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shanehawk's reviews
421 reviews
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
4.0
A Story of How a Soldier Coped with Shell Shock
Very interesting book. Hard to get into at first. Pilgrim suffered shell shock so badly from his time at war he created a delusional reality where he was abducted by some aliens because he felt alienated and reduced by the horrors of war. Many crazy, contrasting parallels between Nazis and the aliens. Nazis sent him to a slaughterhouse where animals die, aliens had him in a zoo where animals live. He’s stripped of clothing in both reality and fantasy. In reality he hates himself and his body. In his alien fantasy he feels no shame for his body. Hmm. Interesting stuff.
Very interesting book. Hard to get into at first. Pilgrim suffered shell shock so badly from his time at war he created a delusional reality where he was abducted by some aliens because he felt alienated and reduced by the horrors of war. Many crazy, contrasting parallels between Nazis and the aliens. Nazis sent him to a slaughterhouse where animals die, aliens had him in a zoo where animals live. He’s stripped of clothing in both reality and fantasy. In reality he hates himself and his body. In his alien fantasy he feels no shame for his body. Hmm. Interesting stuff.
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
5.0
This is the third novel I’ve read from Michael Crichton; an incredible writer. It is also my favorite thus far. Perfect balance of thrill, wonder and technicality in a science fiction work. A must read for all fans of the genre, in my opinion. I’ve loved the movie for 22 years—first watched it when I was five. Despite watching the movie innumerable times, Jurassic Park the novel is worthy of a read. There are enough distinctions to keep it interesting however familiar it may seem. Give it a go. 5/5
The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
3.0
Research. Something not taken for granted by Crichton in his work. This may be his most technical book I've read by him. While the research and pacing made the story seem incredibly plausible, it sort of lacked a punch for me.
I would call the first 250 pages a "sleeper." Technicality of lab experiments aside, there wasn't much to glean from and excite the reader. I gave it my full attention until the end simply because I've read Crichton before and enjoy his work. I've come to realize he is a big fan of the miracle ending, or Disney ending. Something happens which makes everything perfectly okay and happily ever after. I'm not exactly a fan of this. His writing can he so realistic but the endings don't exactly match the storyline. It feels as though he's just trying to sum it up and get the book finished. Overall, the very ending was too vanilla fairytale for my tastes.
I didn't know what to expect coming into this one. The title is a damn good title for an epidemic with a tinge of extraterrestrial life. Majority of the "hair-raising experience" (a quote from the Pittsburgh Press plastered on the book cover) was in the last 30 pages or so. I couldn't put it down and I did actually feel relentless suspense.
I still appreciate the man and his work; will continue to read it. However, this is just an average book, in my humble opinion. 3/5
I would call the first 250 pages a "sleeper." Technicality of lab experiments aside, there wasn't much to glean from and excite the reader. I gave it my full attention until the end simply because I've read Crichton before and enjoy his work. I've come to realize he is a big fan of the miracle ending, or Disney ending. Something happens which makes everything perfectly okay and happily ever after. I'm not exactly a fan of this. His writing can he so realistic but the endings don't exactly match the storyline. It feels as though he's just trying to sum it up and get the book finished. Overall, the very ending was too vanilla fairytale for my tastes.
I didn't know what to expect coming into this one. The title is a damn good title for an epidemic with a tinge of extraterrestrial life. Majority of the "hair-raising experience" (a quote from the Pittsburgh Press plastered on the book cover) was in the last 30 pages or so. I couldn't put it down and I did actually feel relentless suspense.
I still appreciate the man and his work; will continue to read it. However, this is just an average book, in my humble opinion. 3/5