Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

História da sua vida e outros contos by Ted Chiang

5 reviews

jayisreading's review against another edition

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challenging reflective medium-paced

3.75

This collection was definitely a mixed bag, with either me enjoying the short story or caring very little about it (if at all). Without a doubt, though, Chiang really knows how to craft a world and situation; even for the short stories I struggled with due to disinterest, I was still impressed with the way he wove everything together. Furthermore, each story posed such interesting questions and challenges to reflect on, whether it be the unreliability of mathematics as we know it, reckoning with the undeniable presence of God and His angels, or reconfiguring one’s reality through language. Perhaps not surprisingly, the gem of this collection is “Story of Your Life,” which may have been one of the best short stories I have read in a long while. (It has certainly incentivized me to finally get around to watching Arrival.) I now understand why it has received as much praise as it has.

To me, the short stories that are worth reading are: “Story of Your Life” (this one is a must, I’d say), “Tower of Babylon,” “Understand,” and possibly “Hell Is the Absence of God.”
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laurareads87's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I just assume that any book by Ted Chiang is going to receive a five-star rating from me, and Stories of Your Life and Others unsurprisingly met that expectation.  I'd read some of the stories in this collection before and I've taught the film Arrival, based on one of them, in a university Cultural Studies class.  What Ted Chiang does remarkably well, in my mind, is take what might seem like a simple premise -- for example, what if a technology existed to disrupt the ability to respond to beauty (or lack thereof) in human faces, thereby eliminating lookism? -- and explore it from multiple angles in a remarkably brief number of pages.  His writing ranges from exhilarating to tragic to hilarious but is always, always thought-provoking in the best possible way.  Highly, highly recommend.
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rileyeffective's review against another edition

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inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.5

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bwwilhelm's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

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manarnia's review against another edition

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challenging reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

This collection was great! There were times when it dragged or lost my interest, but overall I found it a really compelling and fun read. Also smart. Like really smart. Like is Ted Chiang an actual genius? Probably!
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