely at another person in this book. It happens nearly every page, sometimes more. We began shouting it out loud at certain points because it amused us. Same goes with conversation and the use of the word "said". And that goes to the conversations itself; there is no conversation that doesn't mean something in this book. Everything has a message. Which gets a bit tedious. It's like it's the only way the author has of expressing his views so there's a lot more telling than showing that happens.
But it does have some good points. I still find the concepts of energy a bit magical in this book. Who wouldn't want to view energy that way or use it? For adventure, it does have a compelling narrative; religion and government trying to limit what might take their power, etc.
My advice is, don't take this book too serious. It's not going to be a guidebook. Enjoy it for what it is and view it as the author's concepts of the world around and things he would like to see.
Review by M. Reynard 2020