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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
☁️ This was a fantastically clever book, weaving six stories together, all in different time periods, in different places, in different genres and written in different styles. The way that Mitchell wrote differently as each narrator and adapted the way that language has evolved over time was ingenious.
That being said, I did find some of the sections a challenge to read. Mainly the futuristic chapters as the language was just so different! However the 70s thriller story did make up for that and I would have definitely have loved to read an entire book just set in that world with those characters.
I was going to only give it 3 starts due to my struggles with large sections of the book but the world building and nested stories are really clever and that wins it the fourth star! ⛅️
That being said, I did find some of the sections a challenge to read. Mainly the futuristic chapters as the language was just so different! However the 70s thriller story did make up for that and I would have definitely have loved to read an entire book just set in that world with those characters.
I was going to only give it 3 starts due to my struggles with large sections of the book but the world building and nested stories are really clever and that wins it the fourth star! ⛅️
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Each individual story is engrossing, with investment in the protagonist's fate within their plot. It has an impressive structure of course, with all the throughlines between stories you could spend a lot of time uncovering, and fun metafictional aspects, with all the questioning of narrators and reality that that entails... Ultimately seems hundred percent like the type of book I'd be obsessed with, but I don't feel particularly inclined to dwell on it, which informs my rating.
Humanity is interconnected across generations -- the drive for power and fight for justice, the need for storytelling and compulsion to share one's experience, the power of the truth (or maybe not), the rise of captialism and colonialism, each innermost soul reverberating across the centuries...
Humanity is interconnected across generations -- the drive for power and fight for justice, the need for storytelling and compulsion to share one's experience, the power of the truth (or maybe not), the rise of captialism and colonialism, each innermost soul reverberating across the centuries...
I was hoping it would be more cohesive than the movie but it seemed like the birth mark was the only real tie between the characters.
Such a beautifully written book. I found all of the stories and all of the characters compelling and eagerly enjoyed their adventures – my particular favorites were Timothy Cavendish and Sonmi~451. I was very impressed by the multiple writing styles and formats and I think my vocabulary was increased by at least 3%. How did he do it?! My one struggle with the book was the feeling that there were many interesting parallels, themes and social satires that I wasn’t quite clever enough to pick up on. Any insights?
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Dit boek ben ik gestart omdat het op een poster stond als een van de beste boeken ooit (je kan je afvragen wie dat vond, maar ik ben het in dit geval met diegene eens!)..
Het ‘concept’ is alleen al fantastisch. Je start zoveel jaar geleden met het lezen van een dagboek, om daarna ieder nieuw hoofdstuk/ deel een sprong te maken in de tijd. Het eerste hoofdstuk eindigt midden in een zin, andere hoofdstukken eindigen op een punt dat je wilt weten hoe nu verder, maar het einde van ieder verhaal lees je pas wanneer je over de helft van het boek bent en zo langzaam weer terug de tijd in gaat. Daarnaast is ook de manier van schrijven ieder hoofdstuk weer anders en dat was soms even wennen, erg goed gedaan want er zijn schrijvers die hetzelfde proberen maar dan klinkt ieder personage hetzelfde.
Naast dat ‘concept’ (vind ik een stom woord altijd, maar gebruik het toch) laat het boek je ook na het lezen nog nadenken, de puzzelstukjes vallen op zijn plek en het is lastig om gelijk in een nieuw boek te starten. 5 sterren!
Het ‘concept’ is alleen al fantastisch. Je start zoveel jaar geleden met het lezen van een dagboek, om daarna ieder nieuw hoofdstuk/ deel een sprong te maken in de tijd. Het eerste hoofdstuk eindigt midden in een zin, andere hoofdstukken eindigen op een punt dat je wilt weten hoe nu verder, maar het einde van ieder verhaal lees je pas wanneer je over de helft van het boek bent en zo langzaam weer terug de tijd in gaat. Daarnaast is ook de manier van schrijven ieder hoofdstuk weer anders en dat was soms even wennen, erg goed gedaan want er zijn schrijvers die hetzelfde proberen maar dan klinkt ieder personage hetzelfde.
Naast dat ‘concept’ (vind ik een stom woord altijd, maar gebruik het toch) laat het boek je ook na het lezen nog nadenken, de puzzelstukjes vallen op zijn plek en het is lastig om gelijk in een nieuw boek te starten. 5 sterren!
This book kept me awake for the entirety of a feverishly long 27hr plane journey. Enough said.
Second read, 10/2012: Just wanted to make sure my initial assessment hadn't been induced by long-flight delirium. Nope. This book is really, truly fantastic - as in, I am ready to go back to undergrad and write papers about all the brilliant themes contained within. Wonderful idea, wonderful execution, just wonderful.
Second read, 10/2012: Just wanted to make sure my initial assessment hadn't been induced by long-flight delirium. Nope. This book is really, truly fantastic - as in, I am ready to go back to undergrad and write papers about all the brilliant themes contained within. Wonderful idea, wonderful execution, just wonderful.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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