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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
4.5/5 I needed a thesaurus with me to read this book but I don’t mind that. The story is quite different from the movie but I appreciated the book in a different way. The ending felt a little out of character but it take me a second read to fully grasp the spectrum of the main character. Overall, a well-done, deeply depressing book.
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Apologies, but the movie is just better
I liked the movie more; this one sort of winds up before it starts. The beginning is quite brilliant, and it's a good book to bring on a trip.
This book is a bit like the Fellowship of the Ring: if you can just get out of the Shire (and past Tom Bombadil), it’ll all be worth it. Unfortunately the “Shire” of this text doesn’t pass until the last fifty or so pages. But with that being said, those last fifty pages just about redeem what can otherwise be a dull, painfully slow plot trapped inside a hauntingly creative and compelling idea.
Also similar to Tolkien (perhaps unsurprisingly, seeing as how he and James were both Oxford souls), are the laborious poetic musings that lull the reader into a state of tepid boredom, only to be jarred awake with a philosophical observation or quip of dialogue that slices through the banality and directly into the heart of the reader.
There were moments while reading this book that I genuinely felt gripped with an unspeakable anxiety and a sense of unrecoverable loss for the world, the future, our collective hopes, dreams, and fears all bundled unknowingly into the future generation that we feel entirely, unquestionably assured will always follow us. Until they don’t. Until you realize that you’re the last ones to come, and after you there will be nothing left.
Admittedly, James’ baron world is surprisingly well-adjusted and perhaps a bit too civilized than her readers would like (or even believe). If this is the case, readers should check out the expertly crafted and macabre video game LISA: The Painful, which is loosely based on this text and frankly beats James at her own game. Still, her craftsmanship is consistent and the climax well-earned, not to mention the fact that the film adaptation received a coveted four stars from Roger Ebert! You might be tempted to just scan the plot summary on its Wikipedia page, but if you can find a few empty afternoons, this book is worth the read.
Also similar to Tolkien (perhaps unsurprisingly, seeing as how he and James were both Oxford souls), are the laborious poetic musings that lull the reader into a state of tepid boredom, only to be jarred awake with a philosophical observation or quip of dialogue that slices through the banality and directly into the heart of the reader.
There were moments while reading this book that I genuinely felt gripped with an unspeakable anxiety and a sense of unrecoverable loss for the world, the future, our collective hopes, dreams, and fears all bundled unknowingly into the future generation that we feel entirely, unquestionably assured will always follow us. Until they don’t. Until you realize that you’re the last ones to come, and after you there will be nothing left.
Admittedly, James’ baron world is surprisingly well-adjusted and perhaps a bit too civilized than her readers would like (or even believe). If this is the case, readers should check out the expertly crafted and macabre video game LISA: The Painful, which is loosely based on this text and frankly beats James at her own game. Still, her craftsmanship is consistent and the climax well-earned, not to mention the fact that the film adaptation received a coveted four stars from Roger Ebert! You might be tempted to just scan the plot summary on its Wikipedia page, but if you can find a few empty afternoons, this book is worth the read.
I feel like I should have liked this book more than I did, but it felt all over the place and incredibly boring for having such an interesting and promising premise.
"I recall something she said during our pre-divorce discussions, which I was at pains to keep unacrimonious and unemotional: that I had slept with her only at carefully regulated intervals because I wanted my affairs with my students to be driven by more discriminating needs than the relief of crude sexual deprivation. Those weren't, of course, her words, but that was her meaning. I think she surprised both of us by her perception."
"I recall something she said during our pre-divorce discussions, which I was at pains to keep unacrimonious and unemotional: that I had slept with her only at carefully regulated intervals because I wanted my affairs with my students to be driven by more discriminating needs than the relief of crude sexual deprivation. Those weren't, of course, her words, but that was her meaning. I think she surprised both of us by her perception."
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
I have looked forward to reading this for a long time, but am quite disappointed now I have finally got around to it. It is over long and most if the action does not happen until the final quarter of the book. What a let-down!
Loved the movie. Hated the book. Way too slow paced for me but maybe because it's an audiobook. My friends gave this such high ratings. I might try the print/ebook version to speed things up a bit.