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tits_mcgee's reviews
180 reviews
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
dark
mysterious
relaxing
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? Yes
5.0
Rich with atmosphere and lyrical as hell.
The Secret History is saturated with a dark academic tone, it nourished me with the kind of world building I would love to live in, among people who I would love to hate.
With a cast of scumbag privileged characters wielding no sympathy for people they deem beneath them, we are taken on a slowly unfolding twisty plot that although not wholly original, is written with a melancholy charm that enriches the experience. I recommend the audio book narrated by Donna herself, as her voice is perfect for setting the tone. Myself and Mrs Dork both read this along with the audio to keep us at the same pace, and Mrs Dork wants me to mention that this is her favourite book of all time.
Overall a wonderful example of slow, atmospheric prose with a garnish of interesting classic Greek references to boot. I loved living in Tartt’s world and miss it already. I will be re-reading this some time again in the not too distant future I’m sure.
10/10
The Secret History is saturated with a dark academic tone, it nourished me with the kind of world building I would love to live in, among people who I would love to hate.
With a cast of scumbag privileged characters wielding no sympathy for people they deem beneath them, we are taken on a slowly unfolding twisty plot that although not wholly original, is written with a melancholy charm that enriches the experience. I recommend the audio book narrated by Donna herself, as her voice is perfect for setting the tone. Myself and Mrs Dork both read this along with the audio to keep us at the same pace, and Mrs Dork wants me to mention that this is her favourite book of all time.
Overall a wonderful example of slow, atmospheric prose with a garnish of interesting classic Greek references to boot. I loved living in Tartt’s world and miss it already. I will be re-reading this some time again in the not too distant future I’m sure.
10/10
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
5.0
An intimate autobiographical masterpiece with some of the best character writing I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing.
“Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.”
Dickens has a way of weaving many different plot points and themes into one presentable, coherent package. In David Copperfield, more so than his other works, we get to experience Dickens’ entire range of tones and emotions: one moment you’ll be haunted by some evil character, preying on our beloved hero, and the next you’ll be laughing at Mr. Dick’s eccentricities, or gritting your teeth at the injustices of early 19th century politics.
Structurally, this book is complicated, but it doesn’t feel like that when you’re reading it. It feels easy, like a breeze, it is held together in a natural flow by the exquisite character writing and genteel inner voice of our humble (though not as humble as our malicious Uriah Heep, of course) narrator Mr. David Copperfield. The end result is akin to strapping yourself into a rollercoaster, where the ride is full of ups and downs and meanders about between social and ethical turmoil, but all the while a soothing friend is sat next to you to hold your hand and tell you its alright.
“Trifles make the sum of life. ”
The core of this books tone is in the often comical character writing and the soothing optimistic voice of the abused yet determined David Copperfield, whose tragedies and victories have supposedly been inspired by Dickens’ own life. It was fun to spot these little Easter eggs, these snapshots of Dickens’ life that have been extrapolated upon to create his other books. David Copperfield is Dickens’ way of saying “These are the woes that conjured my successes, and I will not be ashamed.”
“New thoughts and hopes were whirling through my mind, and all the colours of my life were changing.”
“Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.”
Dickens has a way of weaving many different plot points and themes into one presentable, coherent package. In David Copperfield, more so than his other works, we get to experience Dickens’ entire range of tones and emotions: one moment you’ll be haunted by some evil character, preying on our beloved hero, and the next you’ll be laughing at Mr. Dick’s eccentricities, or gritting your teeth at the injustices of early 19th century politics.
Structurally, this book is complicated, but it doesn’t feel like that when you’re reading it. It feels easy, like a breeze, it is held together in a natural flow by the exquisite character writing and genteel inner voice of our humble (though not as humble as our malicious Uriah Heep, of course) narrator Mr. David Copperfield. The end result is akin to strapping yourself into a rollercoaster, where the ride is full of ups and downs and meanders about between social and ethical turmoil, but all the while a soothing friend is sat next to you to hold your hand and tell you its alright.
