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goblinhearted's reviews
76 reviews
The Memory Theater by Karin Tidbeck
3.5
While I really enjoyed the surreal fairy-tale vibe of this book, I didn't look forward to continue reading it as much as I expected to. I liked the characters but would have liked to get to know them a little better. It's a short read, but the plot/conclusion left me wanting more. Overall, I enjoyed it but it fell a little flat for me.
Circe by Madeline Miller
Now just imagine an entire novel told with this level of care and intensity of imagery. I’ve always felt that I had some form of aphantasia - when the brain doesn’t form mental images as part of imagination - but this novel has me doubting even that.
I love Greek mythology. There has always been something exceedingly beautiful and fascinating about it. Despite my love for it, I don’t know all of the details of all of the myths - there are so many - but I remember deeply appreciating them when I encountered them in school. Now, the focus here is on Circe, but her story is intertwined with the stories of others which are told in passing - such as the story of Daedalus and Icarus, and King Minos and the Minotaur to name a few early ones. The most striking and impressive aspect, to me, is how Miller keeps each story accurate exactly as they are told - retaining the family tree exactly as it existed in the classics. So in this way, her writing becomes less of something which is loosely based on the myths and takes creative license based on that foundation, to something that has been impressively and meticulously researched yet strung together in a beautiful, literary way, from a fresh perspective.
My only complaint, which is really just a side-effect of what I have explained above, is that the parts with Odysseus, Telegonus and Telemachus which converge more directly with the events in The Odyssey, were less compelling to me - partly because I was already somewhat familiar with that story, but also partly because the focus seemed to be pushed away from Circe and onto characters that already have received a ton of coverage. I recognize it is unfair to praise a book for staying impressively true to source material, but then turn around and say that it should have deviated. I think I just would have loved to see more of Circe's independence.
It has been such a long time since I loved a book this much. I took this one slow, savoring each chapter because I knew from the beginning that I didn’t want it to end.
5.0
I knew before the end of the first chapter that this was going to be a five-star book.
First, Miller’s writing style: it is absolutely gorgeous. Her writing style, the metaphors and similes she sprinkles throughout her prose are wonderfully accurate for a Greek and mythological setting. Below is an excerpt of when Circe is taken to her father, Helios’, field of white cows.
First, Miller’s writing style: it is absolutely gorgeous. Her writing style, the metaphors and similes she sprinkles throughout her prose are wonderfully accurate for a Greek and mythological setting. Below is an excerpt of when Circe is taken to her father, Helios’, field of white cows.
“I had never seen a cow before, of any kind, but it did not matter: the animals were so obviously beautiful that I needed no comparison. Their coats were pure as lily petals and their eyes gentle and long-lashed. Their horns had been gilded – that was my sisters’ doing – and when they bent to crop the grass, their necks dipped like dancers. In the sunset light, their backs gleamed glossy-soft.”
Now just imagine an entire novel told with this level of care and intensity of imagery. I’ve always felt that I had some form of aphantasia - when the brain doesn’t form mental images as part of imagination - but this novel has me doubting even that.
I love Greek mythology. There has always been something exceedingly beautiful and fascinating about it. Despite my love for it, I don’t know all of the details of all of the myths - there are so many - but I remember deeply appreciating them when I encountered them in school. Now, the focus here is on Circe, but her story is intertwined with the stories of others which are told in passing - such as the story of Daedalus and Icarus, and King Minos and the Minotaur to name a few early ones. The most striking and impressive aspect, to me, is how Miller keeps each story accurate exactly as they are told - retaining the family tree exactly as it existed in the classics. So in this way, her writing becomes less of something which is loosely based on the myths and takes creative license based on that foundation, to something that has been impressively and meticulously researched yet strung together in a beautiful, literary way, from a fresh perspective.
My only complaint, which is really just a side-effect of what I have explained above, is that the parts with Odysseus, Telegonus and Telemachus which converge more directly with the events in The Odyssey, were less compelling to me - partly because I was already somewhat familiar with that story, but also partly because the focus seemed to be pushed away from Circe and onto characters that already have received a ton of coverage. I recognize it is unfair to praise a book for staying impressively true to source material, but then turn around and say that it should have deviated. I think I just would have loved to see more of Circe's independence.
It has been such a long time since I loved a book this much. I took this one slow, savoring each chapter because I knew from the beginning that I didn’t want it to end.
