jentang's reviews
80 reviews

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

5.0

Although I couldn't be any further removed from the scene of young men grappling with their nearly-impossible-to-wrangle angst in the Wild West or on mountain ranges, I was vehemently sucked into this account of McCandless's life. Krakauer's writing was compelling and relatively complete, a commendable feat given the surely limited amount of information on McCandless's journeys he had to work with. It's true that he did not keep the story completely centered around McCandless, but I can understand his need for filler material, even if it did come from sources like his personal experiences.  I was actually appreciative of the positive bias with which he wrote, as I think a life as adventurous as McCandless's should be celebrated rather than criticized. While it's easy to attribute McCandless's downfall to haughtiness, stupidity, ignorance, privilege, selfishness, etc., it feels unnecessarily cruel to do so. In fact, it's hard to do anything but admire him here. He did not squander the life he lived in the least. Throughout his 24 years, he stayed remarkably true to his inner morals and desires as he embarked upon venture after venture leading him to see more sights than some of his living critics ever will. Many bash him for being underprepared for the wilderness he threw himself into, but for what it's worth, he had triumphed time and time again against Mother Nature thanks to a combination of certainly luck as well as his own resourcefulness. With all this being said, I already knew how the story would end, and yet it was still genuinely upsetting to read, especially as I grasped just how close McCandless was to having made it out of this spectacular journey that had called to him for so long with not just experience under his belt and dirt under his fingernails, but also a new sense of direction and contentment in life. Though McCandless used to run from his troubles, first for sport in high school and later on as a way of life, towards the end, I felt he was no longer trying to escape, but rather wholly move forward. The world out there is incomprehensibly vast, and while the rules and limitations of the society inhabiting it were not greatly suited to McCandless / Alexander Supertramp, I'm glad he got to see as much of it as he did.

Evil and the Mask by Fuminori Nakamura

3.5

this book mildly reminds me of murakami's norwegian wood, but if it were written in a ten times more "the alchemist" fashion. it wasn't bad; it had a decent plot that actually circled back and tied up all loose ends by the last page, and the heightened suspense maintained throughout the heart of the story certainly drew curiosity and active engagement from me as a reader. while it didn't necessarily extract much thought from me in terms of its mystery nor its elementary level depth commentary on humanity (although i was fond of shozo kuki's monologue on murder), i can still appreciate how much thought was put into creating an overall well-structured story like this one. i wasn't floored, but this is objectively an accessible read and a decent novel.

Zoo Station: The Story of Christiane F. by Kai Hermann, Christiane F., Horst Rieck

4.0

having just taken a class focusing on addiction in literature that really inspired an analytical nature with these types of texts, i felt that i personally gained a lot more out of this book than i would've otherwise. a different reviewer described this as "grimy", and i think that's absolutely accurate. it was definitely also impactful. with death after death and decline after decline, like any other memoir centered around addiction, this read was exhausting and heavy, and this was only enhanced by remembering that the people living the hard street life in this book were literal children. i viscerally reacted to the image insertion of detlef standing outside zoo station. based on conversations i've had in my own life recently and something akin to a similarity felt to christiane in terms of childhood experiences and general perspective, i was all the more hopeful for a brighter resolution to the book. the fact that it never truly came just made this entire read feel so bleak, but that's life. in my opinion, this book shouldn't be judged too much on its professionalism or ability to stylistically floor a reader. christiane is giving a very personal recount on possibly some of the most traumatizing human experiences to exist, and i'm choosing to use this book as a reminder of a deeply flawed society, a check of privilege, and an overall warning for myself. 

Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson

4.25

calling this collection of stories enjoyable would feel a bit wrong, but nevertheless, to me it was. i read a few of the stories through drooping eyelids sitting in a dark corner of my room since this was required reading for one of my courses, but i genuinely ingested enough to know that this book has reread appeal. about half of the short stories really scratched an itch in my brain. i've had to have gone back to "dirty wedding" about four times by now. as i'm sure i'll have to analyze this book in class later on, this isn't an actual review, just a note on my immediate takeaways.

