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tits_mcgee's reviews
182 reviews
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? / A Scanner Darkly - Folio Society Edition by Philip K. Dick
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A trippy masterpiece, one of my favourite books ever by one of the most prophetic authors to have lived, and it only gets better when you re-read it.
Dick plays with the neurons in your brain, mixes them up, makes you paranoid; eventually you lose your grip on reality, unsure of what is real, just like the protagonist of this book: Bob Arctor – a narcotics agent so deep undercover and tripping so hard on drugs that he falls under his own scrutiny, his mind fragmenting to the point that he doesn’t realise he is his own suspect.
The prose is a deliberately evolving reflection of Arctor’s state of mind; he navigates through the plot as Substance D slowly takes a hold of him, causing paranoia and decay of the brain, and thus the prose style follows that deterioration, getting weirder and weirder until eventually the whole book is one phantasmagorical stupor.
Dick handles the topic of drugs masterfully, taking parts of his own life and dumping them onto the pages for us all to see, which meanders around a plot to make it coherent. Really though, it is an autobiography; a confession; a tale of human beings existing in a world that rejects any kind of mental damage.
“There is no moral in this novel; it is not bourgeois; it does not say they were wrong to play when they should have toiled; it just tells what the consequences were.”
The character interaction in is pure gold, rich and relatable (if you’ve ever been a stoner or a junky). The characters descent into oblivion, their often hilarious ramblings - that’s what this book is about.
The book its self is dedicated to a bunch of people Dick knew, many of whom have died or suffered horrible consequences from drug addiction. A Scanner Darkly doesn’t hold back either, you can tell these people are real and so are the consequences, though it is thoroughly garnished with Dick’s dark sense of humour and enough whimsy to keep the darkest of horrors at bay.
Everyone should read this book. It is marketed as a sci-fi novel, but really it deserves to be uncategorised, it is a character study, slice of life type of deal, one that fans of any genre can appreciate.
10/10
Dick plays with the neurons in your brain, mixes them up, makes you paranoid; eventually you lose your grip on reality, unsure of what is real, just like the protagonist of this book: Bob Arctor – a narcotics agent so deep undercover and tripping so hard on drugs that he falls under his own scrutiny, his mind fragmenting to the point that he doesn’t realise he is his own suspect.
The prose is a deliberately evolving reflection of Arctor’s state of mind; he navigates through the plot as Substance D slowly takes a hold of him, causing paranoia and decay of the brain, and thus the prose style follows that deterioration, getting weirder and weirder until eventually the whole book is one phantasmagorical stupor.
Dick handles the topic of drugs masterfully, taking parts of his own life and dumping them onto the pages for us all to see, which meanders around a plot to make it coherent. Really though, it is an autobiography; a confession; a tale of human beings existing in a world that rejects any kind of mental damage.
“There is no moral in this novel; it is not bourgeois; it does not say they were wrong to play when they should have toiled; it just tells what the consequences were.”
The character interaction in is pure gold, rich and relatable (if you’ve ever been a stoner or a junky). The characters descent into oblivion, their often hilarious ramblings - that’s what this book is about.
The book its self is dedicated to a bunch of people Dick knew, many of whom have died or suffered horrible consequences from drug addiction. A Scanner Darkly doesn’t hold back either, you can tell these people are real and so are the consequences, though it is thoroughly garnished with Dick’s dark sense of humour and enough whimsy to keep the darkest of horrors at bay.
Everyone should read this book. It is marketed as a sci-fi novel, but really it deserves to be uncategorised, it is a character study, slice of life type of deal, one that fans of any genre can appreciate.
10/10
Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky
funny
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? Yes
5.0
Notes From Underground
Dostoevsky takes the unspoken flaws of the human experience and amplifies it through the unreliable narration of a forty year old civil servant thinking back on his twenties in order to evaluate his own motivations, a kind of therapy session or a psychologists examination of human self awareness; the result of which is an existential crisis in book form, written superbly with the kind of satire I like best, one that is both mocking of our behaviours and also a deeply revealing.
The civil servant lays his most personal fears and desires into this journal-esque novella; drunk on his bitterness, jealousy and spite, he recounts two events that happened to him in his twenties, in one of which he is trying desperately to gain social status with some old acquaintances who despise him and another where he is talking with a prostitute whom he both admires and is repulsed by.
