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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
Can anyone clear up what this book is about?
I gave it two stars because I think if I understood what happened properly I could adore it as it’s beautiful written but I know I’m not alone in not being able to follow it.
I even started again half way through & still none the wiser. I refused to give up ok it but honestly stopped trying to work out what was going on so probably partly to blame.
I gave it two stars because I think if I understood what happened properly I could adore it as it’s beautiful written but I know I’m not alone in not being able to follow it.
I even started again half way through & still none the wiser. I refused to give up ok it but honestly stopped trying to work out what was going on so probably partly to blame.
Beautifully written, maybe a little too long, but the last ~150 pages or so really don’t let you go. Parts of it kind of felt like reading a directionless poem and I do think I was maybe going a little crazy looking for plot in the middle of it, but I think that was kind of the point. I thought NC was more fun but this was poetic and sweet and good. Just, again, maybe a little too long.
mysterious
slow-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:
No
I have listened to almost 100 books this year. Honestly, though this book has some romantic and great moments of vivid fantasy its constantly changing plot leaves the reader confused. The revelation of characters did not make this a good read. Lacked clarity in the story itself and felt purposeless.
Would not waste my time with it.
Would not waste my time with it.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
my first five stars
read this during the pandemic and finished it in one read. i just love the setting of the book but may be slow in the beginning, fucked up my mind in a good way
read this during the pandemic and finished it in one read. i just love the setting of the book but may be slow in the beginning, fucked up my mind in a good way
There are things to like about The Starless Sea. It’s a lush book, apparently written very much for fans of prose. The use of the present tense and sentence structure is great, conveying lyricism and dreamlike qualities where needed.
I have two main issues with this book, however. One is how tooth-achingly pretentious it is. Vast swathes of the book feel like excerpts from “the book I never wrote†posts on Pinterest and Tumblr: they’re meaningless spectacle that feel like they were written with the express purpose of being shared on social media. The John Green-level deepisms (things that seem deep when you first read them, but actually are completely meaningless) are all over the place. So much of this book is taken up by style that the substance really suffers. This book struggles to say anything useful or meaningful, because it’s so focussed on how to say it.
Pardon?
This is coming from somebody who prefers books that prioritise style over substance. I would rather read something with a boring plot that’s nicely written than something fun but poorly written. But this book takes it to such an extreme level that I found myself rolling my eyes and skimming towards the end.
The book’s worse sin, in my opinion, is the pacing. I’m not going to complain that the book is slow-paced. I like a slow-paced book. But I will complain that the structure of the book completely hamstrings any potential tension or drive it could hold. Every chapter of the main plot is interceded by a chapter taken from a diegetic book, one that exists within the novel and is discovered and read by some character or another at some point.
I think a book’s energy is really important. It ebbs and flows over time, rising and falling. Generally, you don’t want a book to have the same energy the whole way through. Too much energy, and the reader will burn out. Too little, and they will get bored. But a book’s energy should generally increase over time, as the reader starts to understand the plot, the characters, and the stakes. That is, until it reaches a climax.
The Starless Sea lacks any kind of change in energy. Every time it feels like the energy is about to rise and the plot is about to kick in, we have to sit through a sub-chapter in which something whimsical but rarely meaningful happens. When we return to the plot, the energy resets and we start from zero again. The book was unable to gain any momentum because of this, and I think it really impacted my enjoyment. It felt like nothing was ever happening, because nothing ever felt urgent. (Mild spoilers)
All in all, I wouldn’t recommend this book. It was lyrical and whimsical, but the plot is only there if you squint, the relationships felt rushed, and the characters were either forgettable or annoying. Maybe someday a sea of honey will rise and reclaim this book, and I won’t be sad to see the sticky back of it.
I have two main issues with this book, however. One is how tooth-achingly pretentious it is. Vast swathes of the book feel like excerpts from “the book I never wrote†posts on Pinterest and Tumblr: they’re meaningless spectacle that feel like they were written with the express purpose of being shared on social media. The John Green-level deepisms (things that seem deep when you first read them, but actually are completely meaningless) are all over the place. So much of this book is taken up by style that the substance really suffers. This book struggles to say anything useful or meaningful, because it’s so focussed on how to say it.
“How are you feeling?â€
“Like I’m losing my mind, but in a slow, achingly beautiful sort of way.â€
“A book is made of paper but a story is a tree.â€
“Sorry it’s so poetry today.â€
“So what?â€
“Poetry. The weather. It’s like a poem. Where each word is more than one thing at once and everything’s a metaphor. The meaning condensed into rhythm and sound and the spaces between sentences. It’s all intense and sharp, like the cold and the wind.â€
Pardon?
This is coming from somebody who prefers books that prioritise style over substance. I would rather read something with a boring plot that’s nicely written than something fun but poorly written. But this book takes it to such an extreme level that I found myself rolling my eyes and skimming towards the end.
The book’s worse sin, in my opinion, is the pacing. I’m not going to complain that the book is slow-paced. I like a slow-paced book. But I will complain that the structure of the book completely hamstrings any potential tension or drive it could hold. Every chapter of the main plot is interceded by a chapter taken from a diegetic book, one that exists within the novel and is discovered and read by some character or another at some point.
I think a book’s energy is really important. It ebbs and flows over time, rising and falling. Generally, you don’t want a book to have the same energy the whole way through. Too much energy, and the reader will burn out. Too little, and they will get bored. But a book’s energy should generally increase over time, as the reader starts to understand the plot, the characters, and the stakes. That is, until it reaches a climax.
The Starless Sea lacks any kind of change in energy. Every time it feels like the energy is about to rise and the plot is about to kick in, we have to sit through a sub-chapter in which something whimsical but rarely meaningful happens. When we return to the plot, the energy resets and we start from zero again. The book was unable to gain any momentum because of this, and I think it really impacted my enjoyment. It felt like nothing was ever happening, because nothing ever felt urgent. (Mild spoilers)
Spoiler
The main character being knocked out, tied to a chair and poisoned had the same impact and energy as the main character getting his coat washed.All in all, I wouldn’t recommend this book. It was lyrical and whimsical, but the plot is only there if you squint, the relationships felt rushed, and the characters were either forgettable or annoying. Maybe someday a sea of honey will rise and reclaim this book, and I won’t be sad to see the sticky back of it.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
this book is pure whimsy and mystique. it did at points feel like a chore to continue through the journey but the lore intertwining with the story kept me going. i would pay crazy money to live in the fantastical world that is the cat-filled museum of books known as the Starless Sea
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No