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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was definitely an interesting read. Even so, I can't decide if I actually liked it or not. I am looking forward to seeing what the Wachowskis make of it.
After a lot of deliberation, I finally settled on three stars as my rating for this book. I ended up having to average, since there were many things I liked about it while still struggling with other parts. It's not that I didn't "get" the book. I honestly think that maybe my expectations were too high from the praise this book received.
Each of the stories were clever in their various storytelling devices: the ship voyage, the letters, the murder mystery, the comedy, the interview, the... whatever the last one was. Some of them I liked much more than others. By far my favorite was the comedy, though the interview was interesting as well. The dialect of the sixth one lost me, I'm afraid to admit.
I also liked the conflict some of the characters endured before their stories ended. The one with the letters comes especially to mind, though of course the murder mystery had a different kind of struggle.
Many people say this book isn't for everyone, and that's definitely true. It has an interesting construction and offers a lot to ponder over. Maybe the problem is that it's a little too obvious that the stories are all connected? I'm not sure but I am glad I finally read it.
I will recommend this to anyone looking for a more cerebral read.
Each of the stories were clever in their various storytelling devices: the ship voyage, the letters, the murder mystery, the comedy, the interview, the... whatever the last one was. Some of them I liked much more than others. By far my favorite was the comedy, though the interview was interesting as well. The dialect of the sixth one lost me, I'm afraid to admit.
I also liked the conflict some of the characters endured before their stories ended. The one with the letters comes especially to mind, though of course the murder mystery had a different kind of struggle.
Many people say this book isn't for everyone, and that's definitely true. It has an interesting construction and offers a lot to ponder over. Maybe the problem is that it's a little too obvious that the stories are all connected? I'm not sure but I am glad I finally read it.
I will recommend this to anyone looking for a more cerebral read.
The structure of this book is fascinating but it was long and I liked some stories better than others
On my fourth try I finally finished this book! It was all right, mostly bored and counting down when each ‘chapter’ would end. I must have missed something as I found it far from the mark noted by reviewers.
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
medium-paced
A delightful book within a book within a book within a book. The narrators' lives span hundreds of years, and each voice is refreshing and clever. Early chapters feature Shakespearean wordplay, while middle chapters feel vaguely Neal Stephenson-esque (a la Snow Crash, not the uber-baroque Baroque Cycle.) Not sure if the upcoming movie will do it justice (especially with their casting choice for Zachry!), but it's an excellent read. Favorite snippets:
(In the context of dealing with an inept customer service agent.) "Sometimes the fluffy bunny of incredulity zooms round the bend so rapidly that the greyhound of language is left, agog, in the starting cage."
"'I ain't 'fraid o you!' I telled him, tho' tell-it-true my voice was jus' a duck fart in a hurrycane."
(In the context of dealing with an inept customer service agent.) "Sometimes the fluffy bunny of incredulity zooms round the bend so rapidly that the greyhound of language is left, agog, in the starting cage."
"'I ain't 'fraid o you!' I telled him, tho' tell-it-true my voice was jus' a duck fart in a hurrycane."
david mitchell you’re such a weirdo i love it. i have no idea how he mixes sci fi, historical fiction, and contemporary fiction so well
this book is a winding conglomeration of stories and lives that touch upon each other. sometimes deeply, or sometimes, a narrator is simply reading another’s story offhandedly. this is in the genre of books that make you think about the connectedness of life which i like a lot.
minus points for how hard it was to read the futuristic hawaii bit w/ the guy who worships somni BUT i appreciate the commitment to the bit
this book is a winding conglomeration of stories and lives that touch upon each other. sometimes deeply, or sometimes, a narrator is simply reading another’s story offhandedly. this is in the genre of books that make you think about the connectedness of life which i like a lot.
minus points for how hard it was to read the futuristic hawaii bit w/ the guy who worships somni BUT i appreciate the commitment to the bit
A fabulously intricate plot and an engaging story.