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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
One of the very few books I've read in one sitting. My first Jonathan Carroll book and it got me hooked after few pages. Absolutely magical story that intertwines magic and realism towards a fantastic finale.
There is a reason I gave this book 5 stars. Definitely worth the read.
There is a reason I gave this book 5 stars. Definitely worth the read.
I liked the book, but for some reason never really “cared” about any of the characters, which is essential for me in a book. The characters definitely don’t need to be perfect, or moral, or likable, but I need to care about them and I can’t really explain why I didn’t. I liked the weirdness but honestly maybe wasn’t weird enough.
My favorite parts were the descriptions of the dogs. The author is definitely a “dog person”.
Two dog quotes, no spoilers:
“The dogs had collapsed a foot away from each other and were panting like little steam engines.”
“Good old Nails ambled up the stairs and sat down next to me, panting out a kind of quick "Kaa-kaa-kaa" sound. We watched the tomato pickers and I put my hand on his rock head. Bull terriers have rocks for heads; they only pretend that they are skin and bones."
My favorite parts were the descriptions of the dogs. The author is definitely a “dog person”.
Two dog quotes, no spoilers:
“The dogs had collapsed a foot away from each other and were panting like little steam engines.”
“Good old Nails ambled up the stairs and sat down next to me, panting out a kind of quick "Kaa-kaa-kaa" sound. We watched the tomato pickers and I put my hand on his rock head. Bull terriers have rocks for heads; they only pretend that they are skin and bones."
I wasn't too drawn in by any of the characters including (particularly) the protagonist, but the prose and interesting plot kept me invested. I loved the amount of care that went into creating a fictional author and his body of work; the process of writing a biography was pretty fascinating to follow, too. This novel really reminded me of the Inkheart trilogy by Cornelia Funke, which I'm a big fan of, not only with its premise but also its ruminations on the nature of free will and existence.
The Land of Laughs is the subtle sort of slipstream novel where something just itches at your brain; you know things aren't on the level but it's impossible to place precisely what until quite a ways in. Carroll imbues his characters with quirks and humanity. The ending was not one that I would have ever guessed. A very pleasant surprise of a book that shouldn't have sat in my cupboard for as long as it did.
Part of the [a:Neil Gaiman|1221698|Neil Gaiman|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1234150163p2/1221698.jpg] Presents series from Audible. I found this to be well written with a nice mix of realism and fantasy but thought the ending was a bit abrupt. The narration was done by Edoardo Ballerini who did a fine job.
Good fun and an interesting twist at the end. That said I came away unsatisfied. There were a few interesting pieces about masks and puppets that we're never fully explored or explained and seemed to go nowhere. So while the slow start led to some very imaginative plot lines I felt that the book came to a rushed ending.
Really really creepy. Really really good. Haven't been hit in the face like that by a book in a long time.
Ho...ly...crap...
I just finished this book, and I can't really even think of what to say more than that. This story will needle at my brain for a good while, and I may have to read it once or twice more just to see the many ins and outs that I'm sure I missed. I really can only think of one word to describe the ride on which Jonathan Carroll just took me.
Splendid.
I just finished this book, and I can't really even think of what to say more than that. This story will needle at my brain for a good while, and I may have to read it once or twice more just to see the many ins and outs that I'm sure I missed. I really can only think of one word to describe the ride on which Jonathan Carroll just took me.
Splendid.
I added this book to my 'to read' list years ago, when Neil Gaiman mentioned it in a blog post. And having read it, I see why Gaiman recommended it. It has many of the fantastic quirks that are common in Gaiman's books; talking dogs, a reality that is somehow something 'more' than the one that we know, and a focus on writing and storytelling. In these aspects, it was a good book and I am glad to have read it.
However. The main character. Such an unlikeable jerk! Whiny, entitled, with 'daddy issues', and his treatment of women was just wretched. I got really tired of reading about his reactions to every semi-pretty woman he happened to see, especially after he was in a relationship with Saxony. And (without giving away spoilers here) you can make a very strong argument that the choices he made in regards to Saxony (especially the information he gave her) led directly to some pretty horrific results for her.
So. I was not a fan of Abbey. Yet, I still enjoyed the book and would love to talk about a few of the issues in it (such as: could the twist ending be applied to other people in his life? Is the fact that he knows so little about Saxony's background purposeful--i.e., he couldn't actually use the trick on her? And isn't there a rather large plot hole concerning the fact that while in Galen, the trick apparently needed both Saxony and Abbey to work-- but later, it didn't?), which signals to me that it well-written and thoughtful, as well as entertaining.
4 stars, but with the caveat that I really don't like the main character!!
However. The main character. Such an unlikeable jerk! Whiny, entitled, with 'daddy issues', and his treatment of women was just wretched. I got really tired of reading about his reactions to every semi-pretty woman he happened to see, especially after he was in a relationship with Saxony. And (without giving away spoilers here) you can make a very strong argument that the choices he made in regards to Saxony (especially the information he gave her) led directly to some pretty horrific results for her.
So. I was not a fan of Abbey. Yet, I still enjoyed the book and would love to talk about a few of the issues in it (such as: could the twist ending be applied to other people in his life? Is the fact that he knows so little about Saxony's background purposeful--i.e., he couldn't actually use the trick on her? And isn't there a rather large plot hole concerning the fact that while in Galen, the trick apparently needed both Saxony and Abbey to work-- but later, it didn't?), which signals to me that it well-written and thoughtful, as well as entertaining.
4 stars, but with the caveat that I really don't like the main character!!
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated