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anca_m's review against another edition
4.0
Distopie.
-nu in sensul obisnuit pe care-l ia in literatura: haosul ataca doar un oras, orasul e scena pe care oribilitatile necesare unei distopii au loc.
-persoana I, singular, o scrisoare spre exterior: Anna Blume
-concentrarea autorului pe oras, lumea dinafara e ignorata, orasul e centrul gandurilor personajelor implicit cu supravietuirea.
-mersul e motivatie si scop - "Pun un picior in fata celuilalt, celalalt picior in fata primului si apoi sper sa o pot face din nou. Nimic mai mult de-atat. Trebuie sa intelegi cum traiesc acum. Ma misc. Respir ce aer mi se da. Mananc cat de putin pot. Indiferent ce ar spune altii, singurul lucru care conteaza e sa ramai in picioare. "
-ce mai vrei cand nu urmaresti sa-ti fie bine sau sa ajungi undeva - "Lasa totul sa dispara si apoi sa vedem ce ramane. Poate ca asta e cea mai interesanta intrebare: sa vedem ce se-ntampla dupa ce n-a mai ramas nimic [..]" - ce scop mai are atunci supravietuirea? => sinucigasii (mentiune pt. "Alergatori" - sa alergi pana la limita epuizarii pana crapi pe dinauntru si "Clubul de Asasinate") - "Dar in final nu ma las sa alunec, nu-mi permit. O sa rezist cat de mult pot[..]".
-camera din Biblioteca impartita de Anna si Samuel Farr - o sustragere de la realitate, obsesia cartii ce trebuie scrisa
-rostul Casei Woburn, un mic voiaj in paradis ca sa ti se para apoi mai crunta realitatea, 10 iluzile. micul bine temporar comparat cu marele rau - viziunea unui om continuata. rostul unei Case Woburn?
-disperarea si spaimele Annei sint scrise temperat, la un timp trecut si parca e justificata abia la sfarsit, cand poate! a trecut vremea lor
-disparitia lucrurilor din mintea oamenilor, readucerea vechilor conditii in minte e sinucigasa - "Oamenii fantoma mor intotdeauna in somn."- uitarea e inevitabila, nu numai ca lucrurile dispar, dispare si amintirea lor, " In final, problema nu e atat ca oamenii uita, cat ca nu uita mereu acelasi lucru.[..]E un proces de stergere lent, dar inevitabil. Cuvintele tind sa dureze putin mai mult decat lucrurile, dar in cele din urma si ele palesc, impreuna cu imaginle pe care le evocau candva."
-mai e misterul din jurul circumstantelor, nu afli nimic; ce s-a intamplat cu orasul? - Auster nu prezice nimic din evenimentele ce converg spre starea de lucruri intunecata
-la inceput, situatia aparea atat de neagra ca mi se parea de neconceput existenta relatiilor dintre oameni; totusi, Isabel, Sam, Ferdinand, Boris, Victoria - de toti, Anna se agata si-si creeaza un univers de miscare ca sa nu revina in conditia de la venirea in oras; singuratatea in care pana la urma, fiecare traia; cum sa traiesti in haos altfel?
-distopiile sunt minunate, de unde imi duc pesimismul; e placerea morbida cu care gust detaliile deprimante si socante in detrimentul scenelor de dragoste sau descrierilor de caldura sufleteasca.
-nu in sensul obisnuit pe care-l ia in literatura: haosul ataca doar un oras, orasul e scena pe care oribilitatile necesare unei distopii au loc.
-persoana I, singular, o scrisoare spre exterior: Anna Blume
-concentrarea autorului pe oras, lumea dinafara e ignorata, orasul e centrul gandurilor personajelor implicit cu supravietuirea.
-mersul e motivatie si scop - "Pun un picior in fata celuilalt, celalalt picior in fata primului si apoi sper sa o pot face din nou. Nimic mai mult de-atat. Trebuie sa intelegi cum traiesc acum. Ma misc. Respir ce aer mi se da. Mananc cat de putin pot. Indiferent ce ar spune altii, singurul lucru care conteaza e sa ramai in picioare. "
-ce mai vrei cand nu urmaresti sa-ti fie bine sau sa ajungi undeva - "Lasa totul sa dispara si apoi sa vedem ce ramane. Poate ca asta e cea mai interesanta intrebare: sa vedem ce se-ntampla dupa ce n-a mai ramas nimic [..]" - ce scop mai are atunci supravietuirea? => sinucigasii (mentiune pt. "Alergatori" - sa alergi pana la limita epuizarii pana crapi pe dinauntru si "Clubul de Asasinate") - "Dar in final nu ma las sa alunec, nu-mi permit. O sa rezist cat de mult pot[..]".
