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romankurys's reviews
493 reviews
Vita Nostra by Marina Dyachenko, Sergey Dyachenko
5.0
Wow. This book went beyond my wildest expectations.
My first read from C.M.Djachenko, I randomly picked it up while visiting family in Ukraine, because Roxi, my sister, said they were good.
A year it sat on my shelf.
I opened it one day...and it was over from the first 3 pages.
Books is absolutely great! It is written for the eastern block audience, who will understand details and subtle difference of life.
Some will think it strange and weird.
I can't see this book finding much common ground. You will either get it and love it or stop reading half way through...(at least my opinion).
I loved it. The concept behind the book, which you will only really understand if you finish it, fully and without skipping is absolutely awesome.
I've read a lot of books, but this one surprised me.
If I had to re-create the idea of the ambiance it delivers, you take Harry Potter and mix it with Kafka's dark undertones.
Just go and read this to make up your own mind! :)
Roman "Ragnar"
My first read from C.M.Djachenko, I randomly picked it up while visiting family in Ukraine, because Roxi, my sister, said they were good.
A year it sat on my shelf.
I opened it one day...and it was over from the first 3 pages.
Books is absolutely great! It is written for the eastern block audience, who will understand details and subtle difference of life.
Some will think it strange and weird.
I can't see this book finding much common ground. You will either get it and love it or stop reading half way through...(at least my opinion).
I loved it. The concept behind the book, which you will only really understand if you finish it, fully and without skipping is absolutely awesome.
I've read a lot of books, but this one surprised me.
If I had to re-create the idea of the ambiance it delivers, you take Harry Potter and mix it with Kafka's dark undertones.
Just go and read this to make up your own mind! :)
Roman "Ragnar"
Draco by Ian Watson
4.0
This book caught me by surprise! First part of the Warhammer 40k "Inquisition" is definitely a huge step forward from the "Space Marine". Ian Watson has done a fret job spinning a yarn in this dark, brooding and very interesting world.
Having never played any of the games, I plunged right into books because the concept of a world that mixed fantasy, sci-fi and a very dark spirit appealed as a good alternative reading.
I had fun flying around planets and crawling to get to meet this mysterious, ever present and eternal Emperor.
Characters were fun, different and very unique.
It's actually this uniqueness that's completely sold me. There's no cookie-cutter here, and I really want to know what happens next.
So apart 2 of the trilogy is a very natural "GO".
Not the easiest of reads though, you've been warned. You'll need a quiet room to fully visualize all that Watson's talking about.
Roman "Ragnar"
Having never played any of the games, I plunged right into books because the concept of a world that mixed fantasy, sci-fi and a very dark spirit appealed as a good alternative reading.
I had fun flying around planets and crawling to get to meet this mysterious, ever present and eternal Emperor.
Characters were fun, different and very unique.
It's actually this uniqueness that's completely sold me. There's no cookie-cutter here, and I really want to know what happens next.
So apart 2 of the trilogy is a very natural "GO".
Not the easiest of reads though, you've been warned. You'll need a quiet room to fully visualize all that Watson's talking about.
Roman "Ragnar"
Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens
3.0
Rating this book was very difficult for me. I liked Dickens' "Pickwick Papers" and "Oliver Twist" so this was the next read on my list and oh boy was I conflicted.
Characters: 4
Setting: 2
Plot: 3
Total: 3 Stars
Characters were probably the best part of the story and it was due to Dickens writing style more then he actual characters. I find Dickens irony very funny. Plenty of times through the book I found myself laughing out loud so naturally I got attached to Nicholas and Smike and the ever good Brothers, really all of them even the villains. It was fun to read about what would happen to them next.
Setting was the most lackluster. I think if Dickens took them all out and stuck them on the moon, or in the middle of France, or south eastern side of Minnesota I would have cared less...
Now the plot is where my indecisions came onto me hard. Dickens has a LOT of parallel stories happening in this book and I didn't feel like he wrapped them all up in a way I would have liked.
Also this book is LONG! As much as I enjoyed it, and I did, I had to split it into a trilogy and read other books in between. (Maybe that's why it was released as a serial, I don't know). For someone who's not sure if they would like Dickens writing style, this would not be a good book to start with.
All in all I though it was a good and solid 3 stars.
