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simonator's reviews
147 reviews
The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey by Ernesto Che Guevara
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
Wwe lost a witty travel writer to the revolution.
The diaries are some serious mythmaking by a young and charming Che, who describes his own bravado in a hilarious and self-deprecating style. Both his descriptions of delicious natural sceneries and the squalor of the poor he encounters on the travels are highly valuable.
The diaries are some serious mythmaking by a young and charming Che, who describes his own bravado in a hilarious and self-deprecating style. Both his descriptions of delicious natural sceneries and the squalor of the poor he encounters on the travels are highly valuable.
The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World by Antony Loewenstein
informative
1.75
Interesting facts, but reads more like a series of journalistic reporta tied together a la "look at the outrageous sh*t Israel is doing". But there's no deeper connecting, conceptualizing argument or systemification. I'd rather watch a documentary then.
Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Becky Chambers' books are always a cozy, lighthearted read - this one even more than her others. Scene after scene, we get to know the domesticity and lived reality of the inhabitants of an enormous human fleet drifting in space and poverty, but under some form of space communism. In lengthy, lengthy dialogues, the characters discuss their lives and how they feel about it. Frankly, that gets hella boring at some point - which is, too, a theme for the Wayfarer series. The communist nature of the fleet society is interesting for a second of fans of organised space life, but it lacks a serious, deeper foundation based on a critique of capitalism or even understanding of planned economies/societies (especially regarding the incessantly brought-up topic of money and trade). Everybody's just an emotionally mature hippie who doesn't like money and who's fluent in therapy-speak - that's communism, apparently.
If you're waiting for a plot in the first third, don't get your hopes up too much. The author prefers much mroe to revel in the little moments and little lives of her creations, letting them yap for pages on end, with not much of a plot, or even problems, to spur them on. Then, halfway in, a genuinely intriguing plot takes shape of an immigrant who falls through the fleet society's cracks, hangs out with the wrong people, and tries to make a living in the wake of a major industrial disaster. And THEN, two chapters later, that plot just ... fizzles out off-page. The rest of the book's THIRD is about the remaining cast DISCUSSING what just happened - even though most of them didn't even have anything to do with the events! I wanted to scream at this waste of a great story idea.
I still finished this book fairly quickly, though, as the writing is charming at times, and the world-building undeniably creative, combining hard sci-fi geekdom with fantastically alien aliens. But I think this'll be the last book of the author for me.
If you're waiting for a plot in the first third, don't get your hopes up too much. The author prefers much mroe to revel in the little moments and little lives of her creations, letting them yap for pages on end, with not much of a plot, or even problems, to spur them on. Then, halfway in, a genuinely intriguing plot takes shape of an immigrant who falls through the fleet society's cracks, hangs out with the wrong people, and tries to make a living in the wake of a major industrial disaster. And THEN, two chapters later, that plot just ... fizzles out off-page. The rest of the book's THIRD is about the remaining cast DISCUSSING what just happened - even though most of them didn't even have anything to do with the events! I wanted to scream at this waste of a great story idea.
I still finished this book fairly quickly, though, as the writing is charming at times, and the world-building undeniably creative, combining hard sci-fi geekdom with fantastically alien aliens. But I think this'll be the last book of the author for me.
Hezbollah: The Political Economy of Lebanon's Party of God by Joseph Daher
informative
4.0
Highly informative and great proof of the power of Marxist approaches to analysing contemporary politics. Theory side could've taken more space.
A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
1.25
Quite boring unfortunately. There are two plots, running in parallel, one in the past of one protagonist, and they're only connected in theme. That theme is coming to terms with being embodied in existence, with all the choice and lack thereof that comes with it. Principally not uninteresting, but the plot does not explore it in a very engaging way. Every story point can be expected a mile away.
Also not as evocative and rich in world building as the series' first instalment.
Also not as evocative and rich in world building as the series' first instalment.
Of Cattle and Men by Ana Paula Maia
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Absolutely visceral. A great piece of modern worker's literature.
Sometimes, a paragraph ends with a tacky explanation of the analogy and symbology just employed, as if the reader was not to be trusted in uncovering the deeper meaning themselves. Other than that, the setting an conception of this sleek and comprehensive novella is as enchantingly gruesome as it is hauntingly beautiful; the factory steeped in blood, the river killed, the fish stinking, the distinction between man and cattle blurring.
Begs to be made into a movie.
Sometimes, a paragraph ends with a tacky explanation of the analogy and symbology just employed, as if the reader was not to be trusted in uncovering the deeper meaning themselves. Other than that, the setting an conception of this sleek and comprehensive novella is as enchantingly gruesome as it is hauntingly beautiful; the factory steeped in blood, the river killed, the fish stinking, the distinction between man and cattle blurring.
Begs to be made into a movie.
Salt Houses by Hala Alyan
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Gut-wrenchingly sad and beautiful.
Avoids tragedy-porn while still looking at the abyss of human souls living through displacement. Somehow manages not to romanticise the Struggle and yet explore it deeply. At one point, a character erupts at the family's limited upper-middle class background of relative privilege, and lack of regard for the fate of the poorer living through similar experiences. The book does not manage or seek to absolve that, it's left to the reader of how much issue to take with that. There is a stange theme of women's perception of their own and each other's bodies. I can't decide on whether it's done in a way that's profound or cringe. In general, this work doe not need to be ashamed taking its place alongside the list of important historical fiction written on Palestine.
