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gilroi's reviews
534 reviews
The Viking Spirit: An Introduction to Norse Mythology and Religion by Daniel McCoy
3.0
A weird book. Self-published by an author with-- to my knowledge-- no official academic work in the field, it serves as much as an introduction to Norse mythology and its intersection with Norse culture as it does one man's perspective on Norse mythology and its intersection with Norse culture.
If you're already familiar with the subject and don't need an easy introduction, you're much better off reading Gods and Myths of Northern Europe by H.R. Ellis Davidson. Not least because The Viking Spirit is hugely influenced by this book.
If you're already familiar with the subject and don't need an easy introduction, you're much better off reading Gods and Myths of Northern Europe by H.R. Ellis Davidson. Not least because The Viking Spirit is hugely influenced by this book.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
3.0
In this one, Flynn finally develops her themes instead of just kind of presenting them. She also gets better at pacing, though the end of the book drags a little (I'm not sure that'd be the case if you hadn't already seen the film, though; at least this book didn't just suddenly come to an abrupt ending at the second half of the last chapter with a tacked on happy ending paragraph).
I think Flynn's books might just not be for me, because while this is inarguably her best written book, it was also, for me, the least enjoyable. Again, though, that could have been due to having seen the film first (but, admittedly, I was spoiled for the twists in Sharps Objects and Dark Places and didn't find those as much of a drag, so ???). Great job me, coming to this conclusion after reading three books by her. I'm kind of a bozo.
I think Flynn's books might just not be for me, because while this is inarguably her best written book, it was also, for me, the least enjoyable. Again, though, that could have been due to having seen the film first (but, admittedly, I was spoiled for the twists in Sharps Objects and Dark Places and didn't find those as much of a drag, so ???). Great job me, coming to this conclusion after reading three books by her. I'm kind of a bozo.
Dragon Age Library Edition, Volume 1 by David Gaider
3.0
An excellent collection, I recommend this series highly if you're a fan of the Dragon Age universe (less so if you're looking to get into the series in the first place, but then, this comic is the gateway that got my roommate to want to play the game, so who knows). Not only does the comic itself clear up some mysteries that have been hanging in the background since the beginning of Origins, it also has gorgeous, colorful art. The writing is full of character-- no wonder, David Gaider had a direct role in the writing-- and so is the art, with expressive faces and a wonderful handle on rendering action that feels both naturalistic to a static illustrative medium while still holding true to the interactive world of video game physics.
As for this edition in particular, it has something nothing else has: commentary. I'm a giant sucker for DVD commentary, so I absolutely adored getting to hear the behind-the-scenes tidbits the artists and writers were willing to leak. All of it revealed how much thought and care went into the making of this volume, which really made me appreciate it even more. I can't speak highly enough of this comic. I didn't expect tie-in material to be high quality, and yet my expectations have been exceeded in every way.
As for this edition in particular, it has something nothing else has: commentary. I'm a giant sucker for DVD commentary, so I absolutely adored getting to hear the behind-the-scenes tidbits the artists and writers were willing to leak. All of it revealed how much thought and care went into the making of this volume, which really made me appreciate it even more. I can't speak highly enough of this comic. I didn't expect tie-in material to be high quality, and yet my expectations have been exceeded in every way.