Roman "Ragnar"
Characters: 4
Setting: 2
Plot: 3
Total: 3 Stars
Characters were probably the best part of the story and it was due to Dickens writing style more then he actual characters. I find Dickens irony very funny. Plenty of times through the book I found myself laughing out loud so naturally I got attached to Nicholas and Smike and the ever good Brothers, really all of them even the villains. It was fun to read about what would happen to them next.
Setting was the most lackluster. I think if Dickens took them all out and stuck them on the moon, or in the middle of France, or south eastern side of Minnesota I would have cared less...
Now the plot is where my indecisions came onto me hard. Dickens has a LOT of parallel stories happening in this book and I didn't feel like he wrapped them all up in a way I would have liked.
Also this book is LONG! As much as I enjoyed it, and I did, I had to split it into a trilogy and read other books in between. (Maybe that's why it was released as a serial, I don't know). For someone who's not sure if they would like Dickens writing style, this would not be a good book to start with.
All in all I though it was a good and solid 3 stars.
Roman "Ragnar"
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
4.0
Overall I feel this book is a very solid 4 stars with a following breakdown. I'm reading this series in a publication order so it was my 3rd Narnia book, and so far my favorite. This was just a pretty damn awesome travelogue with dragons, a magician, dumb creatures, sailing crew...and plenty more adventure along the way.
So far my favorite book of the entire series.
Characters: 3.
So I am still pissed off that Peter and Susan cannot come back to Narnia because they're too old. That's a stupid reason. I don't think I'll be able to get over the Narnia age restrictions until the end of the series. It's just aggravating.
The rest was just as you'd expect. I love the subtle hints of Lewis describing Eustace as annoying and weird and attributes qualities like vegetarian and smart as negatives as to why he's so annoying lol. It's just funny to see Lewis own dislikes shine through in a character. All Eustace need to do is read a "right kinds" of books, and he'll be A-OK!
Plot: 5.
So despite its linear nature and it's simple travelogue style I absolutely loved this adventure, within myself there many times. There is just something about visiting strange places while on the way to your destination that makes it fun. Especially if those places are full of magic :)
Setting: 5.
While similar in essence to the other two books, I enjoyed seeing new places in this story. Paganism references from the previous two books are replaced with magical localities that we go on to explore. A nice change. Aslan and Christian references stand out the strongest to me in this book, possibly because all the paganism is gone. I found that I enjoyed those, even though I see many complained in their reviews. I looked at it like a puzzle, and felt happy when I found a new reference. A nice Easter egg hunt.
Definitely looking forward to Book4 "The Silver Chair"
Roman "Ragnar"
So far my favorite book of the entire series.
Characters: 3.
So I am still pissed off that Peter and Susan cannot come back to Narnia because they're too old. That's a stupid reason. I don't think I'll be able to get over the Narnia age restrictions until the end of the series. It's just aggravating.
The rest was just as you'd expect. I love the subtle hints of Lewis describing Eustace as annoying and weird and attributes qualities like vegetarian and smart as negatives as to why he's so annoying lol. It's just funny to see Lewis own dislikes shine through in a character. All Eustace need to do is read a "right kinds" of books, and he'll be A-OK!
Plot: 5.
So despite its linear nature and it's simple travelogue style I absolutely loved this adventure, within myself there many times. There is just something about visiting strange places while on the way to your destination that makes it fun. Especially if those places are full of magic :)
Setting: 5.
While similar in essence to the other two books, I enjoyed seeing new places in this story. Paganism references from the previous two books are replaced with magical localities that we go on to explore. A nice change. Aslan and Christian references stand out the strongest to me in this book, possibly because all the paganism is gone. I found that I enjoyed those, even though I see many complained in their reviews. I looked at it like a puzzle, and felt happy when I found a new reference. A nice Easter egg hunt.
Definitely looking forward to Book4 "The Silver Chair"
Roman "Ragnar"
Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis
4.0
So I decided to read this series in the order it was published, so this one was officially Book 2 for me.
All in all I settled on 4 stars.
Characters: 3 stars
Setting: 5 stars
Plot: 4 stars
Total Avrg: 4
So I enjoyed the setting of this book more then anything else. Land of Narnia is a magical land and coming back to it was pretty damn awesome for me. The plot I found pretty interesting also and it o my got better as book went along. It was simple yes, but also strangely enchanting like a good fairytale.
