A long fantasy that doesn’t feel long or difficult and meandering. Each chapter has a point and although we do jump from person to person and place to place, all events have a meaning and build up to an end point. There are no character cul-de-sacs of the likes there can be with a fantasy of this size, nor are things needlessly stretched out to give content for a sequel of equal or more size. It all feels complete and standalone.

1984 by George Orwell

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challenging mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

On the one hand, I think everyone one should read this before being allowed to utter phases such as "it's a bit like 1984" or "That's very Big Brother of you". On the other hand, there is no denying that parts of this book are not very good narratively (I'm looking at you entire chapters dedicated to reading out essays and treatise).

I'm glad I read it as the cultural impact of this book is still felt today, yet it's more of an essay in a story's clothing than a novel.

Not Right Now by K. Thomas

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emotional mysterious fast-paced

5.0

A brilliant sequel which builds well upon Time to Wake while diving deeper into the world’s lore and further fleshing out the characters.

The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole

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dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Arguably the first Gothic horror novel. The Castle of Otranto doesn’t have all the hallmarks of what we could consider a Gothic novel today, but oddly, the beginning part especially, feels rather modern compared to books which came after it — but not modern by today's standards. A rather good read, (as long as you approach it as a classic/piece of history and as a product of its time. If you come at it with a modern perspective, you’re going to have a bad time), but not without flaws, which propelled its genre forward. The Castle of Otranto deserves much more praise and public knowledge than it currently gets.

(3.5 rounded to 4)

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perrywolfecastle's reviews 114 reviews

perrywolfecastle's reviews
114 reviews