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leighkelly's review against another edition
5.0
So i was recommended it by my Uncle, and i'm pleased to say that it was well worth the £6.99 that my dad paid XD
It was full of all these philosophical ideas that i would never have thought twice about ordinarily, but, as always is the case with a good book i think it's sparked an interest in that subject. So i may have to give Einsteins theory on relativity a go, orrr Shrodingers cat. They're probably considered to be more like thought experiments but i dont know...
I liked the main character, she was very different but in a refreshing way. So much better than all the flimsy protagonist YA novels always seem to have. And i thought the Troposphere was well thought out, in short it was really good.
Confusing and utterly mad, but an excellant read.
It was full of all these philosophical ideas that i would never have thought twice about ordinarily, but, as always is the case with a good book i think it's sparked an interest in that subject. So i may have to give Einsteins theory on relativity a go, orrr Shrodingers cat. They're probably considered to be more like thought experiments but i dont know...
I liked the main character, she was very different but in a refreshing way. So much better than all the flimsy protagonist YA novels always seem to have. And i thought the Troposphere was well thought out, in short it was really good.
Confusing and utterly mad, but an excellant read.
tonsu's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
helensim's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
tersil83's review against another edition
4.0
Ho terminato la lettura di questo libro ieri notte all'una. Questa mattina ero indecisa su che voto dargli e ho optato per 4 stelline che in realtà corrispondono ad un 4--. Non c'è da discutere sul fatto che questo libro sia abbastanza originale ma c'è qualcosa che non mi ha convinto. Forse l'andamento della storia, in quanto ci sono momenti in cui la narrazione ti prende e non riesci a staccare gli occhi dal libro, e altri in cui avresti solo voglia di saltare intere pagine.
Non capisco perché l'autrice ripete fino alla nausea nei discorsi con Lura i concetti di quark, materia, pensiero, ecc. e non spende qualche parola in più su Adam, personaggio che avrei voluto conoscere di più, o per la fine della storia che è stata liquidata troppo frettolosamente.
Forse mi è rimasto l'amaro in bocca proprio perché dopo le premesse grandiose, dal finale mi aspettavo qualcosa di meglio o semplicemente qualcosa di diverso. Pazienza, è andata così :)
Non capisco perché l'autrice ripete fino alla nausea nei discorsi con Lura i concetti di quark, materia, pensiero, ecc. e non spende qualche parola in più su Adam, personaggio che avrei voluto conoscere di più, o per la fine della storia che è stata liquidata troppo frettolosamente.
Forse mi è rimasto l'amaro in bocca proprio perché dopo le premesse grandiose, dal finale mi aspettavo qualcosa di meglio o semplicemente qualcosa di diverso. Pazienza, è andata così :)
joangittel's review against another edition
4.0
What just happened? This book is a head trip, and will stay with me for a long time. I don't real alot of sci-fi or fantasy, but a little time travel and mind travel is always fun for the soul.
I would tell you about the book, or you could just enter my mind and read for yourself what I thought.
I would tell you about the book, or you could just enter my mind and read for yourself what I thought.
ceruleanesk's review against another edition
2.0
OK, finished the book. It got better in the end and easier to get into the characters. I didn't like the epilogue though and I still stand by my earlier statement about the nice ideas in the book, but in such a form that it doesn't 'grab' me...
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Not entirely sure about this book. I want to like it, but I can't bring myself to liking the characters much, not even the main one... It's a well-written book with a very nice premise, but it simply doesn't draw me in that much.
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Not entirely sure about this book. I want to like it, but I can't bring myself to liking the characters much, not even the main one... It's a well-written book with a very nice premise, but it simply doesn't draw me in that much.
monsterful_alex's review against another edition
3.0
This is a thought experiment book about the entire world as a thought experiment (it does not get more meta than this). Think Inception meets American Gods, with a touch of Fleabag added to it.I remember really enjoying the story the first time I read it, especially as it’s probably one of the few books that create a successful narrative based on a poststructuralist hypothesis: what would happen in a world made of language? The things that drive us exist in a realm of consciousness that could only be explained by language - by the way we give meaning to everything that surrounds us. But obviously, for poststructuralists that meaning is not set, it changes with every single person, every single culture, every single situation - there are meanings within meanings, even in one language. However, when listening to the audiobook, I was far less engaged with Ariel’s anxious mind-travelling than I remembered. The world building is fascinating and the philosophical debates, which remind me a lot of my years in Uni, are an entertaining rabbit hole of thought experiments. However, Ariel and her over-analysing anguish can get a bit tiresome and take away from the insane adventure she embarks on. As in the first reading, the thing that stuck most in my mind was the fantastic character that is Apollo Smintheus and how his existence came to be.
pianorunner421's review against another edition
4.0
One of my challenges this year was to read a book by a British author. I found this one on a list on the internet. This was the third one I tried from that list. I am so glad I persisted. This one actually had an engaging story with interesting twists and turns. From the beginning I found myself wondering where this was going and where we were going to end up. I had that intrigue more and more as the book continued. This was an actually readable book that didn't just scream "I'm trying to win a literary award" like the other two I read. This one has something for everyone... a little relationship, some sci-fi, lots of philosophy and religion, and plenty of mystery. I highly recommend this one. In fact, I have already told my brother-in-law, sister and husband they would enjoy it.
categal's review against another edition
4.0
This was a reread for me. There are some ideas here about reality and time that I wanted to remind myself of, and it’s always worth reading Scarlett Thomas. This isn’t my favorite of hers — that’s Popco, but this is very good and Ariel Manteo’s voice is just so great.