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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
A disruptive coda. Deceptively straight-forward. The dialogue crackles.
challenging
dark
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Such an interesting way to tell a story. Still processing it.
1.5 stars rounded up. I enjoy (mostly) McCarthy's writing style, but The Passenger had moments of humor that were mostly missing here. Honestly, I think this book is superfluous, or could have been added to The Passenger as a chapter. Unlike Bobby, Alice/Alicia comes across as something less or more than what we call "human"--maybe that's one way to define autism and/or genius and/or what we call "mental illness?" I dunno, unfortunately, I didn't find it that interesting, particularly since McCarthy already gave us glimpses into her life/writings/thoughts in The Passenger, which were just as illuminating/intriguing, and certainly more interesting. I wouldn't recommend unless you have a deep interest in mathematics/physics and the intersection of those with genius/alternative thinkers.
Going to have to read both of these again. But the fact that I read each in a day says way more about how engrossing these books are than it does about my reading. It was impossible for me to step away from either for very long, and I am excited about the experience of rereading.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Some sections of this really hit but I don’t have the passion for philosophy or math that I feel like is a pre-req for enjoying this book. Massively dense.
The companion novel to The Passenger. This novel is told from the perspective of the sister and is the transcript of her therapy sessions. I love dialogue in books so I was thinking this would be a quick read. However, I also love to stop and look up subject matter I’m unfamiliar with and this book had plenty! Mathematics and mathematicians not being my strongest subjects, there was much rereading and flagging of passages. While much of the discussion is deep and dark, taboo subjects, and moral debate, there is humor and wit. I find myself wanting to go back and read The Passenger again. And then, of course, rereading Stella Maris.
I very much enjoyed this dialogue. Couldn’t shake that McCarthy had to learn and understand a lot about a lot to write it, but I loved the woman, Alicia, though her name is only used in the beginning.