Though only a short book, the emotions and motivations surrounding these two events contain topics that transcend its time. It may be a 19th century Russian prose, but its philosophies and readability are as contemporary as they are classic.
“How can a man of consciousness have the slightest respect for himself”
I would recommend everyone read this book, especially those excited by existentialism or psychology. It’s really quite funny too, doesn’t feel outdated or alien.
10/10
Dostoevsky takes the unspoken flaws of the human experience and amplifies it through the unreliable narration of a forty year old civil servant thinking back on his twenties in order to evaluate his own motivations, a kind of therapy session or a psychologists examination of human self awareness; the result of which is an existential crisis in book form, written superbly with the kind of satire I like best, one that is both mocking of our behaviours and also a deeply revealing.
The civil servant lays his most personal fears and desires into this journal-esque novella; drunk on his bitterness, jealousy and spite, he recounts two events that happened to him in his twenties, in one of which he is trying desperately to gain social status with some old acquaintances who despise him and another where he is talking with a prostitute whom he both admires and is repulsed by.
Though only a short book, the emotions and motivations surrounding these two events contain topics that transcend its time. It may be a 19th century Russian prose, but its philosophies and readability are as contemporary as they are classic.
“How can a man of consciousness have the slightest respect for himself”
I would recommend everyone read this book, especially those excited by existentialism or psychology. It’s really quite funny too, doesn’t feel outdated or alien.
10/10
True Grit by Charles Portis
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The kind of Western that gives the genre something to be proud of.
Every once in a while, I’ll get this feeling that I belong in the American West, a frontiersman in search of the better life, the simpler life; I live out this fantasy in the same way I live out every fantasy: through books (stop with your dirty thoughts, I know what you were thinking just now.)
True Grit is the charismatic side of the Western genre, favouring character interactions and witty humour over the cruelty shown in Butchers Crossing or the absurdity of The Sisters Brothers. The overall tone of the book is one of stoic determination and the kind of politeness that’s a joy to read.
The tone is set by Mattie, our protagonist and narrator, who is as intelligent and determined as she is sweet and quick witted as hell. As a fourteen year old girl, she is an unlikely hero in the land of rootin’ and tootin’ gunslingers, but that is exactly what makes this book so joyful.
The relationship between Cogburn and Mattie is a lot of fun. Cogburn’s no-nonsense grit and whiskey habit are as Marlboro Man as it gets, playing neatly into the tropes of the Western genre which allows for all of those six-shooter moments you’d expect from a Western. Portis gives us exactly that, and frequently too, although he does it in a way that I wholly admire – a way that says “Sure, this here is a tough son-of-a-gun shooting up some bad guys on horseback, but what does polite little Mattie have to say about it?”
Charles Portis has created a book that was ahead of its time, a book that defied the pulpy stereotypes while still giving us that cowboy flavour. His use of dialogue was perfect, I could read a dozen books of Mattie’s interactions with Cogburn and still not get bored.
10/10
Every once in a while, I’ll get this feeling that I belong in the American West, a frontiersman in search of the better life, the simpler life; I live out this fantasy in the same way I live out every fantasy: through books (stop with your dirty thoughts, I know what you were thinking just now.)
True Grit is the charismatic side of the Western genre, favouring character interactions and witty humour over the cruelty shown in Butchers Crossing or the absurdity of The Sisters Brothers. The overall tone of the book is one of stoic determination and the kind of politeness that’s a joy to read.
The tone is set by Mattie, our protagonist and narrator, who is as intelligent and determined as she is sweet and quick witted as hell. As a fourteen year old girl, she is an unlikely hero in the land of rootin’ and tootin’ gunslingers, but that is exactly what makes this book so joyful.
The relationship between Cogburn and Mattie is a lot of fun. Cogburn’s no-nonsense grit and whiskey habit are as Marlboro Man as it gets, playing neatly into the tropes of the Western genre which allows for all of those six-shooter moments you’d expect from a Western. Portis gives us exactly that, and frequently too, although he does it in a way that I wholly admire – a way that says “Sure, this here is a tough son-of-a-gun shooting up some bad guys on horseback, but what does polite little Mattie have to say about it?”
Charles Portis has created a book that was ahead of its time, a book that defied the pulpy stereotypes while still giving us that cowboy flavour. His use of dialogue was perfect, I could read a dozen books of Mattie’s interactions with Cogburn and still not get bored.