Disturb Not The Dream by Paula Trachtman
2.0
This became a bit of a hate-read for me…
I picked this up for two reasons: one, because it was recommended by some fans of V.C. Andrews and two, it seemed to fit into the genre of ‘vintage horror’ which I was curious about.
I’ve only read Andrews’ fiction that she had written herself before death. I’m not sure if this can be compared to her ghostwritten work. However, if there ever was a trashy, shock-value piece of writing this would be it. Just about (as others have mentioned) every trigger warning applies to the content of this book. But the thing is, I don’t feel like the majority of the “shocking” events are really justified by the storytelling (especially not in the way the “shocking” events of V.C. Andrews’ work seem to be). It seemed more like the writer was just including things to see what she could get away with.
Again, I’m not super familiar with this genre. I have heard that some writers in the genre do include sleazy, ‘pulpy’ things like this just for the shock value, as if the shocking act itself counts as horror - so it’s possible that this author was just mimicking what had become the ‘norm’ at this point in 1981.
I picked this up for two reasons: one, because it was recommended by some fans of V.C. Andrews and two, it seemed to fit into the genre of ‘vintage horror’ which I was curious about.
I’ve only read Andrews’ fiction that she had written herself before death. I’m not sure if this can be compared to her ghostwritten work. However, if there ever was a trashy, shock-value piece of writing this would be it. Just about (as others have mentioned) every trigger warning applies to the content of this book. But the thing is, I don’t feel like the majority of the “shocking” events are really justified by the storytelling (especially not in the way the “shocking” events of V.C. Andrews’ work seem to be). It seemed more like the writer was just including things to see what she could get away with.
Again, I’m not super familiar with this genre. I have heard that some writers in the genre do include sleazy, ‘pulpy’ things like this just for the shock value, as if the shocking act itself counts as horror - so it’s possible that this author was just mimicking what had become the ‘norm’ at this point in 1981.
The Beautiful Bureaucrat by Helen Phillips
3.0
In The Beautiful Bureaucrat, Josephine works for a mysterious corporation doing a mysterious data-entry job. The premise of sounded interesting to me, perhaps Severance-esque (the TV show). Over the course of the story, Josephine learns more and more about the nature of her job and why things are so secretive.
The main character had an interesting and whimsical narration style which juxtaposed nicely with the soul-draining nature of her job at a mysterious company that she knew very little about. These absurd and whimsical depictions gave me Night Vale vibes.
The "big reveal" was off-the-mark for me. Overall the book was short and entertaining but didn't quite live up to my expectations.
The main character had an interesting and whimsical narration style which juxtaposed nicely with the soul-draining nature of her job at a mysterious company that she knew very little about. These absurd and whimsical depictions gave me Night Vale vibes.
The "big reveal" was off-the-mark for me. Overall the book was short and entertaining but didn't quite live up to my expectations.
America Is Not the Heart by Elaine Castillo
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.
I loved the beginning but by halfway through I became frustrated at reading about party after party. The lack of conflict became too slice-of-life for me. I did really like the first a lot though, and I might pick this up again in the future.
Normal People by Sally Rooney
Did not finish book. Stopped at 47%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 47%.
For as much as I hate romance, I really didn't hate the first half or so of this novel. I didn't hate this novel at all actually, but I just found it becoming too much of a slog to convince myself to keep up with reading it.
The Rust Maidens by Gwendolyn Kiste
Did not finish book. Stopped at 58%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 58%.
I absolutely loved the concept and the setting. I really, really wanted to like this. The main character's internal dialogue / personification just felt so... rough? Edgy? Immature? It felt too much like the audience of the book was younger kids.
Chlorine by Jade Song
Did not finish book. Stopped at 8%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 8%.
I'm all for mermaids and sapphic longing but I learned that I genuinely can't read about competitive sports, especially high school sports.
Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield
Did not finish book. Stopped at 30%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 30%.
I read about 70 pages and put it down because the events that had unfolded seemed exceedingly mundane and I felt myself starting to dread reading another 120-150 pages. It became clear quickly that we weren’t going to learn much about the nature of what happened during the underwater trip (I'm learning that I hate being drip-fed information about a mysterious event). Since each chapter alternated perspectives, I only found myself really caring about Leah’s, which was always the shortest and felt unfulfilling.
Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas
Did not finish book. Stopped at 18%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 18%.
I loved the setting and the atmosphere but I felt like too much of the story was going to center on the romance and I really didn't care for it or feel invested in that part of the story at all.