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alisonjfields's review
3.0
An sometimes insightful, often elliptical argument for why Sebald novels should be treated as a controlled substance for literary young men who like to capitalize Philosophy.
krobart's review
4.0
See my review here:
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2018/11/26/day-1287-in-the-light-of-what-we-know/
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2018/11/26/day-1287-in-the-light-of-what-we-know/
dajenny's review
3.0
I wavered between 2 and 3 stars for this one.
Pros:
-The author knows how to craft a sentence. The writing is solid.
-The book kept me engaged and interested (despite the cons, below)
-The last 75 pages (or so) were intriguing and interesting (though it really isn't enough to add 75 pages of action after 425 pages of nothing happening)
-The book presented many interesting ideas and caused me to think about things (politics, religion, class) in ways I hadn't before (though see cons, below)
Cons:
-Modern novels often seem to value "literary writing" over telling a story. This book is no exception.
-The book tries to do too much - it's as though the author is trying to show how much he knows and how much he's thought about way too many subjects. He needed to focus on one, maybe two themes, and treat them deeply and well. As it was, he touched on a dozen or more ideas and barely skimmed the surface on any of them.
-The first 425 pages are really just two characters talking. And talking. And talking. While somehow, I kept reading, it was too much.
-No quotation marks. Grammar conventions exist for a reason. I don't know why he left quotation marks out of his book, but I often found myself pulled out of the story for a moment as I tried to decide who was doing the talking.
You could probably skip this one and be no worse for it. Which is a shame. It had promise.
Pros:
-The author knows how to craft a sentence. The writing is solid.
-The book kept me engaged and interested (despite the cons, below)
-The last 75 pages (or so) were intriguing and interesting (though it really isn't enough to add 75 pages of action after 425 pages of nothing happening)
-The book presented many interesting ideas and caused me to think about things (politics, religion, class) in ways I hadn't before (though see cons, below)
Cons:
-Modern novels often seem to value "literary writing" over telling a story. This book is no exception.
-The book tries to do too much - it's as though the author is trying to show how much he knows and how much he's thought about way too many subjects. He needed to focus on one, maybe two themes, and treat them deeply and well. As it was, he touched on a dozen or more ideas and barely skimmed the surface on any of them.
-The first 425 pages are really just two characters talking. And talking. And talking. While somehow, I kept reading, it was too much.
-No quotation marks. Grammar conventions exist for a reason. I don't know why he left quotation marks out of his book, but I often found myself pulled out of the story for a moment as I tried to decide who was doing the talking.
You could probably skip this one and be no worse for it. Which is a shame. It had promise.
zoveelstegebruiker's review
I need to start again, this book started of great, but then of course.... I lost track of it doing other things....
doobyus's review
3.0
This is an intelligent, very well written novel, and I enjoyed it immensely. My only gripe is that it, at times, seemed to be trying too hard to be smart, and in doing so let the ending down.
thebernie's review against another edition
4.0
This book is an intelligent read. And not merely in the sense that it requires some knowledge of math, finance and politics but also in the deeply introspective sense. This book will undoubtedly touch a readers soul and call out to them at least once if not with every page turn. A deeply passionate read that left me in a place that most books can't even touch.