A Bright Ray of Darkness by Ethan Hawke

4.75

i was caught off guard by how much i enjoyed this book. it is incredibly male, but incredibly true to ethan hawke and his creative style. while i don't necessarily think hawke and i share similar viewpoints on love, and while i am not inclined at all to feel much sympathy for the MC, the realness with which the hotshot protagonist in this book who is grappling with facing the rest of his life was spun made me feel his humanity in such a way that i cannot simply hate this book for not exactly being very respectful nor romantic, as much as i would like to.

boo cheating boo objectification boo eyebrow-raising violent sex why does this have to be an accurate depiction of men and the way in which they see things

hawke writes such raw relationships. i could find myself clearly envisioning most of william's interactions, whether they were with his lovers, his coworkers, or random people on the street. hawke was able, in my opinion, to successfully transfer life (of course, i'm sure many of william's written experiences were based off his own) to paper, something which i feel a great deal of authors are unfortunately unable to do. another angle: the writing was human enough that i read every single page about acting in the play with as much focus and interest as i did pages about drug usage, sex, and sadness, even though i can definitively say i have never in my life sought out shakespeare-related media of my own free will. william isn't perfect. he's not someone who i can relate to. he's not someone i would want to find myself entangled with. he's not someone i would be able to help in any way if i were his friend. and yet, i can only say all of these things because this book made me feel like i know him enough to do so. 

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

4.0

this splendid memoir reminded me a bit of tara westover's educated if it were crossed with j.d. vance's hillbilly elegy. however, no memoir can justifiably be described as a mashup of others. while it of course should not be forgotten that jeannette's recollections of poverty, neglect, and abuse are still tragic realities for many children today, jeannette's calm recantations of her parents and her family dynamics ensured the walls would become a memorable family for readers worldwide. the self-assuredness and infuriatingly flawed logic of both of jeannette's parents made me grit my teeth numerous times, and i completed the book in mostly a state of disbelief as jeannette casually mentioned insanely jaw dropping or heartache inducing ordeals that she and her siblings went through thanks to her parents' actions, or lack thereof. at the heart of it all, it was fascinating to see how there was still deep love and loyalty within jeannette's family that never really wavered or flickered out, even in the worst situations.

jeannette's last moments with her father before she left for new york greatly touched me, as there was something so genuine there when their relationship was stripped of all other factors (though it doesn't take much to regain disgust and contempt for him)

i will say that time seemed to pass languidly in jeannette's world. i absolutely would not say that the book dragged on or lost my interest, but the perfectly chronological progression of life did have me a bit confused somehow; my grasp on the years was always a bit off. additionally, my understanding of the walls family felt a bit surface-level. significant things happened, and they were shared, and that was that. there was nothing behind the scenes, no moment for a reader to immerse themselves in so that they could try to begin to understand how it felt to be the author in that instance. i knew all the members of the family and their nuances, but only barely, and despite the continual presence of each, it somehow felt to me like none of them were there much at all after a certain point in the book, jeannette included.

the intelligence of both of jeannette's parents in their respective areas of interest, brian's eagerness to leave for the city and his adaptation to it, maureen's transition out of religion to stabbing - these are all just examples of things that i would've loved to gain a bit more insight on, which i feel could've been possible

once

the family had disbanded to start their own lives in the city

, it felt like any focus there was had been lost, and from there, it was just a rush to the ending, which did not really speak to me. still, jeannette and her siblings are insanely impressive for having left their upbringing and its logical implications behind in the dust, and her story was inspiring to read. 

