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3.05 AVERAGE
3.05 AVERAGE
This book didn't quite do it for me. Set up as three separate but related stories sort of like Cloud Atlas or Arcadia, this one never tied the stories together to my satisfaction. And I struggled to stay interested in the Venice storyline, which is unfortunate since that's where the actual mirror thievery was happening. The other two settings were very engaging and entertaining and well done, so maybe my reaction here is due to plot. I finished wanting to read about Stan's abilities and outlook in more detail. I never quite got why each storyline ended when it did, or the next one started when it did; the transitions seemed to miss the opportunity to advance the plot or connect the storylines.
I tried, but after 80 pages, just had to give up. Just not the book for me.
Reminded me a bit of Donna Tartt. The writing started off a bit rough, but fortunately fell into a different rhythm that engrossed me, at least.
Not sure why people are dismayed about being confused by how the three storylines cohered - I kind of think that opaqueness was the point. Deliberate obfuscation was part of the mystique of alchemy, which was really just mixing shit to get to the meaning of god. It's worth a read.
Not sure why people are dismayed about being confused by how the three storylines cohered - I kind of think that opaqueness was the point. Deliberate obfuscation was part of the mystique of alchemy, which was really just mixing shit to get to the meaning of god. It's worth a read.
700 pages later, I still don't understand a thing. The prose is good. Some of the pieces are engaging. But I wish that I had given up after 200 pages.