10/10
Diary by Chuck Palahniuk
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
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? No
4.25
A vivid fever-dream fuelled by fear and desperation; Palahniuk’s signature wild storytelling takes centre stage in a bid to scrutinise over art, broken people, heritage and identity.
Visit Waytansea, a beautiful tourist island with a history of wealthy families gone bankrupt. See the sights and meet the bitter and the broken, reduced to waiting on tables and cleaning up your shit as their rich ancestors plant seeds to reclaim the island from the infectious occupation of commercial America.
This book is filled with the kind of existential philosophies that keep you up at night. It is a horror novel, not because there are scary monsters or hauntings, but because it takes a hard look at its self and asks “What is your purpose?”
“You're always haunted by the idea you're wasting your life.”
Palahniuk has taken the idea of a society bent on revenge, and added his usual chaotic unravelling that fans of Fight Club fell in love with. The deeper the plot thickens, the more surreal it becomes, all the while we get to scrutinise over modern society and our place as individuals within it.
“Everyone's in their own personal coma.”
The narration style is wholly unique, told by Misty Wilmot in the form of a diary which her comatose husband is supposed to read if he ever wakes up. The narration voice is perfect, its self conscious tone was complementary to the books purpose and flowed well. It was a joy to route for Misty as she slowly sunk into the chaos.
An excellent book that will leave you in awe of Palahniuk’s mind. The book states “Everything you do shows your hand. Everything is a self portrait. Everything is a diary.” And you get the sense when reading his writing that you are actually observing Palahniuk’s thoughts, his views and his agitations.
8.5/10
Visit Waytansea, a beautiful tourist island with a history of wealthy families gone bankrupt. See the sights and meet the bitter and the broken, reduced to waiting on tables and cleaning up your shit as their rich ancestors plant seeds to reclaim the island from the infectious occupation of commercial America.
This book is filled with the kind of existential philosophies that keep you up at night. It is a horror novel, not because there are scary monsters or hauntings, but because it takes a hard look at its self and asks “What is your purpose?”
“You're always haunted by the idea you're wasting your life.”
Palahniuk has taken the idea of a society bent on revenge, and added his usual chaotic unravelling that fans of Fight Club fell in love with. The deeper the plot thickens, the more surreal it becomes, all the while we get to scrutinise over modern society and our place as individuals within it.
“Everyone's in their own personal coma.”
The narration style is wholly unique, told by Misty Wilmot in the form of a diary which her comatose husband is supposed to read if he ever wakes up. The narration voice is perfect, its self conscious tone was complementary to the books purpose and flowed well. It was a joy to route for Misty as she slowly sunk into the chaos.
An excellent book that will leave you in awe of Palahniuk’s mind. The book states “Everything you do shows your hand. Everything is a self portrait. Everything is a diary.” And you get the sense when reading his writing that you are actually observing Palahniuk’s thoughts, his views and his agitations.
8.5/10
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The best that speculative fiction has to offer. Keyes takes our prejudices and our attitudes towards intelligence and puts them on a pedestal for us to observe, using his protagonist Charlie as our own personal Guinea pig. We are taken on a journey that is filled with heart-warming, depressing, and anxiety inducing moments; alongside these emotional moments Keyes is presenting us with some profound questions about what makes us human, the combination of which will leave you feeling nothing less than existential dread.
“I don’t know what’s worse: to not know what you are and be happy, or to become what you’ve always wanted to be, and feel alone.”
Why do we value intelligence so highly? Is it an ancestral inheritance - something we’ve learned to adopt in order to survive? Or is it a kind of vanity - something we attach unnecessarily to our identity?
Flowers for Algernon explores our relationship with intelligence by giving us Charlie, a low IQ simpleton, and transforming him into a super genius using a speculative fictional technology. We get to witness a broad cast of characters react to him as they watch his transformation, how their attitudes change and how they value him differently.
“Only a short time ago, I learned that people laughed at me. Now I can see that unknowingly I joined them in laughing at myself. That hurts the most.”
In a way this book is like watching ourselves, how we act towards people we deem “lesser” vs how intimidated and threatened we are towards people we can’t intellectually compete with; a sick cultural disease that we need to fix, perhaps?
