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juliette_dunn's reviews
460 reviews
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
4.25
I read this having loved the movie as a child, and I am glad the movie was such a well-done adaptation. For the most part the plot is the same, just having left out a few moments. The story's themes are explored deeper in the book, predictably, and so it was wonderful to get what was already beautiful expanded.
Due to the style, the characters do feel distant, and it's harder to connect with them in the way the more direct, modern style of fantasy allows. They are more in line with characters in a fairy tale, filling their fairy tale roles, which is intentional, as Schmendrick remarks on it himself. The very atmosphere of this story is beautiful, a gorgeous and melancholy fairy tale on the nature of impermanence, immortality, choices and regret. The unicorn's final speech is haunting. I can't quite name the atmosphere of this story, this specific blend of nostalgic melancholy, but it's one that hits deeply.
Due to the style, the characters do feel distant, and it's harder to connect with them in the way the more direct, modern style of fantasy allows. They are more in line with characters in a fairy tale, filling their fairy tale roles, which is intentional, as Schmendrick remarks on it himself. The very atmosphere of this story is beautiful, a gorgeous and melancholy fairy tale on the nature of impermanence, immortality, choices and regret. The unicorn's final speech is haunting. I can't quite name the atmosphere of this story, this specific blend of nostalgic melancholy, but it's one that hits deeply.
Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
funny
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Once Stolen by D.N. Bryn
4.0
Now this is a wonderful find. Xenofiction AND an autistic main character? Autistic people often relate to non-human characters, as so many attempts to write them often end up making someone autistic coded. But in this story, the main character Cacao is both, and his perspective both as an anthropomorphic snake person and his neurodivergence come into play. And he's allowed to be selfish.
I love when I come across autistic characters who can be selfish, mean, or even evil, not as a result of their autism making them not understand, but because it's how they are. Cacao softens as the story goes on but he's for the most part unapologetically selfish, and it's wonderful to read.
All of the characters are lovable, Cacao being balanced by his passionate, morally righteous love interest. The plot wasn't anything groundbreaking, nor was the world, but it was still quite enjoyable and I had a lot of fun with it. I will be reading the sequel series following one of the side characters.
I love when I come across autistic characters who can be selfish, mean, or even evil, not as a result of their autism making them not understand, but because it's how they are. Cacao softens as the story goes on but he's for the most part unapologetically selfish, and it's wonderful to read.
All of the characters are lovable, Cacao being balanced by his passionate, morally righteous love interest. The plot wasn't anything groundbreaking, nor was the world, but it was still quite enjoyable and I had a lot of fun with it. I will be reading the sequel series following one of the side characters.
The Hero With a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell
2.5
I respect the enormous influence this book had while also lamenting all the Freudian claptrap I had to endure while reading it. The author excels best when focusing on myths, which is after all the premise of the book, but too often delves into pseudopsychology in an attempt to prove a point about random people's dreams.
The problem is that so much of its basis around Freudian psychology has since been proven nonsense. Long paragraphs delving into the sexual jealousy and symbolism around boys and their mothers and their circumcisions. The book is also intensely misogynistic, which is a staple of the time of course, but it gets harder to bear when it makes up a third of the text.
Despite this, Campbell does manage to make some interesting points about mythology across the world, and is clearly well-versed in the subject. At times he makes reaches to fit everything into his narrow mold of identity and growth, but there's no doubt he has made something that has gained much respect and merit.
Reading this has also made me realize how much people misinterpret the Hero's Journey, treating it as a rigid structure for everything when not every stage is even meant to be included at the same time. It's not a "how to write a story" guide but an observation on world mythology and the universal human values they expose.
The problem is that so much of its basis around Freudian psychology has since been proven nonsense. Long paragraphs delving into the sexual jealousy and symbolism around boys and their mothers and their circumcisions. The book is also intensely misogynistic, which is a staple of the time of course, but it gets harder to bear when it makes up a third of the text.
Despite this, Campbell does manage to make some interesting points about mythology across the world, and is clearly well-versed in the subject. At times he makes reaches to fit everything into his narrow mold of identity and growth, but there's no doubt he has made something that has gained much respect and merit.
Reading this has also made me realize how much people misinterpret the Hero's Journey, treating it as a rigid structure for everything when not every stage is even meant to be included at the same time. It's not a "how to write a story" guide but an observation on world mythology and the universal human values they expose.