If you don’t love books in which very little happens plot-wise, then you won’t love this. If you love introspection, incisive reflections on self/feeling, characters as symbols and smears of emotion more than people, then you probably will. Very Woolfian, very inward-facing, and gorgeous.

Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe

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dark informative medium-paced

4.5

Thorough, well-researched, and completely engrossing. I’ve read other accounts of the opioid epidemic (e.g., Dopesick) and feared that this book would deliver another voyeuristic, pop journalistic peek into the pain of the families of the dead. But Empire of Pain is far from a simple human interest story. It is foremost about the corruption of government regulatory bodies, corporate greed, and the failure of the criminal justice system to indict the super-rich. It traces the blurry lines between private industry and the government entities that ostensibly protect us. The implications of this book are wide reaching and disturbing to contemplate.

I particularly appreciated the space dedicated to the three original Sackler brothers and the way Arthur’s ambition gave rise to a corporate ethos that encourages aggressive, misrepresentative advertising strategies. This is not only a book about the Sacklers’ relationship to Oxycontin, but about their history with dubious personal and business ethics (back room deals with FDA officials, petty family squabbles over profit distribution, unrepentant utilization of tax havens, etc.). The picture is, obviously, unflattering. But perhaps more importantly, it invites the question: who else, within the most powerful American echelon, is comparably morally bankrupt? In a country premised on meritocracy, what does it mean that some of the wealthiest among us have built their fortunes on death and lies?

In today’s world, where advertisements grow ever more pervasive and insidious (our favorite stars and old friends from high school are paid to peddle on social media), I couldn’t help but reflect on the ways in which this story speaks to the harms of our current unchecked marketing machine. Antitrust law is stuck in the pre-dot com era, the top 10% of households in the U.S. hold 70% of the wealth… Empire of Pain asks us to contemplate the ways in which wealth accumulates and the ways in which we (don’t) hold the complicit accountable.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Debriefing: Collected Stories by Susan Sontag

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challenging dark reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

2.5

Rating right down the middle; some stories are worth the time and others aren't. Highlights: Pilgrimage, The Dummy, Debriefing. Lowlights: Project for a Trip to China, Unguided Tour, Baby.

Both the foreword to this book and all of its press coverage take pains to note that Sontag was not a dedicated short story writer. This should be taken as a word of caution by lovers of the form. It is apparent that Sontag used short stories as a last resort to explore narratives and concepts she couldn't wrangle into essays, books, or plays.

Some stories felt cumbersome, overly expansive in scope, and clumsily experimental. Others, particularly those that bear some marks of autobiography, are more successful, perhaps because closer to the heart.

There are some frustrating attempts at cultural criticism and satire, where potentially rich topics are touched on but not fully examined. Project for a Trip to China's narrator regards China through an Orientalist lens, rebuking it as a land of backwards tradition but lusting after it as an opportunity for adventure and self-actualization. Sontag leaves this lens un-interrogated, laying out the framework for a potential dismantlement of colonialist thought and desire, but stopping short.

This collection happened to be my first encounter with Sontag and it's clear that I'll need to look elsewhere to experience her at her best. However, she shone through in some beautiful images and punchy lines and is most impactful when she is most introspective. Would recommend for those willing to cherry pick the best pieces and for those who are already fond of Sontag's other work and curious about her take on the short story.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

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hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

0.25

I came to this story as someone who typically reads darker literary fiction but wanted to try something more lighthearted to get a break from the general state of the world. I had high hopes considering the overwhelmingly positive reviews it's received from book communities online.

I stuck it out all the way to the end hoping to find something redeemable, but I'm disappointed to say that I absolutely hated this. The writing is poor, the plot is simplistic, and the tone is moralistic and preachy. There is nothing skillful, subtle, or complex about this book.

I didn't connect to the characters; each felt like a caricature of themselves. Even Linus' character development and the big reveal of Arthur's true identity felt predictable.

This book may be a good read for a child who's still learning the difference between right and wrong but I cannot work out why this is categorized as an adult novel or why so many people seem to resonate so deeply with such elementary messaging.

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chickadee's reviews 100 reviews

chickadee's reviews
100 reviews