Flowers for Algernon is without a doubt one of the saddest books I’ve read. The reactions Charlie gets from people, and his dissociative episodes are a real tear jerker. I just wanted to protect Charlie, both when he was dumb and also when he was intelligent, for he was just as outcast in both circumstances.
Fantastic book, highly recommend.
10/10
“I don’t know what’s worse: to not know what you are and be happy, or to become what you’ve always wanted to be, and feel alone.”
Why do we value intelligence so highly? Is it an ancestral inheritance - something we’ve learned to adopt in order to survive? Or is it a kind of vanity - something we attach unnecessarily to our identity?
Flowers for Algernon explores our relationship with intelligence by giving us Charlie, a low IQ simpleton, and transforming him into a super genius using a speculative fictional technology. We get to witness a broad cast of characters react to him as they watch his transformation, how their attitudes change and how they value him differently.
“Only a short time ago, I learned that people laughed at me. Now I can see that unknowingly I joined them in laughing at myself. That hurts the most.”
In a way this book is like watching ourselves, how we act towards people we deem “lesser” vs how intimidated and threatened we are towards people we can’t intellectually compete with; a sick cultural disease that we need to fix, perhaps?
Flowers for Algernon is without a doubt one of the saddest books I’ve read. The reactions Charlie gets from people, and his dissociative episodes are a real tear jerker. I just wanted to protect Charlie, both when he was dumb and also when he was intelligent, for he was just as outcast in both circumstances.
Fantastic book, highly recommend.
10/10
The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A version of the Western genre I didn’t know I needed in my life, until now. I’m referring of course to deWitt’s deadpan black humour, a form of satire that plays nicely with the cruelty of Ye Olde West.
“Here is another miserable mental image I will have to catalogue and make room for.”
The two brothers, Eli and Charlie, are an entertaining yin-yang of cruelty versus blind loyalty. The narrator, Eli, is the heart and soul of the book; polite, self conscious and naive, yet deadly toward anyone Charlie deems an enemy – which is most people.
Eli’s sweet disposition is the perfect tool for bringing the humour out in the cruelty of the world, he is dragged through bloody hell and yet his concerns are with his handicapped horse and with finding a wife to settle down and open a store.
Charlie on the other hand wishes nothing more than to leave a trail of horror on his path to infamy and wealth. His gritty Marlboro Man attitude worthy of Clint Eastwood is the quintessential Western trope of hard-nut gunslinger; his role is an important one, for it is the relationship between Charlie and Eli that creates this darkly hilarious masterpiece.
The plot is episodic, every chapter brings with it a new quirky character or strange incident. I liked this strategy, it allowed what is essentially quite a slow story to feel fast, it allowed Eli to contemplate on all of the tropes of The West as the main plot ticked slowly along.
I don’t reckon this book will ever become a literary classic, and I don’t reckon this will be anyone’s favourite book – BUT it was refreshing to read deWitt’s personality, of which I believe is strewn on the pages of this book in quite a revealing way. While I could drown in Cormac McCarthy’s writing all day long, I think I would rather hang out with deWitt – drinking beer and whisky, and laughing at the absurdity of life.
The film was utter dog shite though. Damn shame, I love much of the cast but it just didn’t capture the feeling of the book in any way.
9/10
“Here is another miserable mental image I will have to catalogue and make room for.”
The two brothers, Eli and Charlie, are an entertaining yin-yang of cruelty versus blind loyalty. The narrator, Eli, is the heart and soul of the book; polite, self conscious and naive, yet deadly toward anyone Charlie deems an enemy – which is most people.
Eli’s sweet disposition is the perfect tool for bringing the humour out in the cruelty of the world, he is dragged through bloody hell and yet his concerns are with his handicapped horse and with finding a wife to settle down and open a store.
Charlie on the other hand wishes nothing more than to leave a trail of horror on his path to infamy and wealth. His gritty Marlboro Man attitude worthy of Clint Eastwood is the quintessential Western trope of hard-nut gunslinger; his role is an important one, for it is the relationship between Charlie and Eli that creates this darkly hilarious masterpiece.
The plot is episodic, every chapter brings with it a new quirky character or strange incident. I liked this strategy, it allowed what is essentially quite a slow story to feel fast, it allowed Eli to contemplate on all of the tropes of The West as the main plot ticked slowly along.
