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3.31 AVERAGE
3.31 AVERAGE
The writing was good, and the concept was interesting. All of the main scenes felt surreal and very Black Mirror in most of the ways that count. Towles is a good writer and can evoke a lot of complicated feelings with just a few paragraphs.
It's just... the ending. I'm still scratching my head trying to make sense of it.
I'm not an "artsy" reader, and I don't like deliberately ambiguous or condescending stories. I want to read something meaningful, sure, but I also want it to make sense to me.
I can handle some pretty unsatisfying endings, as most anyone who checks my read shelf can see. What I can't handle is character behavior that seemingly comes out of nowhere with no prior characterization to support it. That's one reason I'm not usually a big fan of short stories; there simply isn't enough time to get to know the characters and their idiosyncrasies.
It's just... the ending. I'm still scratching my head trying to make sense of it.
I'm not an "artsy" reader, and I don't like deliberately ambiguous or condescending stories. I want to read something meaningful, sure, but I also want it to make sense to me.
I can handle some pretty unsatisfying endings, as most anyone who checks my read shelf can see. What I can't handle is character behavior that seemingly comes out of nowhere with no prior characterization to support it. That's one reason I'm not usually a big fan of short stories; there simply isn't enough time to get to know the characters and their idiosyncrasies.
mysterious
fast-paced
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
That was...pointless. It was clearly about eugenics, but Towles never explained the danger. I guess there is something to be said for giving the facts and allowing a reader to draw their own conclusions, but this was too much of that!
Blah
Not real thought provoking, but quite shallow. Would not recommend for anything, but a quick afternoon story. Like a mediocre Twilight Zone episode.
Not real thought provoking, but quite shallow. Would not recommend for anything, but a quick afternoon story. Like a mediocre Twilight Zone episode.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
fast-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:
No
This is the author of "A Gentleman in Moscow" - one of my favorite books I read last year.
I would say this was the best of the bunch. Well - it was the best of the bunch until the ending. But none of them had good endings, so I am going to judge it on everything else. I liked this story the best. It really drew me in and I was anxious to see where it was going. But - like all of these - it left me wanting more.
Vitek is a company that can determine the personality n traits of your unborn child through assessment of the family’s genomes and life patterns. Sam is there to view 3 different versions of his unborn son that his wife has picked out. Each version show his child with different traits, each has a life defining second act that has been a result of their character flaws to go on to achieve something different in their life’s ‘third act’. Sam questions if life is really split up into acts and where he is on that journey. The doctor says he is in his third act of life.
Cool story that I’d definitely want to see more of.
Cool story that I’d definitely want to see more of.