-camera din Biblioteca impartita de Anna si Samuel Farr - o sustragere de la realitate, obsesia cartii ce trebuie scrisa
-rostul Casei Woburn, un mic voiaj in paradis ca sa ti se para apoi mai crunta realitatea, 10 iluzile. micul bine temporar comparat cu marele rau - viziunea unui om continuata. rostul unei Case Woburn?
-disperarea si spaimele Annei sint scrise temperat, la un timp trecut si parca e justificata abia la sfarsit, cand poate! a trecut vremea lor
-disparitia lucrurilor din mintea oamenilor, readucerea vechilor conditii in minte e sinucigasa - "Oamenii fantoma mor intotdeauna in somn."- uitarea e inevitabila, nu numai ca lucrurile dispar, dispare si amintirea lor, " In final, problema nu e atat ca oamenii uita, cat ca nu uita mereu acelasi lucru.[..]E un proces de stergere lent, dar inevitabil. Cuvintele tind sa dureze putin mai mult decat lucrurile, dar in cele din urma si ele palesc, impreuna cu imaginle pe care le evocau candva."
-mai e misterul din jurul circumstantelor, nu afli nimic; ce s-a intamplat cu orasul? - Auster nu prezice nimic din evenimentele ce converg spre starea de lucruri intunecata
-la inceput, situatia aparea atat de neagra ca mi se parea de neconceput existenta relatiilor dintre oameni; totusi, Isabel, Sam, Ferdinand, Boris, Victoria - de toti, Anna se agata si-si creeaza un univers de miscare ca sa nu revina in conditia de la venirea in oras; singuratatea in care pana la urma, fiecare traia; cum sa traiesti in haos altfel?
-distopiile sunt minunate, de unde imi duc pesimismul; e placerea morbida cu care gust detaliile deprimante si socante in detrimentul scenelor de dragoste sau descrierilor de caldura sufleteasca.
jelbourn's review against another edition
3.0
I think this was the most depressing book I have ever read.
briandice's review against another edition
5.0
I have friends who, when entering my library for the first time, see my collection of Auster novels and say, "Oh my God! You read Auster!" I have other friends who, when entering my library for the first time, see my collection of Auster novels and say, "Oh my God! You read Auster!?" One way spoken in surprise and delight, the other in surprise and derision. Yes, Auster polarizes.
And I get why people don't like him. Many of his novels have a self-referential shtick that I can see as being off-putting to some readers. I once had dinner with a friend in L.A., a card carrying Austerhater, and I was trying to convince him of the merits of [b:Leviathan|456|Leviathan|Paul Auster|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348797048s/456.jpg|1128381]. I kept coming at him in different ways, trying to sell my way around his objections, but no sale. At one point he actually said, "If you don't stop talking about that shit book I won't tell you about an amazing book I've just finished that I was going to recommend to you." This friend, despite his Auster issues, has really good recommendations (this is years before GR, mind you, his influence is waning thanks to my new chums) - I took the bait, dropped the Auster pitch and received the recommendation for [b:The Fortress of Solitude|9799|The Fortress of Solitude|Jonathan Lethem|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1345563666s/9799.jpg|1971520]. I was never going to convince this friend of Auster's merits, so I consider it a good trade.
But after having completed this beautiful and haunting novel, I will go to the mat for Auster on this one. A fully imagined vision of hell, ItCoLT is a meticulously and beautifully written book of a dystopian country that is only a few shades of horrible away from life on any of Earth's locales. Auster's use of the first person narrator (penning her thoughts to a family she may never see again) leading the reader through a tale of horror in a nameless country works. We are invested in Anna Blume from the opening pages. Good and evil, right and wrong - they are worthless considerations in a land where humanity is an anachronism. Huxley opined, "Maybe this planet is another planet's hell." Auster takes that premise to the next place, our hell, and creates a setting that is so clear, so horrible, one can't help but feel like one's been there after reading Anna Blume's missive.
I'm going to buy another copy of this book and give it to my Auster hating friend for his birthday. If he doesn't like it, I will revoke his literary friend status.
And I get why people don't like him. Many of his novels have a self-referential shtick that I can see as being off-putting to some readers. I once had dinner with a friend in L.A., a card carrying Austerhater, and I was trying to convince him of the merits of [b:Leviathan|456|Leviathan|Paul Auster|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348797048s/456.jpg|1128381]. I kept coming at him in different ways, trying to sell my way around his objections, but no sale. At one point he actually said, "If you don't stop talking about that shit book I won't tell you about an amazing book I've just finished that I was going to recommend to you." This friend, despite his Auster issues, has really good recommendations (this is years before GR, mind you, his influence is waning thanks to my new chums) - I took the bait, dropped the Auster pitch and received the recommendation for [b:The Fortress of Solitude|9799|The Fortress of Solitude|Jonathan Lethem|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1345563666s/9799.jpg|1971520]. I was never going to convince this friend of Auster's merits, so I consider it a good trade.
