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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
Unusual read but in the end, I couldn't put it down!
A well-written and interesting novel - I hoped for more from the last parts - it wrapped up a bit early for me. But intriguing...
Be regular and orderly in your life like a bourgeois, so that you may be violent and original in your work. - Flaubert
......
The plates hated the silver, who in turn hated the glasses. They sang cruel songs at each other. Ping. Clank. Tink. This kind of meanness three times a day. - Peach Shadows by Marshall France
......
"Reading a book, for me at least, is like traveling in someone else's world. If it's a good book, then you feel comfortable and yet anxious to see what's going to happen to you there, what'll be around the next corner. But if it's a lousy book, then it's like going through Secaucus, New Jersey--it smells and you wish you weren't there, but since you've started the trip, you roll up the windows and breathe through your mouth until you're done."
-Thomas Abbey, The Land of Laughs, Jonathan Carroll
This is a book by a book lover for book lovers. It is a story wrapped in the love of story, winding its way through broken promises real and imagined between fathers and mothers and grown children and lovers and husbands and wives, finally between the creator and creation. The story itself is mostly a hanger for these many explorations, but I didn't mind that. I loved Thomas' constant reminiscing of his parents, his broken, beautiful relationship with his father. I loved, loved, loved Saxony Gardner. (Honestly it hurt some that Thomas did not commit to her as I did, but this is his weakness and cowardice and inability to see what is in front of his face; it is an integral part of his character - I was very much reminded of Updike's hated Rabbit in places, but Thomas is much smarter and more self aware in his loathsome moments.) I loved that Carroll does not spare his characters their own ugliness.
Honestly, my only complaint is the abruptness of the ending. Why do you wait until the final pages to do the most interesting thing you will do in the entire book?!? Otherwise, I honestly loved the ending, and I would happily read a sequel that provides the rest of this book. (But then, that relationship in particular was the one I loved and always wanted more of, so your mileage may vary.)
I enjoyed this and will be continuing on to the rest of Carroll's works; trying to decide now between [b:Voice of Our Shadow|42147|Voice of Our Shadow|Jonathan Carroll|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386925378s/42147.jpg|968926] and [b:Bones of the Moon|42146|Bones of the Moon (Answered Prayers, #1)|Jonathan Carroll|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1391047473s/42146.jpg|968918].
**Original review 9/8/15, edited 11/18/15 as I am going to add my favorite foreign cover to all of my Jonathan Carroll reviews from here on out.**
This time it's the Polish cover:
......
The plates hated the silver, who in turn hated the glasses. They sang cruel songs at each other. Ping. Clank. Tink. This kind of meanness three times a day. - Peach Shadows by Marshall France
......
"Reading a book, for me at least, is like traveling in someone else's world. If it's a good book, then you feel comfortable and yet anxious to see what's going to happen to you there, what'll be around the next corner. But if it's a lousy book, then it's like going through Secaucus, New Jersey--it smells and you wish you weren't there, but since you've started the trip, you roll up the windows and breathe through your mouth until you're done."
-Thomas Abbey, The Land of Laughs, Jonathan Carroll
This is a book by a book lover for book lovers. It is a story wrapped in the love of story, winding its way through broken promises real and imagined between fathers and mothers and grown children and lovers and husbands and wives, finally between the creator and creation. The story itself is mostly a hanger for these many explorations, but I didn't mind that. I loved Thomas' constant reminiscing of his parents, his broken, beautiful relationship with his father. I loved, loved, loved Saxony Gardner. (Honestly it hurt some that Thomas did not commit to her as I did, but this is his weakness and cowardice and inability to see what is in front of his face; it is an integral part of his character - I was very much reminded of Updike's hated Rabbit in places, but Thomas is much smarter and more self aware in his loathsome moments.) I loved that Carroll does not spare his characters their own ugliness.
Honestly, my only complaint is the abruptness of the ending. Why do you wait until the final pages to do the most interesting thing you will do in the entire book?!? Otherwise, I honestly loved the ending, and I would happily read a sequel that provides the rest of this book. (But then, that relationship in particular was the one I loved and always wanted more of, so your mileage may vary.)
I enjoyed this and will be continuing on to the rest of Carroll's works; trying to decide now between [b:Voice of Our Shadow|42147|Voice of Our Shadow|Jonathan Carroll|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386925378s/42147.jpg|968926] and [b:Bones of the Moon|42146|Bones of the Moon (Answered Prayers, #1)|Jonathan Carroll|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1391047473s/42146.jpg|968918].
**Original review 9/8/15, edited 11/18/15 as I am going to add my favorite foreign cover to all of my Jonathan Carroll reviews from here on out.**
This time it's the Polish cover:
Interesting book, just as good as Wooden Sea. It reads like the horror version of Big Fish (if the movie were renovelized).
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
olivia bought it for me for my birthday and i finally got around to reading it. it was an interesting book. it started out normal enough and then changed into a really crazy sort of twisted little story. i liked it a lot even though the ending left me with a big WTF and made me reread the last few pages a few times to make sure i understood what i thought i just read. crazy.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
it’s a bit slow at parts and all you want to do is strangle the main character for most of the book. however, i liked carrroll’s writing enough to keep me flipping through to the end. the ending was surprising but when you think back on it, it makes sense. saxony deserved 1000000000000% better, though.