I don’t reckon this book will ever become a literary classic, and I don’t reckon this will be anyone’s favourite book – BUT it was refreshing to read deWitt’s personality, of which I believe is strewn on the pages of this book in quite a revealing way. While I could drown in Cormac McCarthy’s writing all day long, I think I would rather hang out with deWitt – drinking beer and whisky, and laughing at the absurdity of life.
The film was utter dog shite though. Damn shame, I love much of the cast but it just didn’t capture the feeling of the book in any way.
9/10
Women by Charles Bukowski
challenging
dark
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
An existential autobiography filled to the brim with self analysing.
Something about reading Bukowski always makes me feel real again. It’s as though the world is turning crazy, everyone is fake, pretending to be their best self and avoiding their flaws. Bukowski is the exact opposite of that, he’s not afraid of confessing his flaws, in fact he relishes in it, analyses it through the lens of fiction, laughs at them and asks you to laugh too. I did – I found his cynical reclusiveness and addictions hilarious and relatable.
‘Women’ is honest, it’s gritty, it’s hilarious. It follows recurring narrator Henry Chinaski, the fictional alter ego of Charles Bukowski, as he recounts a slice-of-life journey across the world giving poetry readings, getting drunk, gambling, hooking up with women wherever and whenever he can.
Henry has spent most of his life doing menial jobs for shit pay under shit management (See the first two novels: Post Office; Factotum), he’s now finding some success from his writing and feels compelled to make up for lost time, feasting on the fruits of his labours, he never had much trouble getting his end away but in Women he is particularly indulgent.
There is actually some wisdom between the shagging and drinking. Bukowski has pointed out the worst in humanity by telling stories about the worst in him. He puts himself on a pedestal for us all to analyse and judge. We look at Charles Bukowski and think “wow, the guy’s a lowlife!” but aren’t we just avoiding judging ourselves? Is Bukowski really that much of an asshole, or he just more honest about it?
‘Women’, like other Bukowski prose, is a nihilistic look at the world. A big “fuck you” to people who need purpose and goals and progression. Bukowski has said that he took up writing because he’s lazy and doesn’t want to have to get up before midday to go to work. I think he was more passionate about writing than he liked to admit but I do also admire that philosophy he lives by.
I liked this book a lot, I like all of Bukowski’s stuff. Post Office was my favourite I think, but I’m damn glad I read this one.
8/10
Something about reading Bukowski always makes me feel real again. It’s as though the world is turning crazy, everyone is fake, pretending to be their best self and avoiding their flaws. Bukowski is the exact opposite of that, he’s not afraid of confessing his flaws, in fact he relishes in it, analyses it through the lens of fiction, laughs at them and asks you to laugh too. I did – I found his cynical reclusiveness and addictions hilarious and relatable.
‘Women’ is honest, it’s gritty, it’s hilarious. It follows recurring narrator Henry Chinaski, the fictional alter ego of Charles Bukowski, as he recounts a slice-of-life journey across the world giving poetry readings, getting drunk, gambling, hooking up with women wherever and whenever he can.
Henry has spent most of his life doing menial jobs for shit pay under shit management (See the first two novels: Post Office; Factotum), he’s now finding some success from his writing and feels compelled to make up for lost time, feasting on the fruits of his labours, he never had much trouble getting his end away but in Women he is particularly indulgent.
There is actually some wisdom between the shagging and drinking. Bukowski has pointed out the worst in humanity by telling stories about the worst in him. He puts himself on a pedestal for us all to analyse and judge. We look at Charles Bukowski and think “wow, the guy’s a lowlife!” but aren’t we just avoiding judging ourselves? Is Bukowski really that much of an asshole, or he just more honest about it?
‘Women’, like other Bukowski prose, is a nihilistic look at the world. A big “fuck you” to people who need purpose and goals and progression. Bukowski has said that he took up writing because he’s lazy and doesn’t want to have to get up before midday to go to work. I think he was more passionate about writing than he liked to admit but I do also admire that philosophy he lives by.
I liked this book a lot, I like all of Bukowski’s stuff. Post Office was my favourite I think, but I’m damn glad I read this one.
8/10
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Russian satire at its finest.
Its always quite an intimidating task to review a classic, especially one held in such high regard; but let's give it a crack shall we!
