ajunejane's reviews
428 reviews

The Sigh by Marjane Satrapi

5.0

Beautifully written and illustrated. I'm definitely going to read this to my kids when I have them.

Office Girl by Joe Meno

4.0

A fun book. Meno's prose style took a little getting used to (for me), since he wrote it how most people speak, beginning sentences with "And" in a listing style (and the like). Aside from that it was a pretty good story and reminded me of nearly every indie romance/dark romance movie I've ever seen. Although the story takes place in the 90s, there were several points where I forgot that as the book could have been written about anytime in the last 15-20 years (present day included).

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Wow. She writes about so many painful experiences without revealing that pain as bitterness or resentment, or even making it seem painful. It was just what it was. She isn't completely stoic though, just realistic when expressing her frustrations with her parents and their attitude toward good living and raising children. There's so much I can say about this book, but not enough words to articulate it. The best thing for anyone reading my review to do is just read the book themselves. Her style is clear and easy to follow without feeling monotonous. After reading this book I wonder what would have been different about what she included if she had been able to keep a diary during her childhood instead of recalling the memories through the lens of experience and adulthood.

Styrbiorn the Strong by E.R. Eddison

The most exciting part of this book for me was the language. Eddison really did his homework and got the syntax just right as to be comparative with other Nordic/Scandinavian sagas, without sounding like he was translating (which he wasn't). After having read Njalls Saga, one of the oldest Icelandic sagas, I feel better able to make this judgement. The climax is revealed way before the even occurs, so the suspense lies in how the climax of the novel comes to pass. Also in keeping with the saga tradition, Eddison presents the story without a bias toward one character or another, which I think makes it easier for the reader to come to a moral decision about the story while yet appreciating the complexity of human interaction. A little heavy at times due to language but overall quite wonderful.

Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

A Thomas Hardy novel with the ending of a Jane Austen novel. I'm impressed by Hardy's respect for nature (which comes through in all his novels) without being overly Romantic or melodramatic. Instead, the natural world is a fact of existence operating on a higher plane than the small world of humans. The symmetrical plot lent a satisfying sense of predictability without being too predictable; the ending could be guessed at but the journey was full of surprises. An enjoyable read that was at times a bit long winded or awkward in prose but forgivable due to the easy attachment I made with the characters of Bathsheba and Gabriel Oak.

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

I felt so involved in this novella that I said prayers along with Santiago that he would kill his fish. I think Hemingway's (or perhaps his editor's) decision to omit chapters was excellent--any break in the narrative would have ruined the prose for me. Although Hemingway's style can seem brusque at times, here it was appropriate coming through the thoughts and voice of the old man. As for what we should get from the novella, I think as in most of Hemingway's work (that I've read) that the important thing is the journey, the experience, not the end result. And a little battle between man and nature to remind us that we aren't the biggest thing in the universe.

True Believers by Kurt Andersen

5.0

A great read. I had to keep reminding myself that it was a work of fiction, because the plot as well as the characters and their motives were completely relatable and realistic. I haven't read many books that take place in the near future, as in a year from now, like this one. Events that I know will be happening soon have already happened--it's a window into my present next year (a bit eerie). The "one year later" future is just as realistic as the other parts of the novel, which adds to the eeriness. The future/present in the novel doesn't give anything away for readers in this present however, doesn't say who the president is or other big details like that. It's just one (normal) person's reality in 2013/2014. I highly recommend this book, especially to people who were kids in the 60s.

Milk, Sulphate and Alby Starvation by Martin Millar

I enjoyed this book even more than I enjoyed the other book of his I've read, The Good Fairies of New York. Millar's style of jumping from character perspective is surprisingly cohesive and I never felt lost in the narrative. He also has a way of slowly drawing all his characters closer together as the story progresses, bringing them ultimately together for a Shakespeare-comedy-style finale. A quick, fun, read and a nice break between heavier books.

How To Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran

Hilarious. I think every woman should read this book. I will warn some who are more sensitive to saucy language that this book is QUITE saucy. I mostly just want to hang out with this woman so she can explain her views further to me and clear up some of the contradictions. This is probably the most honest portrayal of a lot of the "mysteries" of womankind that I've ever heard or seen. Men should also read this book.

Dracula by Bram Stoker

4.0

Wonderful. I love how Stoker chooses to tell the story through the character's own words, through journal entries, letters, recordings, and telegrams. It makes the whole familiar story seem more believable. Even though I didn't feel quite as terrified of the Dracula monster when I read the book (probably because I've been jaded by so many Dracula films), I still felt the fear and concern of the characters through the haste of their own actions marked by dated (and often timed) journal entries and was able to draw an emotional response from that. The only real criticism I have is that because I have seen so many Dracula films, particularly the one from the 1990s with Winona Ryder and Gary Oldman (which seems to be most accurate to the book), I wanted a little more romance. I wanted someone to be in love with Dracula--give him a little more depth than just a merely cunning adversary. But I have to give Stoker props for being ahead of his time and being quite a feminist in his way, offering a strong female Mina alongside the weaker, more stereotypical Lucy.