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

4.25

if this had been a piece of literature assigned to me in school, i don't think i would've appreciated it in the least. however, as a book i read of my own free will, i found something familiar and comforting - as unlikely as that is - within it that made reading pleasant. the characters were enthralling and their relationships easygoing. there was nothing implemented to prevent a reader from feeling like they understood finny the way everyone at dover did. he was an entirely authentic character; i would say gene was, as well. the developments in their relationship as we followed through gene's narration made perfect sense to me, although this isn't the type of book where understandable actions can be taken as dully predictable. it's a book immersed in the life of its characters, rather than the life of the world. despite the backdrop of war and its semi-frequent visitations to dover's otherwise settled environment, the dynamics between gene and finny held the greatest significance throughout the novel. it is true that there is nothing to be gained from reading this - there's no extraordinary plot (although there is one beyond developing following lives), no profound analogy for life, no collection of easter eggs - but it provides a well fleshed out world to plunge into, one that is open for possible connection even if you are a reader like me, completely unlike the characters of the book. many discuss whether or not there are any legitimate homoerotic relationships in this story, even despite knowles's rebutting the existence of such. the way it read to me, there was clearly love that existed between gene and finny, but in my opinion, it was the kind of love that comes with true kinship and loyalty. finny was a character written as more alert and sensitive than most men, carefree and breezy, so much so that i understand why many think he may have romantically loved his dear friend gene in a way that might've been masked by easygoing yet strongly present friendship. however, overall, this book would have truly accomplished nothing in a more negative way if you choose to view it as a love story; thus, i see the male connection that exists here as deep and platonic.

Dream Story by Arthur Schnitzler

4.0

this was a fun dreamlike little read, made easier by the visuals of kubrick’s eyes wide shut playing out in the back of my mind. much less sexual than its film adaptation counterpart, the book relies on a fast paced plot and unlimited access into fridolin’s mind as he interacts with the women of the night in order to get the same point across. unfortunately, once the eccentric trance this book creates fades, it becomes almost forgettable; it truly is a dream story. wonderful in the moment, meaningless after it ends, and something i will most likely never revisit.

Stoner by John Williams

5.0

out of simple curiosity, i had looked up this book online before reading, and found it described as both anti-gatsby, and an academic novel. i was mildly confused about what either of these meant, but now, after reading, i can wholly see where these appraisals and classifications were derived from. this is my first exploration of a campus novel, and it has certainly gripped me. i appreciate this book not for any of the typical reasons, i.e. entrapping writing or poignant plot. realism writing, to me at least, is hardly grabbing on its own, and the plot of stoner is honestly quite despondent and still. i even found the story to be predictable in many instances, although here i believe this foreseeability to be not a fault in writing, but a side effect of the novel's connection with humanity. instead, i appreciate it for its emphasis on the nitty gritty of its characters, which give readers who have assigned nothing to them nothing back. stoner himself was a clearly complex intellectual, but at his core, i found him to be pathetic and weak. as miserable as his life was, he played a great part in making it that way by doing nothing but stepping back and reflecting, by moving forward and accepting. and yet, he is a man modeled after many actual men i know, and i cannot say i would not have performed some of his exact actions had i been in his shoes. i do have a bit of an issue with the physical relations between him and edith, but i suppose that once again, their copulations unfortunately reflect those of many real couples, and besides, i cannot discriminate against this book alone for uncomfortable depictions that are so commonplace in literature everywhere. and of course, i feel a sense of obligation to move past this, as there are so many other characters to explore (grace - a life wasted because the lives who created hers wasted their own; edith - a woman missing and desperately seeking to gain the desires and abilities every woman seems expected to naturally have of being a wife and mother; katherine - her departure was eye-opening for me of how relationships with dynamics like hers often erase the individuality of the younger counterpart; lomax - i feel that somewhere along the way of finding himself he settled upon an approach of self defense and preservation that forever damned him to experiencing more or less the same isolation in adulthood that he faced growing up). if it wasn't already clear, i was not depleted by this story upon finishing it, but rather filled with observations and feeling, which is what makes this book a solid 5 stars for me. i do have to say, if stoner had been an actual stoner, i think his life would've had a more pleasant edge to it.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

4.75

this book is great. khaled hosseini's works are great. he's a powerful writer, terrific at pulling at one's haertstrings. glued to the pages, i finished this in one night - his writing style made for a fairly easy read. with multiple storylines via a central focus on two separate women who come together through circumstance, hosseini is able to touch on almost all forms of familial and romantic relationships imaginable with his own personal, tragic version of the midas touch. i think it would be hard for anyone to remain unaffected by this book as a result. i appreciate its exploration into a culture far removed from my own. i almost detracted stars from my rating for what i felt was a plot that was a bit too dramatic and over the top, but upon reflection, i am speaking where i have no room to only through privilege. truly an eye opening read and very historically informative. i really don’t have all that much to say beyond these general comments, just that the themes of resilience and repentance in this story hit me hard.