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zabiume's review
maybe it wasn't the right time but it did not grab me as much as I thought it would
coronata's review against another edition
3.5
Sadly, I Am a Strange Loop is nowhere near as good as GEB, but it was still mostly pleasant to read. I switched to audio partway through because my eyes kept glazing over and found it to be a nice companion for getting my chores done.
My main criticism is that Hofstadter frequently loses the plot with his bajillion anecdotes and personal asides, which weakens the overall argument. GEB worked so well largely because it was coherent and (relatively) objective; this book is much more of a personal ramble. The sections where he argues that, for example, playing Bach "wrong" means someone is "less conscious" were very odd and make his whole argument about "souls" come across as judgemental and myopic. It's a shame because GEB was such a thought-provoking book!
I will say that the chapter(s) where he discusses the loss of his wife, Carol, and the impact it had on him—and how she still "exists" in him—were really lovely. He clearly loved (loves!) her very much and that love made those chapters far more engaging than the rest of the book. Perhaps this book should have been a memoir instead?
My main criticism is that Hofstadter frequently loses the plot with his bajillion anecdotes and personal asides, which weakens the overall argument. GEB worked so well largely because it was coherent and (relatively) objective; this book is much more of a personal ramble. The sections where he argues that, for example, playing Bach "wrong" means someone is "less conscious" were very odd and make his whole argument about "souls" come across as judgemental and myopic. It's a shame because GEB was such a thought-provoking book!
I will say that the chapter(s) where he discusses the loss of his wife, Carol, and the impact it had on him—and how she still "exists" in him—were really lovely. He clearly loved (loves!) her very much and that love made those chapters far more engaging than the rest of the book. Perhaps this book should have been a memoir instead?
mgalvan's review against another edition
3.0
Hofstadter, you were doing something relatable for a moment, then it was greedily incoherent.
Reading this book is like spray painting a lamb's wool just because you can.
Reading this book is like spray painting a lamb's wool just because you can.
adze's review against another edition
1.0
alexkehayias's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
quasar728's review against another edition
challenging
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
3.25
queenerdloser's review
4.0
overall, this was an interesting read. hofstadter's writing is clear, playful, and easy to understand and he uses a lot of fun, silly, and useful anecdotes to elucidate his points. at the very least, it was not the stuffy, boring philosophy I've read in the past!
the several chapters covering math concepts were a bit much for me - i struggled to get through them, though I'm sure other, more math-minded readers, probably enjoyed them or, at least, didn't have any issues. that said, they were clear enough that i at least understood the material even if i had to slow down and only a few chapters out of the book. i enjoyed the later half of the book much more than the first half - it felt like a lot of the first half was merely set-up for what came later and lingered a little longer on it than i felt was necessary to get an understanding of the concepts in the later half.
the several chapters covering math concepts were a bit much for me - i struggled to get through them, though I'm sure other, more math-minded readers, probably enjoyed them or, at least, didn't have any issues. that said, they were clear enough that i at least understood the material even if i had to slow down and only a few chapters out of the book. i enjoyed the later half of the book much more than the first half - it felt like a lot of the first half was merely set-up for what came later and lingered a little longer on it than i felt was necessary to get an understanding of the concepts in the later half.