"What would your good do if evil didn't exist, and what would the earth look like if all the shadows disappeared?"
Picture a two part history lesson about Pontius Pilot executing Jesus, and Stalinist Russia; now picture the Devil and his charismatic lackeys (including a stone cold assassin and a boozey black cat who plays chess) causing chaos in both timelines, pulling at people's strings for the hell of it.
Mikhail Bulgakov has provided a shining light of cheerful absurdism at a time when Russia was at its most bleak. The absurdity of Master and Margarita is matched only by its profound reflection and commentary of living in a totalitarian police state, drawing similarities in the debate of good vs evil, and philosophising on what life is worth regardless of circumstance.
The tone of this book was deliciously whimsical, and while I read the physical book I also listened to some parts on Audible. The voice actor Julian Rhind-Tutt did a fantastic job, not only by virtue of energetic storytelling but also by expertly mirroring the strangeness and whimsy of the book. Bravo.
An instant top 10 book for me.
10/10
Its always quite an intimidating task to review a classic, especially one held in such high regard; but let's give it a crack shall we!
"What would your good do if evil didn't exist, and what would the earth look like if all the shadows disappeared?"
Picture a two part history lesson about Pontius Pilot executing Jesus, and Stalinist Russia; now picture the Devil and his charismatic lackeys (including a stone cold assassin and a boozey black cat who plays chess) causing chaos in both timelines, pulling at people's strings for the hell of it.
Mikhail Bulgakov has provided a shining light of cheerful absurdism at a time when Russia was at its most bleak. The absurdity of Master and Margarita is matched only by its profound reflection and commentary of living in a totalitarian police state, drawing similarities in the debate of good vs evil, and philosophising on what life is worth regardless of circumstance.
The tone of this book was deliciously whimsical, and while I read the physical book I also listened to some parts on Audible. The voice actor Julian Rhind-Tutt did a fantastic job, not only by virtue of energetic storytelling but also by expertly mirroring the strangeness and whimsy of the book. Bravo.
An instant top 10 book for me.
10/10
Hummingbird Salamander by Jeff VanderMeer
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A thriller for the New Weird fan in me.
More of a page turner than I was expecting; at first I wasn't sure it was my thing, however VanderMeer should never be doubted as he manages to inject his mastery of storytelling, mystique, and atmosphere into what at first inspection could be described as an ordinary thriller.
The character writing was particularly spectacular, Jane's complexity and believability gave her the opportunity to connect with me in a real way, I was compelled to route for her and I enjoyed the personal perspective; the book is a series of her journal entries and she's talking directly to the readers.
As always, VanderMeer injects a sense of mystery into his characters and world building; in the case of Hummingbird Salamander, there isn't a better example than the character Silvina, her slowly revealed plan and philosophies kept the plot half hidden in the shadows, taunting me, daring me to guess the conclusion.
I loved how the dystopia was kept at arms length, it was clearly there but never over explained.
"But the truth was what Silvina had seen: we were already ghosts. We just kept haunting each other for no reason. Even as we kept awaiting the mortal blow. But there would be no mortal blow, just endless depths."
The ending . . . The ending . . . the ending was perfect. Strange, open, thought provoking, and actually because the world in this book is only a slight exaggeration of our own world, rather terrifying and arguably prophetic.
8/10
More of a page turner than I was expecting; at first I wasn't sure it was my thing, however VanderMeer should never be doubted as he manages to inject his mastery of storytelling, mystique, and atmosphere into what at first inspection could be described as an ordinary thriller.
The character writing was particularly spectacular, Jane's complexity and believability gave her the opportunity to connect with me in a real way, I was compelled to route for her and I enjoyed the personal perspective; the book is a series of her journal entries and she's talking directly to the readers.
As always, VanderMeer injects a sense of mystery into his characters and world building; in the case of Hummingbird Salamander, there isn't a better example than the character Silvina, her slowly revealed plan and philosophies kept the plot half hidden in the shadows, taunting me, daring me to guess the conclusion.
I loved how the dystopia was kept at arms length, it was clearly there but never over explained.
"But the truth was what Silvina had seen: we were already ghosts. We just kept haunting each other for no reason. Even as we kept awaiting the mortal blow. But there would be no mortal blow, just endless depths."
