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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
I picked this up not realising that it is a 'coda' to The Passenger that I have not read. There are many ideas here that I could have spent some time trying to understand. Found some of the thoughts on the unconscious interesting but was lost in the mathematics. I did look up some of the people mentioned - mathematicians and philosophers - that Alicia is meant to have read or worked with. McCarthy himself was obviously immersed in these topics but that doesn't necessarily make for a readable novel.
Didn't really work for me as a standalone book, and hasn't made me want to read The Passenger.
Didn't really work for me as a standalone book, and hasn't made me want to read The Passenger.
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I suspect I will reread these books once or year or so until I die and that they will be sadder and more rewarding each time.
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Again, how to rate this book? A 5 because it is McCarthy. I give it a 5 because I don't know how much of it I understood, and I am well aware that is my failing, not the author's. A 5 because it is one of those books I could read forever. In fact, make the choice before you pick it up - read in two days or 20 years. You can read it that fast, but it will take you that long to *read* it.
Stella Maris is the mental institution where Alicia Western (Bobby's sister, both from The Passenger) has committed herself. Her brother is in a coma from a racing accident. Her father knew Einstein and Oppenheimer; he was involved with the development of the atomic bomb. The novel itself reads like Sunset Limited in that it is nothing more than dialogue between Alicia and who I can only assume is her doctor. And we have now reached the conclusion of everything I know about this book for sure.
Heavily seeped in universe-impacting math theory, taboo, and philosophy, this is one you will either throw out the window or keep next to you forever.
Stella Maris is the mental institution where Alicia Western (Bobby's sister, both from The Passenger) has committed herself. Her brother is in a coma from a racing accident. Her father knew Einstein and Oppenheimer; he was involved with the development of the atomic bomb. The novel itself reads like Sunset Limited in that it is nothing more than dialogue between Alicia and who I can only assume is her doctor. And we have now reached the conclusion of everything I know about this book for sure.
Heavily seeped in universe-impacting math theory, taboo, and philosophy, this is one you will either throw out the window or keep next to you forever.
challenging
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This feels like an original and captivating work. I enjoyed this much more than its companion. There was danger, there was creativity, there was general storytelling. Just a great read.
I enjoyed the sequel more than The Passenger. Very interesting take/explanation for depression and suicide, and mental illness as a whole.
I unknowingly read this one first. I'm hoping it'll have more of an impact after I read The Passenger, but there's a lot of magnificent writing here.