“Trifles make the sum of life. ”
The core of this books tone is in the often comical character writing and the soothing optimistic voice of the abused yet determined David Copperfield, whose tragedies and victories have supposedly been inspired by Dickens’ own life. It was fun to spot these little Easter eggs, these snapshots of Dickens’ life that have been extrapolated upon to create his other books. David Copperfield is Dickens’ way of saying “These are the woes that conjured my successes, and I will not be ashamed.”
“New thoughts and hopes were whirling through my mind, and all the colours of my life were changing.”
Cabal by Clive Barker
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A fun read that combines dark folkloric fantasy with sadistic shock horror and slasher elements to create something wholly unique.
This book hit the spot. I was in the mood for weird horror and weird is exactly what this is. From the world building to the character writing, everything felt creepy and otherworldly, adding a gothic atmosphere to an action heavy, plot focussed romp. I'm not a plot person usually, but when a plotty book contains writing like this "wings buttered with death" and "swallowing the bullets like vitamin pills" I become fully engaged.
The descriptions of the Nightbreed and their home Midian are delightfully hellish, and my only complaint is that I would have liked to see this explored more and turned up a notch. Barker is clearly a fan of brevity, which I don't object to usually but a part of me just wants to gorge on hundreds of pages of Midian world building; I feel my imagination did half of the work when it came to immersing myself in those dusty dank hallways.
Barker has tickled my fancy with his unique style, I can't wait to read more. I can tell he's going to be an author I will hold in high regard.
8/10
This book hit the spot. I was in the mood for weird horror and weird is exactly what this is. From the world building to the character writing, everything felt creepy and otherworldly, adding a gothic atmosphere to an action heavy, plot focussed romp. I'm not a plot person usually, but when a plotty book contains writing like this "wings buttered with death" and "swallowing the bullets like vitamin pills" I become fully engaged.
The descriptions of the Nightbreed and their home Midian are delightfully hellish, and my only complaint is that I would have liked to see this explored more and turned up a notch. Barker is clearly a fan of brevity, which I don't object to usually but a part of me just wants to gorge on hundreds of pages of Midian world building; I feel my imagination did half of the work when it came to immersing myself in those dusty dank hallways.
Barker has tickled my fancy with his unique style, I can't wait to read more. I can tell he's going to be an author I will hold in high regard.
8/10
Dracula by Bram Stoker
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Dracula is perfect. The slow pacing allowed for a build up of atmosphere that, in tandem with a classic gothic writing style, created a horror that was genuinely creepy.
It's not an easy task to create a legacy of fear from a creature that has since saturated the entertainment market to the point of absurdity, but with the genteel voice that comes with a classical style of writing, this is estranged from that bastardisation and done very tastefully, the result of which is a reading experience that cannot be spoiled by Twilight or Buffy and has become without a doubt one of my favourite books with no comparable competition in sight, at least when it comes to horror.
The creepy tone was complemented entirely by the epistolary format, whereby each characters journal entries held a voice of its own, each unique and charismatic, much of which keeps us the readers in the dark. Van Helsing was the perfect driving force behind the slow reveal of vampire lore.
The character writing was excellent, my favourite being the mad asylum dwelling, insect scoffing, Dracula fanatic: Renfield. The Count himself is of course a masterpiece, from his polite manners and gentle nature to his viciously dark motives, he kept me teetering on the edge of paranoia throughout the meandering plotlines of each character. He was always somewhere around a corner, hiding in the shadows or pulling the strings.
Is it weird that I was routing for Dracula and Renfield?
10/10
It's not an easy task to create a legacy of fear from a creature that has since saturated the entertainment market to the point of absurdity, but with the genteel voice that comes with a classical style of writing, this is estranged from that bastardisation and done very tastefully, the result of which is a reading experience that cannot be spoiled by Twilight or Buffy and has become without a doubt one of my favourite books with no comparable competition in sight, at least when it comes to horror.
The creepy tone was complemented entirely by the epistolary format, whereby each characters journal entries held a voice of its own, each unique and charismatic, much of which keeps us the readers in the dark. Van Helsing was the perfect driving force behind the slow reveal of vampire lore.