Characters were good but felt a bit underdeveloped. Although the claim could be made that in 250 pages how much of that could be done. Most of Lewis attention went to telling a good story. And that he accomplished very well for me.
What was very confusing for me was that for the much "Christian" propaganda everyone screams this series has, I thought the exact opposite of Prince Caspian. It appeared to me that Aslan is the head of Paganism, not Christianity, judging by all his followers.
All in all...Part 3 needs to be read :)
Roman "Ragnar"
All in all I settled on 4 stars.
Characters: 3 stars
Setting: 5 stars
Plot: 4 stars
Total Avrg: 4
So I enjoyed the setting of this book more then anything else. Land of Narnia is a magical land and coming back to it was pretty damn awesome for me. The plot I found pretty interesting also and it o my got better as book went along. It was simple yes, but also strangely enchanting like a good fairytale.
Characters were good but felt a bit underdeveloped. Although the claim could be made that in 250 pages how much of that could be done. Most of Lewis attention went to telling a good story. And that he accomplished very well for me.
What was very confusing for me was that for the much "Christian" propaganda everyone screams this series has, I thought the exact opposite of Prince Caspian. It appeared to me that Aslan is the head of Paganism, not Christianity, judging by all his followers.
All in all...Part 3 needs to be read :)
Roman "Ragnar"
Call for the Dead by John le Carré
4.0
So, once again I plunge into an un-familiar reading territory. I've heard the name of Le Carre but never really read any of the books or seen any of the movies.
Since I usually like reading in publishing order for no real reason at all, this was a natural choice to try Le Carre. His first novel with a very unusual main hero: George Smiley.
While I don't think this was really a spy story, more of a murder/mystery with a spy in it, it was still a very good read.
What I found I enjoyed the most here was Le Carre writing style. For some reason I found it very appealing and enjoyable to read. In my mind I compare it to eating a nice cake. You want to take a whole thing and just shove it in your mouth, but just know that it'll be better if enjoyed piece by piece.
Exactly what I did.
Character: 5
I think that just the pure way in which Smiley is NOT your typical hero just attracted me right from the beginning. I wanted to know more about who he is and still do after finishing this book. An intriguing person to say the least.
Setting: 3
Setting was ok for my taste. I can't get super excited about post war city descriptions and that whole era overall feel and setting. I think Le Carre did it well and I got a decent feeling of the setting and mindset of people back then, it just wasn't the best part of the story.
Plot: 4
I did enjoy the set up and watching Smiley's brain working on solving a mystery. Good thing was that while I had my suspicions I was not ever entirely sure I was right. Until closer to the end, and by that time I just wanted to see what would happen. Compared to my usual fantasy / sci-fi reads this was very different, and in this case it was also good!
Gonna read the next part!
Roman "Ragnar"
Since I usually like reading in publishing order for no real reason at all, this was a natural choice to try Le Carre. His first novel with a very unusual main hero: George Smiley.
While I don't think this was really a spy story, more of a murder/mystery with a spy in it, it was still a very good read.
What I found I enjoyed the most here was Le Carre writing style. For some reason I found it very appealing and enjoyable to read. In my mind I compare it to eating a nice cake. You want to take a whole thing and just shove it in your mouth, but just know that it'll be better if enjoyed piece by piece.
Exactly what I did.
Character: 5
I think that just the pure way in which Smiley is NOT your typical hero just attracted me right from the beginning. I wanted to know more about who he is and still do after finishing this book. An intriguing person to say the least.
Setting: 3
Setting was ok for my taste. I can't get super excited about post war city descriptions and that whole era overall feel and setting. I think Le Carre did it well and I got a decent feeling of the setting and mindset of people back then, it just wasn't the best part of the story.
Plot: 4
I did enjoy the set up and watching Smiley's brain working on solving a mystery. Good thing was that while I had my suspicions I was not ever entirely sure I was right. Until closer to the end, and by that time I just wanted to see what would happen. Compared to my usual fantasy / sci-fi reads this was very different, and in this case it was also good!
Gonna read the next part!
Roman "Ragnar"
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
4.0
So in all honesty I think this really would be a 3 stars if it was not the book that started the pirate frenzy.
