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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
I haven't been surprised by plot points as much as I was by this... messed up/different/enjoyable book. Very interesting read.
Looking back on reading this book reminds of it Piranesi by Susanna Clarke got crossed with The Song of Ice and Fire series by Game of Thrones. There is this endless expanse of knowledge that is never fully disclosed just partially mentioned then brushed off that reminds me of the mystery of The House. The brutal relationships between characters and the ease with which all of them inflict massive amounts of trauma on one another remind me of the fickle and dangerous dynamics throughout Westeros & Essos.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
No
Ambitious and kind of brilliant mythic structure by the end, but I think this came too little and too late to justify what, for me, veered deep into puerile edgelord tone and content in the first two thirds with little depth.
I was also particularly disappointed that Carolyn's catalogue, languages, was handled in a really shallow way: it seemed mostly incidental to allow her to act as an interpreter (even for animals and the weather!), but not much about the power of language itself. She could translate almost anything *literally* but had no tangible experience of how words relate to the world. If this were written 10 years later she could have been developed into a really prescient allegory for an LLM AI (obviously that timing is not the author's fault!), but it's mostly just used to make her seem awkward and otherworldly. I thought maybe it would delve into areas like persuasion and deception to give it some more meat.
I also didn't like Erwin.A hero veteran who's just the best killer ever and has a razor sharp wit but is so humble and cares about children but don't get it twisted he's definitely not a wimp like the child's vegetarian father! And he's such a swell guy that even the President of the United States is charmed by his tobacco-chewing and wise-cracking despite the objections of his puffed up over-educated advisors! Smells like a power fantasy.
I was also particularly disappointed that Carolyn's catalogue
I also didn't like Erwin.
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
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
Just a bit too crude for me to enjoy.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a book definitely. It is bizzare and strange and inventive. Is it good? Did I like it? Ask me again later.
I read another review, and they used the word abrupt, and I like that description. You are just tossed in abruptly. Early on it felt as though I were reading a mature version of Percy Jackson—a sense of sarcastic irreverence pervades, which both made the reading easier but also detracted from the impact of the meaningful moments. I did audibly laugh a few times, but each time it felt like the author had taken a character captive and forced them to tell a joke to the reader (funny but disruptive to the character development).
The major protagonist also reminded me of the major protagonist of Vita Nostra—I’m 84% sure they are the same person—but we get to spend a lot more time in the head of that person in the latter novel.
The major protagonist also reminded me of the major protagonist of Vita Nostra—I’m 84% sure they are the same person—but we get to spend a lot more time in the head of that person in the latter novel.