The character writing was excellent, my favourite being the mad asylum dwelling, insect scoffing, Dracula fanatic: Renfield. The Count himself is of course a masterpiece, from his polite manners and gentle nature to his viciously dark motives, he kept me teetering on the edge of paranoia throughout the meandering plotlines of each character. He was always somewhere around a corner, hiding in the shadows or pulling the strings.
Is it weird that I was routing for Dracula and Renfield?
10/10
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Proper classic ghost story; rich with dark atmosphere and the kind of expert grasp of gothic language that inspires me to become a writer.
A short book at around 120 pages, it somehow feels longer, though not in a bad way. What I mean is this: good old fashioned ghost stories, the type you tell around a camp fire, are usually short and climactic, to ensure the listener is taken along with the momentum in a state of excited expectation. In The Turn of the Screw however, that tension is held for a long time, never letting go for a second so your mind is constantly wondering and anticipating, constantly contemplating the reality of the situation, indeed this is told in first person perspective by a seemingly unreliable narrator, whose experiences are doubted and questioned throughout giving us the readers this predicament: Is it ghosts, or is this psychological? Whichever the answer, I was immersed the whole way through, deep in that rich, dreadful world.
I should have worn my brown pants.
A short book at around 120 pages, it somehow feels longer, though not in a bad way. What I mean is this: good old fashioned ghost stories, the type you tell around a camp fire, are usually short and climactic, to ensure the listener is taken along with the momentum in a state of excited expectation. In The Turn of the Screw however, that tension is held for a long time, never letting go for a second so your mind is constantly wondering and anticipating, constantly contemplating the reality of the situation, indeed this is told in first person perspective by a seemingly unreliable narrator, whose experiences are doubted and questioned throughout giving us the readers this predicament: Is it ghosts, or is this psychological? Whichever the answer, I was immersed the whole way through, deep in that rich, dreadful world.
I should have worn my brown pants.
The Stand by Stephen King
adventurous
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
3.5
There’s something about the end of the world that I bloody love, I think of the collapse of society and my mind goes naturally to not paying taxes and growing vegetables with all the time in the world for reading books, and if I have to bash a few zombie skulls in exchange for reading all day then that’s fine by me.
Captain Trips is our super-flu antagonist, a subject that, owing to its believability and relevance could easily have been very scary. King handles the subject of a flu pandemic without much nuance though, and the book its self wasn’t scary at all, though there was just about enough atmosphere that I could easily turn up my imagination and immerse myself to some extent. The atmosphere is not the strong point however, the strong point for me was the weird characters and their interactions.
I was attached to many of the characters who, although were caricature-like in their quirks and motivations, stuck around long enough for me to route for them. I miss reading Trash Can Man already and The Kid is as memorable as he is mean. The female writing though was weak as hell for the most part.
It’s no secret that King is not my favourite author, his prose is basic, without charm, and action-focussed, but this book was on the more tasteful side of King. His world building was accomplished mostly through the character interactions, and as I mentioned I did like the characters so it was a pleasure to be guided through the apocalypse through the voices of our heroes and villains.
It was an odd choice to introduce supernatural beings into the book, I found it unnecessary and the Dark Man didn’t come across as scary or overly interesting to me, but the theme of good vs evil did give the book a philosophical twist, something I would love to see more of in King’s work.
7/10
Captain Trips is our super-flu antagonist, a subject that, owing to its believability and relevance could easily have been very scary. King handles the subject of a flu pandemic without much nuance though, and the book its self wasn’t scary at all, though there was just about enough atmosphere that I could easily turn up my imagination and immerse myself to some extent. The atmosphere is not the strong point however, the strong point for me was the weird characters and their interactions.
I was attached to many of the characters who, although were caricature-like in their quirks and motivations, stuck around long enough for me to route for them. I miss reading Trash Can Man already and The Kid is as memorable as he is mean. The female writing though was weak as hell for the most part.
