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manuphoto's reviews
923 reviews
Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle
adventurous
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I’m usually all for a nice buildup, but the first third of this novel was tedious. I almost stopped reading because I was bored.
The setup is interesting, and the first couple of chapters are actually quite engaging and funny. But then we get multiple (too many) viewpoints, and everything drags on forever.
Once the story actually kicks in, it becomes a good page-turner. However, there are still too many characters that aren’t developed enough, making it hard for readers to care about them.
The deaths and other misadventures don’t have the emotional impact they could have because we spent so little time with each character. This approach also made the plot confusing at times, as I don’t think the authors managed the multiple POVs all that masterfully.
This novel is also very much a product of the 1970s. It’s primarily a catastrophe story, which was quite popular at the time, and it revolves around cars, women, sex, and alcohol. I’m not saying it’s bad, but it’s definitely a reflection of its era.
The dialogue is decent, though sometimes a bit clunky. The racial and gender politics are actually better than most novels I've read from this period. Women and people of color are depicted in both progressive and ultra-conservative ways, with the novel generally leaning toward the more progressive portrayal. So at least the authors were trying… I think. But don’t expect anything super-modern. The authors seemed to be attempting to be progressive without fully committing (for example, Ringworld by Niven is one of the most misogynistic novels I’ve read, and Pournelle was very conservative).
All in all, it has a decent sci-fi concept, but then it veers into a series of clichés and adventures that work more or less well. If you can get past the first 25-30%, you should enjoy it… until the final act. The last part is like a Mad Max sequence, but it’s insufferably long. The fight scenes are fine, but the way characters discuss things in the final stages is just boring. It’s a shame, because the ideas and questions are actually smart and relevant, but I didn’t enjoy how they were presented. Don’t expect to be blown away.
Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Biography by Chester Brown
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
5.0
An excellent read about one of Canada’s most important historical figures.
Brown’s subdued style fits this tale very well. Although it is a tragic and sad story, the book itself is a pleasure to read. It’s well written, paced and drawn. It doesn’t pretend to be a detailed accounts of events, but it does provide enough information for anybody who wants to understand what happened in Manitoba in the 1860-80s.
The book doesn’t pull its punches, it shows you how things went down, brutally.
Highly recommended for anybody interested in Canadian history.
Brown’s subdued style fits this tale very well. Although it is a tragic and sad story, the book itself is a pleasure to read. It’s well written, paced and drawn. It doesn’t pretend to be a detailed accounts of events, but it does provide enough information for anybody who wants to understand what happened in Manitoba in the 1860-80s.
The book doesn’t pull its punches, it shows you how things went down, brutally.
Highly recommended for anybody interested in Canadian history.
Wonder Woman, Vol. 5: Heart of the Amazon by Shea Fontana
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Not very good. The stories vary greatly in quality but even the best ones are average at best. The art also is nowhere near as constant or good as in the previous volumes of that series.
Saga, Vol. 11 by Brian K. Vaughan
adventurous
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A good progression of the story, with witty and fun writing from Vaughan, illustrated in that unique style from Staples.
It’s fun, emotionally strong and endearing.
It’s fun, emotionally strong and endearing.
Moi qui n'ai pas connu les hommes by Jacqueline Harpman
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Un livre touchant, original et superbement exécuté.
Le parcours de la narratrice, qui évolue dans un monde inconnu et dénué de sens, m’a pris dès les première pages. Cette jeune fille qui se retrouve avec trente-neuf femmes d’abord en prison puis sur une pleine aux allures d’infini est un personnage remarquable.
Elle est un miroir de notre humanité et Jacqueline Harpman use de ce miroir avec sagesse et sagacité. Ce livre est un exemple de bonne science-fiction. En partant d’un « et si » original, l’autrice a exploré la nature de la condition humaine ainsi que les fondamentaux de toute société. Et le tout en moins de 200 pages.
Je ne veux pas m’étaler sur l’histoire elle-même afin de ne rien gâcher pour les futurs lecteurs qui auront la chance de découvrir ce roman. Je le recommande simplement car il est beau, triste, intelligent et très bien écrit.
Le parcours de la narratrice, qui évolue dans un monde inconnu et dénué de sens, m’a pris dès les première pages. Cette jeune fille qui se retrouve avec trente-neuf femmes d’abord en prison puis sur une pleine aux allures d’infini est un personnage remarquable.
Elle est un miroir de notre humanité et Jacqueline Harpman use de ce miroir avec sagesse et sagacité. Ce livre est un exemple de bonne science-fiction. En partant d’un « et si » original, l’autrice a exploré la nature de la condition humaine ainsi que les fondamentaux de toute société. Et le tout en moins de 200 pages.
Je ne veux pas m’étaler sur l’histoire elle-même afin de ne rien gâcher pour les futurs lecteurs qui auront la chance de découvrir ce roman. Je le recommande simplement car il est beau, triste, intelligent et très bien écrit.
Injustice: Gods Among Us Compendium One by Taylor Tom
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This is DC junk food. Fun with superheroes. But it’s actually quite good, if uneven.
First thing you’ll notice is that the art is so-so, especially in the first third of the book, then it improves and stays good.
As for the story, it starts very quickly and then slows down a bit to have some added complexity, which is welcome. But there is still at least one major fight per issue, it’s very action packed. It’s also very linear and easy to follow.
Not the best Justice League story, but it’s fun and is very easy reading. It does tackle some interesting questions on superheroes, especially Superman and Batman, but it’s much more entertaining than philosophical.
First thing you’ll notice is that the art is so-so, especially in the first third of the book, then it improves and stays good.
As for the story, it starts very quickly and then slows down a bit to have some added complexity, which is welcome. But there is still at least one major fight per issue, it’s very action packed. It’s also very linear and easy to follow.
Not the best Justice League story, but it’s fun and is very easy reading. It does tackle some interesting questions on superheroes, especially Superman and Batman, but it’s much more entertaining than philosophical.