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elvenpanther's review
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Some books are a complete embodiment of the nature of storytelling. Lyrical, symbolic, thought provoking, timeless. A Shrine upon which to worship the art of narrative. This was one of those books. keith Miller's prose captivated me and the imagery was so vividly beautiful that I was drawn into the story completely each time I opened the book. While my skill with pen and brush follows its own path, there are so many scenes within this novel that beg to be painted.
While not a particularly long novel, fo following Pico on his journey, it felt as if ages had been spanned (in agood way!) and each newly introduced character further enriched and added depth to Keith Miller's world.
I did feel as if Sisi and Pico's relationship did a disservice to Pico's ultimate well-being, and while I may have not agreed with some of the choices made by Pico, I still don't think I would have changed anything about his journey and this novel.
Truly a story built upon stories with such a lovely fairytale feel.
While not a particularly long novel, fo following Pico on his journey, it felt as if ages had been spanned (in agood way!) and each newly introduced character further enriched and added depth to Keith Miller's world.
I did feel as if Sisi and Pico's relationship did a disservice to Pico's ultimate well-being, and while I may have not agreed with some of the choices made by Pico, I still don't think I would have changed anything about his journey and this novel.
Truly a story built upon stories with such a lovely fairytale feel.
alex_wordweaver's review against another edition
5.0
Endings are always the saddest part. Such a bittersweet book.
lusindarko's review against another edition
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
menfrommarrs's review against another edition
5.0
Miller’s use of alliteration and simile carried me along on a surprising melody in prose that reads like poetry. After reading a few paragraphs I became aware of the rhythm, but soon sunk back into the story He wastes no time in epic background stories; instead it only takes a few sentences to impart the story of Pico’s life to date and to appreciate his yearnings. So after only a few chapters I was off on a quest and an unparalleled adventure.
This is a coming of age fairytale for adults not children. There is sexual content but nothing explicit and Pico encounters many amoral situations, without blinking an eye. It must have been because he was so well read! ☺.
This is a coming of age fairytale for adults not children. There is sexual content but nothing explicit and Pico encounters many amoral situations, without blinking an eye. It must have been because he was so well read! ☺.
zaraallen's review against another edition
1.0
I really wanted to like this book, but I simply couldn't. The story itself is very interesting, but the way in which the author presents women is disgusting and demeaning.
amynbell's review against another edition
5.0
This is my new favorite book. I simply can't think of any book that compares to it. Strangely, I found a hard back version of the book for $1 at the local dollar store which is not a place you normally think you're going to find the book that you fall in love with.
The Book of Flying is an adult fairy tale about Pico, the only librarian in a city by the sea. Pico's parents both had wings, but he was born wingless. Unfortunately, he falls in love with a winged woman who tells him that she can't love him fully because he has no wings. This sets him out on a quest for The Book of Flying, a book that will teach him to fly. It is rumored to be far across the forest and desert in a crumbling tower in Morning Town. Along the way, he joins a band of thieves, meets a minotaur who is also a gourmet chef, finds a nearly perfect rainy city full of books and coffee shops, lives in a whore house, and avoids being consumed by an immortal cannibal ... among many other adventures.
This book is a book-lover's and food-lover's delight. Simple meals of trout fried with mushrooms and garnished with fennel and a whole lime tantalize your taste buds while the beautiful prose and occasional poetry of the book draw you deeply within its pages.
I always disliked other books about journeys in which all the characters ever did was walk and walk and walk and then sometimes engage in a fight or a war. This book is the type of journey I want to read about and wish I could be in. It would make an absolutely gorgeous movie.
The Book of Flying is an adult fairy tale about Pico, the only librarian in a city by the sea. Pico's parents both had wings, but he was born wingless. Unfortunately, he falls in love with a winged woman who tells him that she can't love him fully because he has no wings. This sets him out on a quest for The Book of Flying, a book that will teach him to fly. It is rumored to be far across the forest and desert in a crumbling tower in Morning Town. Along the way, he joins a band of thieves, meets a minotaur who is also a gourmet chef, finds a nearly perfect rainy city full of books and coffee shops, lives in a whore house, and avoids being consumed by an immortal cannibal ... among many other adventures.
This book is a book-lover's and food-lover's delight. Simple meals of trout fried with mushrooms and garnished with fennel and a whole lime tantalize your taste buds while the beautiful prose and occasional poetry of the book draw you deeply within its pages.
I always disliked other books about journeys in which all the characters ever did was walk and walk and walk and then sometimes engage in a fight or a war. This book is the type of journey I want to read about and wish I could be in. It would make an absolutely gorgeous movie.
lamusadelils's review against another edition
4.0
Es un libro tan desordenado y caótico como un sueño, donde todo puede pasar y no siempre es obvio por qué.
El lenguaje del libro se vuelve una herramienta que a ratos te guía por el sueño y a ratos parece perderte más. No es un libro para todo mundo pero cuadra perfecto con mi gusto por lo absurdo.
El lenguaje del libro se vuelve una herramienta que a ratos te guía por el sueño y a ratos parece perderte más. No es un libro para todo mundo pero cuadra perfecto con mi gusto por lo absurdo.
hanbanverde's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0