chairman_meow77's reviews
30 reviews

The Zone of Interest by Martin Amis

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

Go to review page

emotional funny informative inspiring lighthearted relaxing slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I have to agree with many of the other reviews that for the first 70 pages or so I was not sure about the book and was feeling quite bored. I am glad I stuck with the book, however, since the characters are beautifully written and the eventual (albeit slow) development of Count Rostov from a foppish arrogant and listless aristocrat to a “man of intent” is wonderfully done. 
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder by David Grann

Go to review page

adventurous dark informative inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

4.75

Skillfully written, extensively researched, Grann evokes Truman Capote in that he writes non fiction that reads with the suspense and narrative cohesion of a novel. Read this book in 3 days and could not put it down. 
Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Go to review page

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

4.0

The first half is not of a philosophical essay and the second “half” (Apropos of Wet Snow, what a wonderful title) is a more standard narrative explaining some events that led the underground man underground. This is Dostoevskys treatise on the possible consequences of societies obsession with science, explanations, and “rational egoism” which was a very popular philosophy in 1860s Europe. Beautifully written (of course it’s Dostoevsky). 
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

Go to review page

dark funny sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

American Psycho was a good, fast read. It kept me interested throughout but it is not groundbreaking in any way. The symbolism was pretty heavy-handed. The violence was extremely brutal and graphic, however, it did serve the plot and the themes and in my opinion it was not pointless or gratuitous.  Many people will complain that this book is misogynistic due to many of the portrayals of violence and torture being perpetrated against women or boring due to the repetitive description of wardrobes and items, however, those people are troglodytes with the media comprehension skills of an infant. Anyone who boycotts or DNFs this novel because of "misogyny" should really stick with reading something more appropriate for their reading level, like Harry Potter. I would recommend this book only to those with a strong stomach.  Even though its not an amazing book its still exponentially better than anything Ottessa Moshfegh has written.
The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Wonderfully strange book about a woman who is named the executor of her former lover's estate and goes to a town in Northern California to take care of said estate. What unfolds is some of the most paranoid (in a good way), nervous writing I have ever read. No one has done a better job than Pynchon of creating a sense of paranoia with prose. There is so much symbolism in this book that I am certain I missed nearly everything and the use of metaphor is just incredible. It also has some of the most unique and hilarious character names that I have ever read. It is a beautiful example of post-modernism and it is short so it is a perfect place to start for anyone that is wanting to try out Pynchon without having to commit to something as daunting as Gravity's Rainbow. Highly recommend. 
The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey

Go to review page

adventurous funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga by Hunter S. Thompson

Go to review page

adventurous dark funny informative inspiring fast-paced

4.0

Moby-Dick: Or, the Whale by Herman Melville

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark funny informative reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I gave Moby Dick 4.5 stars due to the beauty of the writing, the timeless themes and ideas the novel explores, as well as its influence on other works both past and present. Moby Dick is one of the most influential American novels of all time. This is NOT an easy or quick read. There were multiple times when I wanted to give up and did not think I would be able to finish. I am so glad I pushed through and read the whole novel. Many people complain about the large portion of the book (essentially about 300 pages right in the middle) where Melville goes into (at times) excruciating detail regarding every single aspect of the whale and the whaling industry. These sections did not bore me or cause me to want to stop reading. The parts of Moby Dick that were the most frustrating to me were the sections of dialogue, especially Ahab's dialogue. Most of the Characters (Starbuck, Stubb, Flask, and especially Ahab) speak in this antiquated Quaker dialect the was difficult to follow. Ahab's dialogue was by far the most challenging since he not only spoke with this old-world lexicon but he also speaks in vague riddles, referencing vague or obscure works of literature or events. Some of Ahab's monologues would take me an hour or more just to attempt to decipher what message Melville was attempting to get across. I found using an outside annotation extremely helpful. I used a website called "Power Moby Dick: The Online Annotation" which can be found here http://powermobydick.com/. I highly recommend using an annotated edition if it is your first time reading MD, I would not have picked up on many of the references to literature, art, historical events, and religious practices found throughout the novel. Moby Dick is an investment, and I truly believe that anyone who loves literature and/or any writer should absolutely put in the time and effort required to read this amazing and inimitable novel. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
The Quiet American by Graham Greene

Go to review page

adventurous dark funny inspiring reflective relaxing tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed this book very much. Its was short and fast-paced which is exactly what I was looking for at the time. Graham Greene's prose in this novel is very concise and without much flourish, but  I did not feel as though this was a detractor. It kept the pace brisk and the story moving along and I was constantly wondering what would happen next. What I remember of the Michael Caine / Brendan Fraser film adaptation was very close to the novel itself and this surprised me. Some people talk about Fowler's cynical and sardonic nature as a negative for the work overall, but it made the work more immersive for me. People who have lived through war and seen first hand the wanton destruction that accompanies it often end up with the same hopeless and pointless outlook on life, hoping that death comes quickly and painlessly, just wanting to lay low until that happens. The symbolism of Fowler v. Pyle over Phuong was a bit ham-fisted in my opinion, but overall I would happily recommend this novel and will absolutely read it again!