But it is, (As far as I'm aware), so 4 stars it is.
It does not help that I'm also watching the "Black Sails" show so some influence from seeing the backstory of every character developed.
Pretty straight forward tale about pirates, treasure and adventure! Makes me feel like kids back in those days grew up a lot quicker then kids today. Imagine today's teen put in Jim Hawking shoes? Hmmmm.
You'll know what I mean when you read it. (In a way it reminded me of Narnia series, although I'm not sure why.)
Character: 4 Stars
I thought that despite a very simple way of narrating characters were very diverse and Stevenson did a good job showing us who is who. Plus...John Silvers and Flint are just...Legendary!
Plot: 3 Stars
It was ok. Simple, basic and to the point. Good enough to captivate with a sense of adventure. I would have preferred a more complicated set up with some twists but for what it is, it was fine.
Setting: 4 Stars
So being that this is a classic setting, what would today not catch any attention in a new author's book became a legend for Stevenson. Treasure maps, X marking the spot, the Black Mark...I Cabot find enough courage to give this any less then 4 stars.
I suppose like with most classics, if you consider the time it was written...4 Stars seems appropriate. Imagine if, let's say a new author like myself wrote this today? I'd guess average of 2.5 would be a more realistic rating.
All in all, nice to look back to see where it had all came from, however! Plus reminiscing from having read it the first time, makes a nice, fun, relaxed read.
Roman "Ragnar"
But it is, (As far as I'm aware), so 4 stars it is.
It does not help that I'm also watching the "Black Sails" show so some influence from seeing the backstory of every character developed.
Pretty straight forward tale about pirates, treasure and adventure! Makes me feel like kids back in those days grew up a lot quicker then kids today. Imagine today's teen put in Jim Hawking shoes? Hmmmm.
You'll know what I mean when you read it. (In a way it reminded me of Narnia series, although I'm not sure why.)
Character: 4 Stars
I thought that despite a very simple way of narrating characters were very diverse and Stevenson did a good job showing us who is who. Plus...John Silvers and Flint are just...Legendary!
Plot: 3 Stars
It was ok. Simple, basic and to the point. Good enough to captivate with a sense of adventure. I would have preferred a more complicated set up with some twists but for what it is, it was fine.
Setting: 4 Stars
So being that this is a classic setting, what would today not catch any attention in a new author's book became a legend for Stevenson. Treasure maps, X marking the spot, the Black Mark...I Cabot find enough courage to give this any less then 4 stars.
I suppose like with most classics, if you consider the time it was written...4 Stars seems appropriate. Imagine if, let's say a new author like myself wrote this today? I'd guess average of 2.5 would be a more realistic rating.
All in all, nice to look back to see where it had all came from, however! Plus reminiscing from having read it the first time, makes a nice, fun, relaxed read.
Roman "Ragnar"
The Leadership Challenge by James M. Kouzes
3.0
So it was time to invest in myself some more. This was the book I went with this time.
Overall a very solid 3 stars.
Good content, although very basic. Do not expect many revelations, more of a refresher, unless you are new to the craft, in that case might be a mix of revelations and common sense.
What I found very effective for me, was the examples of the concepts the authors talk about. It was not so much high levels stuff as every day situations. It might, at first glance, seem like common sense, but consider that this book might not be written to be read in one or two sittings.
Consider reading one chapter and then implementing what you've learned, no matter how basic it might seem in your work place. A few weeks later continue with another chapter and so on, so on.
Reading through some of the reviews I can absolutely see how some people might feel it being too basic and common sense. The thing is...most leadership appears basic and common sense anyways if you look at it that way. Yet...there's different degrees in it. Plus, Id take some real life leadership examples anytime over theories or other nonsense that just does not apply to real life, unless your work is academia.
All in all, very solid, very researched work that, despite being basic is still very useful and relevant to any leader.
To new leaders is practically a "Leadership Onboarding Manual"
To Tenured leaders it is a great refresher-reminder of what it means to be a leader vs manager.
Definitely worth the time, if you approach it with practice in mind, not revelations or aha moments.
Roman "Ragnar"
Overall a very solid 3 stars.
Good content, although very basic. Do not expect many revelations, more of a refresher, unless you are new to the craft, in that case might be a mix of revelations and common sense.