The ending . . . The ending . . . the ending was perfect. Strange, open, thought provoking, and actually because the world in this book is only a slight exaggeration of our own world, rather terrifying and arguably prophetic.
8/10
The Orchard Keeper by Cormac McCarthy
challenging
dark
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
4.5
🎂 Happy 89th birthday, Cormac McCarthy 🎂
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½
*spoiler-free*
A delightfully melancholic southern gothic tale. If sepia was a book, this would be it.
Cormac's ability to capture a mood is exceptional. Everything is uncomfortable, wet, grey and angry, but also oftentimes peaceful and innocent, detached (or trying to be so) from the oppression of city life, and full of nostalgic desire for southern American country living.
I count myself among those who yearn for a simpler life, free from technology and unnecessary government interference (though of course, I'm writing this review on my phone, to post on instagram...) and that kind of desire is rooted right at the core of this book.
The Green Fly Inn scene was terrific, a truly otherworldly experience, indeed it gave the book a kind of magical realism flavour, a reflection of McCarthy's spellbound love for this way of life.
The story is ... at best a novellas worth of plot, despite being 260 pages long, but that is because the majority of the text is given to creating this fantastic mood, the bleak yet tranquil world building, the character studies, and even some strangely befitting sequences written from a wild cat's perspective.
I loved the way McCarthy narrated in third person without ever letting us see the inner thoughts of the characters, which gives their actions greater meaning since this is the only way we can judge their motives. Much of the book is written in a southern twang, too, which I found completely natural and complementary to the tone of the book.
The Road was my first Cormac McCarthy, a post apocalyptic story of the father/son bond, and what that means when all else has collapsed. It feels like in The Orchard Keeper, where nature and the simple way of life is starting to be conquered by modern civilisation, we are actually seeing the prelude to The Road, the first signs of what went wrong and the linear thought process of the authors view of the world. Simply mind-blowing.
"They are gone now. Fled, banished in death or exile, lost, undone. Over the land sun and wind still move to burn and sway the trees, the grasses. No avatar, no scion, no vestige of that people remains. On the lips of the strange race that now dwells there their names are myth, legend, dust."
"In the dark glass where the road poured down their cigarettes rose and fell like distant semaphores above the soft green dawn of the dashlights."
"It was still dark and the fire had long since died, still dark and quiet with that silence that seems to be of itself listening"
9/10
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½
*spoiler-free*
A delightfully melancholic southern gothic tale. If sepia was a book, this would be it.
Cormac's ability to capture a mood is exceptional. Everything is uncomfortable, wet, grey and angry, but also oftentimes peaceful and innocent, detached (or trying to be so) from the oppression of city life, and full of nostalgic desire for southern American country living.
I count myself among those who yearn for a simpler life, free from technology and unnecessary government interference (though of course, I'm writing this review on my phone, to post on instagram...) and that kind of desire is rooted right at the core of this book.
The Green Fly Inn scene was terrific, a truly otherworldly experience, indeed it gave the book a kind of magical realism flavour, a reflection of McCarthy's spellbound love for this way of life.
The story is ... at best a novellas worth of plot, despite being 260 pages long, but that is because the majority of the text is given to creating this fantastic mood, the bleak yet tranquil world building, the character studies, and even some strangely befitting sequences written from a wild cat's perspective.
I loved the way McCarthy narrated in third person without ever letting us see the inner thoughts of the characters, which gives their actions greater meaning since this is the only way we can judge their motives. Much of the book is written in a southern twang, too, which I found completely natural and complementary to the tone of the book.
The Road was my first Cormac McCarthy, a post apocalyptic story of the father/son bond, and what that means when all else has collapsed. It feels like in The Orchard Keeper, where nature and the simple way of life is starting to be conquered by modern civilisation, we are actually seeing the prelude to The Road, the first signs of what went wrong and the linear thought process of the authors view of the world. Simply mind-blowing.
"They are gone now. Fled, banished in death or exile, lost, undone. Over the land sun and wind still move to burn and sway the trees, the grasses. No avatar, no scion, no vestige of that people remains. On the lips of the strange race that now dwells there their names are myth, legend, dust."
"In the dark glass where the road poured down their cigarettes rose and fell like distant semaphores above the soft green dawn of the dashlights."
"It was still dark and the fire had long since died, still dark and quiet with that silence that seems to be of itself listening"
9/10