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linnaeauliassi's review against another edition
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
smderitis's review against another edition
3.0
Baker's writing style for this book is absurdly intricate and exact. There is really no plot to the book, but in this case, that makes it all the more interesting. Readers follow the life of the main character through a day, as he is on an errand to replace his shoelaces, but you learn more about this character in one day than you probably would if the time frame were a year. The detailed thoughts, opinions, and daily actions are so mundane, yet captivating through the way that Baker's pays great attention to specificity.
kalin_grace's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
robingriffiths17's review against another edition
4.0
Funny, complicated, ADHD. Still not sure I got it!
zoe808's review against another edition
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
This book is about the cyclical nature of a workday. Oh my god it was so so funny and I adored the footnotes about plastic straws.
knaught's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting meandering of where our brains go in quiet moments
rachelhelps's review against another edition
5.0
An engaging and detailed look at everyday processes such as stapling, shoe-tying, and escalator riding. This book encourages the reader to think more about his daily life.
itsjustjane's review against another edition
2.0
There were some observations that I agreed with, but overall this was such a boring and tedious read.
mrsfligs's review against another edition
5.0
I really have no idea how I stumbled on this book in the first place. All I know is that I loved it and it made me laugh out loud. Not because it is funny ha-ha, but because it is so ridiculously focused on the small oddities of life. I guess I found myself laughing at the ridiculousness and trueness of the narrator's observations -- and the seriousness of purpose he applies to things such as why shoelaces seem to break around the same time.
In many ways, this book is like a Seinfeld episode -- it is about "nothing" but "everything." The book is not your standard novel in any way, shape or form. Nothing really happens. The narrator breaks a shoelace, goes to get a replacement on his lunch break, and heads back to the office. Along the way, he makes detailed observations (many chronicled in the footnotes) about every little thing he sees or thinks about -- often leading him to reveries about his childhood.
This book always sticks out in my mind because I remember reading it on an overseas flight and I ended up laughing hysterically and being unable to stop. Not to say the book is that funny but there was something that tickled my funny bone and I started laughing and got out-of-control about it. You know how it is when you laugh in a confined place or where you shouldn't and it gets worse and worse because you know you need to stop but you only laugh more? It was like that. But it might have been jet-lag warping my little brain as well. Anyway, I think this is a little gem of a book.
In many ways, this book is like a Seinfeld episode -- it is about "nothing" but "everything." The book is not your standard novel in any way, shape or form. Nothing really happens. The narrator breaks a shoelace, goes to get a replacement on his lunch break, and heads back to the office. Along the way, he makes detailed observations (many chronicled in the footnotes) about every little thing he sees or thinks about -- often leading him to reveries about his childhood.
This book always sticks out in my mind because I remember reading it on an overseas flight and I ended up laughing hysterically and being unable to stop. Not to say the book is that funny but there was something that tickled my funny bone and I started laughing and got out-of-control about it. You know how it is when you laugh in a confined place or where you shouldn't and it gets worse and worse because you know you need to stop but you only laugh more? It was like that. But it might have been jet-lag warping my little brain as well. Anyway, I think this is a little gem of a book.
laura_medley's review against another edition
4.0
“thoughts were too fluid, too difficult to name, and once named to classify, for my estimate of their relative frequency to mean very much. And there were way, way too many of them.”