What I found very effective for me, was the examples of the concepts the authors talk about. It was not so much high levels stuff as every day situations. It might, at first glance, seem like common sense, but consider that this book might not be written to be read in one or two sittings.
Consider reading one chapter and then implementing what you've learned, no matter how basic it might seem in your work place. A few weeks later continue with another chapter and so on, so on.
Reading through some of the reviews I can absolutely see how some people might feel it being too basic and common sense. The thing is...most leadership appears basic and common sense anyways if you look at it that way. Yet...there's different degrees in it. Plus, Id take some real life leadership examples anytime over theories or other nonsense that just does not apply to real life, unless your work is academia.
All in all, very solid, very researched work that, despite being basic is still very useful and relevant to any leader.
To new leaders is practically a "Leadership Onboarding Manual"
To Tenured leaders it is a great refresher-reminder of what it means to be a leader vs manager.
Definitely worth the time, if you approach it with practice in mind, not revelations or aha moments.
Roman "Ragnar"
The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
3.0
I feel kinda sad downrating this book after seeing so many giving it 4 and 5 stars.
I just cannot rate it any more then an average 3.
It really felt like an average book. Actually probably on the underwhelming end of average, only the name of Narnia keeps me from dropping this to 2 stars.
Characters: 3.
Nothing stood out to me here. Characters kinda just did their thing, chugging through the story in a sluggish manner. Earth kids I didn't care about...just kept waiting for Pavensie's to make an appearance.
While it was kinda cool to see anther Witch and her new stronghold, it just did not feel AWESOME. It felt O.K.
The best character of the whole book, I felt was Puddleglum. I can't getting sucked into the story anytime he spoke. The rest....blah.
Plot: 3
Ok. So plot overall is ok, considering it is a kids book after all. It's just that I expected more hidden religious messages, since it's fun for me to decipher hidden meanings and I didn't feel this book really had enough to keep an adult interested. Again an ok plot, had me going for awhile, but nothing special. The Knight in the Armor was a highlight I believe as it made me think and guess. Rest of it is pretty straight forward.
Setting: 2
I really, really cannot stand Lewis's premise that prohibits you from entering Narnia when you get too old to go there. At least in the Neverland everyone was kids and unless you were a kid you couldn't go there. That seemed disappointing but fair. This is just angering. Why can't Earth adults go to Narnia? Peter and Susan and Lucy and Edmund grew old there once in the first book. So it's ok to be an adult in Narnia...but if you're an adult from Earth wanting to sneak a peak...that's a no-no?
Argh!!!!!!! Me No Like!
I will read the next part, because...well, I can't. It read it after having read the first 4. That would just be blasphemy.
Roman "Ragnar"
I just cannot rate it any more then an average 3.
It really felt like an average book. Actually probably on the underwhelming end of average, only the name of Narnia keeps me from dropping this to 2 stars.
Characters: 3.
Nothing stood out to me here. Characters kinda just did their thing, chugging through the story in a sluggish manner. Earth kids I didn't care about...just kept waiting for Pavensie's to make an appearance.
While it was kinda cool to see anther Witch and her new stronghold, it just did not feel AWESOME. It felt O.K.
The best character of the whole book, I felt was Puddleglum. I can't getting sucked into the story anytime he spoke. The rest....blah.
Plot: 3
Ok. So plot overall is ok, considering it is a kids book after all. It's just that I expected more hidden religious messages, since it's fun for me to decipher hidden meanings and I didn't feel this book really had enough to keep an adult interested. Again an ok plot, had me going for awhile, but nothing special. The Knight in the Armor was a highlight I believe as it made me think and guess. Rest of it is pretty straight forward.
Setting: 2
I really, really cannot stand Lewis's premise that prohibits you from entering Narnia when you get too old to go there. At least in the Neverland everyone was kids and unless you were a kid you couldn't go there. That seemed disappointing but fair. This is just angering. Why can't Earth adults go to Narnia? Peter and Susan and Lucy and Edmund grew old there once in the first book. So it's ok to be an adult in Narnia...but if you're an adult from Earth wanting to sneak a peak...that's a no-no?
Argh!!!!!!! Me No Like!
I will read the next part, because...well, I can't. It read it after having read the first 4. That would just be blasphemy.
Roman "Ragnar"