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jnzllwgr's reviews
238 reviews
What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi
5.0
I’ve struggled with some of the classic magic realists in the past, despite loving a good Jorge Luis Borges tale. Perhaps that’s what I like about Oyeyemi’s stories: their generally efficient word use to approach difficult subjects that are not easily contained by language. Definitely would like to read more shorts if she has them (this was my first foray into her body of work).
Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals by John N. Gray
4.0
Having recently finished a couple Tim Morton books and Daniel Quinn’s Ishmael, I was hoping this would be a nice compliment to them. In some parts, this was the case. However, the book overall is structured as a series of loosely connected musings (the “thoughts” in the title was a much more precisely used term than I expected) about existence and our relationship with a/the metaphysical and the physical world. It stretches out and touches many topics, but in doing so, restricts itself in going deeper into any particular topic. For this reader, this was a detriment. However, the “Further Reading” section is organized by chapter and tracks well within the them so that one can readily grasp that Gray is not just making things up. It also serves as a good tool for any those readers whose interests are piqued for more detail.