You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
This book was so good and so strange! Like a darker Alice and Wonderland gone wrong. Highly recommend!
A trippy and poignant Alice-in-Wonderland kind of adventure. I really enjoyed it!
What if Alice in Wonderland or The Wizard of Oz, but for bros? That's essentially the setup - main character Ben, a 38ish dude from the 'burbs who has a wife and 3 kids takes a hike and ends up on a magical path.
The setup is fine, but here's what didn't work for me:
Ben is Dull, Like Really Really Dull: For the first 30% of the book, Ben's characteristics can (non-reductively) be summed up as: (i) wife and kids; (ii) facial scar; (iii) can swallow pills without water; and (iv) has a much more interesting wife. Oh, and he's also a bit of an asshole, but not in a fun, acerbic way, just a throws-phones-like-a-toddler-when-he's-mad kind of way.
By the end, there's been some character growth, but not nearly enough to make Ben more than a beige colour-swatch.
There's Very Few Other Characters: Ben being the dullest possible "every man" could have worked - Alice and Dorothy weren't particularly interesting on there own. The problem is, they encountered interesting characters, but Ben never does. Ben is on his own for loooooong stretches between encounters with a small number of (mostly uninteresting) characters.
Based on the dialogue that does exist, this felt like a cheat for the author to avoid something he still needs work on.
The Dream Sequences: Because of the lack of other characters, the author is left doing character development with dream sequences. These are are all boring, and explore such un-fascinating non-topics as: how Ben got his scar, his abusive(ish) relationship with his dad and being taught to fight by his much more interesting wife. In a book that was already having trouble keeping my attention, these sections had me considering abandoning it.
It's Both Too Wacky and Not Wacky Enough: It's pretty clear early on that literally anything can happen on the path, and there are no rules. Without even the grounding of made up rules, a lot of the drama is sucked out - it's obvious that none of what is happening is "real". The solution to this is by leaning into the craziness (a la Wonderland and Oz), but the author pulls back. Rather than resplendent madness, Ben encounters things like a castle with a hotel in it, a tent with a library in it, a hovercraft and a cave. It all needs more spice - if you can show me anything, don't show me a fucking hotel lobby.
Ultimately, 2 out of 5 stars seems harsh, but according to Goodreads that means "it was okay", a low-energy shoulder shrug rating, which is exactly the level of enthusiasm this book elicited in me.
The setup is fine, but here's what didn't work for me:
Ben is Dull, Like Really Really Dull: For the first 30% of the book, Ben's characteristics can (non-reductively) be summed up as: (i) wife and kids; (ii) facial scar; (iii) can swallow pills without water; and (iv) has a much more interesting wife. Oh, and he's also a bit of an asshole, but not in a fun, acerbic way, just a throws-phones-like-a-toddler-when-he's-mad kind of way.
By the end, there's been some character growth, but not nearly enough to make Ben more than a beige colour-swatch.
There's Very Few Other Characters: Ben being the dullest possible "every man" could have worked - Alice and Dorothy weren't particularly interesting on there own. The problem is, they encountered interesting characters, but Ben never does. Ben is on his own for loooooong stretches between encounters with a small number of (mostly uninteresting) characters.
Based on the dialogue that does exist, this felt like a cheat for the author to avoid something he still needs work on.
The Dream Sequences: Because of the lack of other characters, the author is left doing character development with dream sequences. These are are all boring, and explore such un-fascinating non-topics as: how Ben got his scar, his abusive(ish) relationship with his dad and being taught to fight by his much more interesting wife. In a book that was already having trouble keeping my attention, these sections had me considering abandoning it.
It's Both Too Wacky and Not Wacky Enough: It's pretty clear early on that literally anything can happen on the path, and there are no rules. Without even the grounding of made up rules, a lot of the drama is sucked out - it's obvious that none of what is happening is "real". The solution to this is by leaning into the craziness (a la Wonderland and Oz), but the author pulls back. Rather than resplendent madness, Ben encounters things like a castle with a hotel in it, a tent with a library in it, a hovercraft and a cave. It all needs more spice - if you can show me anything, don't show me a fucking hotel lobby.
Ultimately, 2 out of 5 stars seems harsh, but according to Goodreads that means "it was okay", a low-energy shoulder shrug rating, which is exactly the level of enthusiasm this book elicited in me.
Like if Kafka and Neil Gaimen got together and wrote a modern fantasy fable with elements of rpg gaming tropes and old fashioned folklore. One of the most wonderfully weird books I've read.
The Path for me is constantly having smudges on my sunglasses and doing laundry.
Well, I love Drew Magary's writing for GQ and Deadspin and all. This book, though -- I'm just going to chalk it up to not being my style. Shame.
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
holy crap LOL. pretty good book - definitely a cute short fantasy read that wraps up almost a little too well? 3 stars because while i liked it, i don't think it stuck with me as much as other books that i read. still a fun read.
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No