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challengedreader's Reviews (487)
I don't know how Oliver Sacks manages to be both captivating and difficult to read, but so it goes.
I have been reading this book for a few weeks now and, despite my loath of giving up on books, I cannot finish it. I haven't even gotten to the rape scene that is foreshadowed through the entirety of the book and I cannot finish it. (Update based on wiki of the book, apparently it isn't a clear cut rape scene, but it definitely stinks of unclear consent.)
Reading this book was similar to reading Ayn Rand in that the author has a clear point of view, but my thought was "that just isn't how people... are." The idea that every person has the same motivations is just... inane. If Wolfe were to put his idea that humans are primarily driven by seeking status forth as a psychological theory of motivation he'd be laughed out of the field as a backward-thinking narcissist who believes his own experience (and that of people like him, since he apparently interviewed students as well--probably with very leading questions and his conclusions already written) reflects that of the rest of humanity.
Aside from all that, the characters are eminently unlikable, the story is predictable, and the tropes are played out. Hard pass.
Reading this book was similar to reading Ayn Rand in that the author has a clear point of view, but my thought was "that just isn't how people... are." The idea that every person has the same motivations is just... inane. If Wolfe were to put his idea that humans are primarily driven by seeking status forth as a psychological theory of motivation he'd be laughed out of the field as a backward-thinking narcissist who believes his own experience (and that of people like him, since he apparently interviewed students as well--probably with very leading questions and his conclusions already written) reflects that of the rest of humanity.
Aside from all that, the characters are eminently unlikable, the story is predictable, and the tropes are played out. Hard pass.
The one where the kids are superheroes. 👍