But after having completed this beautiful and haunting novel, I will go to the mat for Auster on this one. A fully imagined vision of hell, ItCoLT is a meticulously and beautifully written book of a dystopian country that is only a few shades of horrible away from life on any of Earth's locales. Auster's use of the first person narrator (penning her thoughts to a family she may never see again) leading the reader through a tale of horror in a nameless country works. We are invested in Anna Blume from the opening pages. Good and evil, right and wrong - they are worthless considerations in a land where humanity is an anachronism. Huxley opined, "Maybe this planet is another planet's hell." Auster takes that premise to the next place, our hell, and creates a setting that is so clear, so horrible, one can't help but feel like one's been there after reading Anna Blume's missive.
I'm going to buy another copy of this book and give it to my Auster hating friend for his birthday. If he doesn't like it, I will revoke his literary friend status.
sausome's review against another edition
3.0
While I love love love dystopian, post-apocalyptic fiction, occasionally there are books that get much too dark in feel and tone, and this is one of those. A dark dark book. D.A.R.K. I've never read Auster before, and he writes in a sort of relentless, endurance-run sort of way. In fact, I really enjoyed his style and his knack for bending words to fit his descriptions. I think the lack of chapters and breaks made the desperation that was so prevalent throughout the book even more heightened -- which is an interesting literary tool, to fit form and flow to the mood of the plot. I was more interested in the plot-driven portions of the book than the (again) relentlessly bleak occurrences, living situations, bad weather, desperation, hunger, cold, heat, wet, dirt, etc. etc. etc. Just a bleak look at the world, and one that I cannot imagine living in long enough to write a book on it (smothering, almost!).
All that being said, I can't feel a certain way about a book and toss aside beautiful skill with words or structurally sound writing (in my humble opinion). In short, I can still appreciate Paul Auster's obvious writing talent, and am interested to see what other books I can read of his. I have "Invisible" perhaps that'll be next.
All that being said, I can't feel a certain way about a book and toss aside beautiful skill with words or structurally sound writing (in my humble opinion). In short, I can still appreciate Paul Auster's obvious writing talent, and am interested to see what other books I can read of his. I have "Invisible" perhaps that'll be next.
fede1807's review against another edition
2.0
Non è una lettura che consiglierei. Interessante all'inizio, ma è come se fosse senza finale, ti lascia con la sensazione che manchi qualcosa in più.
sereintty's review against another edition
4.0
Son Şeyler Ülkesinde
"Burada en kolay parçalanan şey insanın yüreğidir."
"Burada en kolay parçalanan şey insanın yüreğidir."
reaganwaggoner's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. The emotion in this novel. I could overwhelmingly feel the emotion, see the ruined streets, the desperate people, the depreciating goods. The hopelessness. The fear. And the will to survive inside all of it. This novel has so much corruption, fear, despair, pain... but also so much resolve and breakthrough. And fight - in spite of the pain. And the will to live - even though so many wish to die.
Anna is decisive. Logical. Courageous. And still authentic. Broken. Struggling. Hopeless.
She finds love in a world of deceit, suffers imaginable loss, makes corrupt choices, but continues to battle on. The imagery and the plot development is inspiring and deep.
This is not a typical dystopian knowledge of this day and age. It's not a teen romance, with a twisted society and the fruit of rebellion. Not that these are bad. It's more reminiscent of 1984 or Fahrenheit 451. Not in the plot or the developments, but in the deepness, severity, and purpose. It has no true intended audience, and its subject matter is deep. It requires thought, though it is not lexically difficult to understand.
This is perhaps the best dystopian novel I have ever read. And by an author who looks terrifying and creepy and miserable with his life from the 80s.. but it’s good writing
Anna is decisive. Logical. Courageous. And still authentic. Broken. Struggling. Hopeless.
She finds love in a world of deceit, suffers imaginable loss, makes corrupt choices, but continues to battle on. The imagery and the plot development is inspiring and deep.
This is not a typical dystopian knowledge of this day and age. It's not a teen romance, with a twisted society and the fruit of rebellion. Not that these are bad. It's more reminiscent of 1984 or Fahrenheit 451. Not in the plot or the developments, but in the deepness, severity, and purpose. It has no true intended audience, and its subject matter is deep. It requires thought, though it is not lexically difficult to understand.
This is perhaps the best dystopian novel I have ever read. And by an author who looks terrifying and creepy and miserable with his life from the 80s.. but it’s good writing
baya_111's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed reading this. It's a bit less action packed than I like my books but I loved the writing. The first few pages are rather confusing as you have no clue (or at least I had no clue) what was going on and where this was going but you slowly start to follow and yeah. Loved it.