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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really, really enjoyed this. It's very human, surprisingly gentle, and with a lot of moments of wonder. Extremely well-written, and has a layer of references to other, older SF works that isn't required for enjoyment (but a really nice bonus). Very place-and-character-focused; do not read if you require a strong overarching plot.
Book club discussion notes from the Chicago Nerd Social Club:
http://positronchicago.blogspot.com/2016/06/chicago-nerds-central-station.html
Book club discussion notes from the Chicago Nerd Social Club:
http://positronchicago.blogspot.com/2016/06/chicago-nerds-central-station.html
Glorious worldbuilding that I wanted more of - I want to see every angle, immerse myself in this like a game. The writing is crisp and delightful, with strong descriptors and an eye for showing diversity. Lovely descriptions of space.
I went into this thinking it was a novel, and I see from many of the reviews that it's a series of sketches/stories linked by the setting. That makes sense of the central confusion I had around the plot (or really how little of it there is). As a story lover, I hope there's a series of stories/novels set in this evocative world.
I went into this thinking it was a novel, and I see from many of the reviews that it's a series of sketches/stories linked by the setting. That makes sense of the central confusion I had around the plot (or really how little of it there is). As a story lover, I hope there's a series of stories/novels set in this evocative world.
This is very dense, and I got pretty bogged down in the god artist section - it felt more disconnected from the rest of the book, and the fact the two characters most closely involved with the outcome of what happened (the gamer woman and the robotnik) disappear after that chapter is over didn't help with that.
But, other than that, there is so much here, and it is so weird and so detailed (the options at the euthanasia park!) and so good. I didn't particularly connect with any of the characters, but I also didn't care about that (and like the circus in The Night Circus, the station here is probably the main character anyway).
It took me a few chapters to really dig into this, but other than that and the god artist thing, this is wonderful.
(Oh, and this is not particular profound, but it meant something to me: Coming back had felt like a weakness, a giving up, at first.)
But, other than that, there is so much here, and it is so weird and so detailed (the options at the euthanasia park!) and so good. I didn't particularly connect with any of the characters, but I also didn't care about that (and like the circus in The Night Circus, the station here is probably the main character anyway).
It took me a few chapters to really dig into this, but other than that and the god artist thing, this is wonderful.
(Oh, and this is not particular profound, but it meant something to me: Coming back had felt like a weakness, a giving up, at first.)
I really enjoyed this, and I love that it's a series of connected vignettes (note publishing history in the back), that builds into a whole. Although Bradbury did this with [b:The Martian Chronicles|76778|The Martian Chronicles|Ray Bradbury|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1374049948l/76778._SY75_.jpg|4636013], it seems to be coming back into style (I'm thinking Becky Chambers's [b:Record of a Spaceborn Few|32802595|Record of a Spaceborn Few (Wayfarers, #3)|Becky Chambers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1516965190l/32802595._SY75_.jpg|53399142]). The multiple levels of human/machine/artificial intelligence conjunctions made this an interesting environment, though I'm still contemplating the fact that the novel/collection largely ignores that central (pun intended) feature that enables its action--Central Station itself. I guess all transportation hubs are more conduits for multiple, everchanging stories rather than narratives unto themselves. Also, liminal spaces (e.g., where the old Arab-Jewish city brushes up against the supertech of Central Station itself) are also the most interesting spaces because of the hybrid mix of peoples and cultures that happens within them.
Almost more a series of interconnected short stories than a novel, Central Station is a lovely little novel that beautifully evokes a possible future.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
The book suffers from the fact that it is a stitch together of many short stories that are based on the same world.
It has a lot of interesting content but it has little focus and I never connected with the characters or the story itself.
It has a lot of interesting content but it has little focus and I never connected with the characters or the story itself.
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Not bad, but I failed to connect with the stories in here. Silly metaphysics give me a rash and this is a very, very itchy book.