Avoids tragedy-porn while still looking at the abyss of human souls living through displacement. Somehow manages not to romanticise the Struggle and yet explore it deeply. At one point, a character erupts at the family's limited upper-middle class background of relative privilege, and lack of regard for the fate of the poorer living through similar experiences. The book does not manage or seek to absolve that, it's left to the reader of how much issue to take with that. There is a stange theme of women's perception of their own and each other's bodies. I can't decide on whether it's done in a way that's profound or cringe. In general, this work doe not need to be ashamed taking its place alongside the list of important historical fiction written on Palestine.
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
B. Chambers' hopeful brand of sci-fi is still coming into its own here. This story, like most others of the author, centres around the interpersonal relationships of its space-diverse cast who maneuvers not only space politics but also each other's needs and wants. In this world, people have by and large all the emotional tools at hand they need to deal with the intricate mental and social challenges they encounter cooped up in their ship, and generally approach things like well-adjusted loveable adults with no bad bone in their body. With the exception of the Corbin character, everybody seems to have undergone a intense education of therapy and has their impulses under control. That's sometimes sweet to read but also just very easy - how did they obtain these competencies? Are they just more evolved socially? The same goes for the plot; obstacles are encounters, dealt with, and solved, lickity-split. Things just work out.
However, this story is very much intended to be just that, a wholesome, cute, cozy space opera. That's not everybody's taste, but as long as its executed well, nothing wrong with it.
What does detract from the quality is that because all characters seem to be fluent in therapy-speak, their voices sometimes become blurred. even characters conceptualised to be as distinctive as Kizzy or Lovey or Pei remain somewhat interchangeable with the rest. Equally, the priorities of the world building are a bitt off to me; the Author's main interest seems to be the social interaction of species, how they view and tolerate each other on a personal level. Hence, the plot also mainly follows episodically each crew member's respective background. But that realm of social interaction should be structured and co-determined by economic contexts, political constellations, or sociological trends. Those latter dimensions I found a bit lackluster. ((Also, in yet another installment in the literary genre of The Author's Barely Disguised Kink, there's just a weird amount of pages dedicated to alien sex. But hey, no judging here)).
Finally, the writing style is nothing to write home about, the wonder of space travel, the loss of a crew member, and encountering alien markets and home worlds does not really penetrate the pages - even though the ideas behind each stage are sometimes interesting (the Cricket moon? Awesome). This should not worry the reader, as B. Chambers evolves to become an excellent writer of prose in later works.
However, this story is very much intended to be just that, a wholesome, cute, cozy space opera. That's not everybody's taste, but as long as its executed well, nothing wrong with it.
What does detract from the quality is that because all characters seem to be fluent in therapy-speak, their voices sometimes become blurred. even characters conceptualised to be as distinctive as Kizzy or Lovey or Pei remain somewhat interchangeable with the rest. Equally, the priorities of the world building are a bitt off to me; the Author's main interest seems to be the social interaction of species, how they view and tolerate each other on a personal level. Hence, the plot also mainly follows episodically each crew member's respective background. But that realm of social interaction should be structured and co-determined by economic contexts, political constellations, or sociological trends. Those latter dimensions I found a bit lackluster. ((Also, in yet another installment in the literary genre of The Author's Barely Disguised Kink, there's just a weird amount of pages dedicated to alien sex. But hey, no judging here)).
Finally, the writing style is nothing to write home about, the wonder of space travel, the loss of a crew member, and encountering alien markets and home worlds does not really penetrate the pages - even though the ideas behind each stage are sometimes interesting (the Cricket moon? Awesome). This should not worry the reader, as B. Chambers evolves to become an excellent writer of prose in later works.
Red Star: The First Bolshevik Utopia by Alexander Bogdanov
adventurous
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Sometimes a modern reader must smile at the elemental sci Fi building blocks of this work, but it's both an exceedingly engaging read and window into its own time.
Written in 1908, it discussed with remarkable prescience themes of industrial development, overpopulation, class struggle, and climate change. Bogdanov's perspective as an early bolshevist rival to Lenin gives him a macro insight into the class-based, economic and social dimensions of human/Martian development where modern writers too often over-focus on individuals or pieces of technology (though Bogdanov exhibits a pronounced biased fondness for the roles of engineers and doctors and scientists and the like rather than of the proletarians, as the excelllent introduction of this edition previews). A worthwhile read for fans of history, sci Fi, and communism.
Written in 1908, it discussed with remarkable prescience themes of industrial development, overpopulation, class struggle, and climate change. Bogdanov's perspective as an early bolshevist rival to Lenin gives him a macro insight into the class-based, economic and social dimensions of human/Martian development where modern writers too often over-focus on individuals or pieces of technology (though Bogdanov exhibits a pronounced biased fondness for the roles of engineers and doctors and scientists and the like rather than of the proletarians, as the excelllent introduction of this edition previews). A worthwhile read for fans of history, sci Fi, and communism.