butchjadeharley's reviews
8 reviews

Sacred And Terrible Air by Robert Kurvitz

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

the most notable thing about sacred and terrible air is its absolutely beautiful, poetic prose. packed with metaphors, it can be very difficult to understand what's actually going on. this flowery writing style packed with the complete lack of exposition for elysium's world makes this a hugely challenging and rewarding read (i imagine even moreso if you haven't played disco elysium.)

the main theme of sacred and terrible air is nihilism. the plot revolves around the pale. the pale! what an existentially nightmarish little thing! by the end,

the whole world is engulfed by the pale, but not before a brutal world war which literally nukes revachol. poor revachol! :[

do not read this book if you want a satisfying conclusion. sacred and terrible air is not a mystery/thriller, it's an incredibly metaphorical exploration of memory, hope, and nihilism.

Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity by Julia Serano

informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

incredibly slow paced, but when its good it is GOOD. the book is mostly dialogue, which makes each character, no matter how minor, feel so three dimensional. i think you could easily spend a lifetime analysing just this book.

rogozhin and myshkin definitely fucked by nastasya filipovnas corpse

3001: The Final Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke

adventurous mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

like previous installments, the best parts were the ones with hal and dave and the rest was painfully mediocre. there is no reason for frank poole to be the protagonist. his status as an outsider to this future society isn't used to explain it to the audience because of the multiple jarring timeskips which exist only so clarke doesn't have to explain his world to the reader. the ending feels rushed and is, overall, a very unsatisfying conclusion to the series. 

2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

HAL 9000💖💝💞💓💝💖💗💞💞💖💕💕

2010: Odyssey Two by Arthur C. Clarke

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

while i was hesitant going in, 2010 expands brilliantly on the story of 2001. the crew of the leonov are very charming, you really get invested in their friendship. it manages to further explain the monoliths and aliens without detracting from the mystery and atmosphere of the original, which i was very worried for. also hal is there <3

2061: Odyssey Three by Arthur C. Clarke

adventurous mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

overall, this book was a let-down. 2061 is a confusing, muddled mess that feels more like a first draft than a finished novel. where 2001 and 2010 excelled in creating a sci-fi world that really sucked you in and left you wanting more, 2061- with its endless subplots, flat characters, and mindnumbingly slow pace- has almost put me off finishing the series.