It’s no secret that King is not my favourite author, his prose is basic, without charm, and action-focussed, but this book was on the more tasteful side of King. His world building was accomplished mostly through the character interactions, and as I mentioned I did like the characters so it was a pleasure to be guided through the apocalypse through the voices of our heroes and villains.
It was an odd choice to introduce supernatural beings into the book, I found it unnecessary and the Dark Man didn’t come across as scary or overly interesting to me, but the theme of good vs evil did give the book a philosophical twist, something I would love to see more of in King’s work.
7/10
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Supernatural apocalypse done right. I took my time with this book because I did not want it to end and it is only a short read.
Matheson creates a rich atmosphere within the claustrophobic setting of protagonist Robert Neville’s home and neighbourhood. Neville’s voice gives the book the feeling of being trapped in the kind of freedom that oppresses you, a freedom where the shackles of civilisation no longer holds its grip, and for better or worse you are on your own. This, surprisingly, is where the horror hails from, not with the vampires but with the struggle of being alone and confused, looking for answers and trying desperately to find a reason to carry on living.
Neville’s frustrations and habits are spilled onto the pages of I Am Legend, putting the dark side of human survival into the spotlight, exploring what we are without the guiding hand of modern law and order. The loneliness and longing for answers is at the forefront of this eerie book, and I’m completely in love with it. The action is modest and relevant, there are no All American Heroes here; while Neville is a determined survivor and has indeed succeeded in combat with vampires, the book never takes this part to the extreme, leaving us tastefully in the realms of dark, cold reality.
The plot takes us through some interesting turns, with a pretty big twist towards the end. For the plot lovers I think there’s enough there to keep you gripped, but for me it was all about the feeling and emotions, the darkness and loneliness.
Immensely good book, I wish it was longer.
10/10
Matheson creates a rich atmosphere within the claustrophobic setting of protagonist Robert Neville’s home and neighbourhood. Neville’s voice gives the book the feeling of being trapped in the kind of freedom that oppresses you, a freedom where the shackles of civilisation no longer holds its grip, and for better or worse you are on your own. This, surprisingly, is where the horror hails from, not with the vampires but with the struggle of being alone and confused, looking for answers and trying desperately to find a reason to carry on living.
Neville’s frustrations and habits are spilled onto the pages of I Am Legend, putting the dark side of human survival into the spotlight, exploring what we are without the guiding hand of modern law and order. The loneliness and longing for answers is at the forefront of this eerie book, and I’m completely in love with it. The action is modest and relevant, there are no All American Heroes here; while Neville is a determined survivor and has indeed succeeded in combat with vampires, the book never takes this part to the extreme, leaving us tastefully in the realms of dark, cold reality.
The plot takes us through some interesting turns, with a pretty big twist towards the end. For the plot lovers I think there’s enough there to keep you gripped, but for me it was all about the feeling and emotions, the darkness and loneliness.
Immensely good book, I wish it was longer.
10/10
Dagon by H.P. Lovecraft
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The Fog by James Herbert
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Oh boy . . .
The Fog is a fast paced gore fest crammed with weird child porn, basic writing and two-dimensional characters.
Reading The Fog is as close as you can get to watching budget shock horror movies from the 80's. You know the kind, the ones where you can guarantee bad acting and some rape scenes just for the hell of it.
The writing is classic Herbert, say it how it is with no garnish, which can be forgiven if you just want a fat stack of plot and nothing else. That's not my jam, in fact I would say it's quite the opposite of my jam.
Believe it or not, I did enjoy the initial chapters, the way the madness exploded without any build up was fun and engaging, but the joy quickly tapered off for me.
My experience was made better due to the audio book which I listened to for around half of the book. Audio narration is good at improving bad prose I think, because it's more like listening to someone chat shit over a pint than actually reading. For this reason, I will give this book 4/10, with a caveat: without narration this would be a 1 or 2.
4/10*
The Fog is a fast paced gore fest crammed with weird child porn, basic writing and two-dimensional characters.
Reading The Fog is as close as you can get to watching budget shock horror movies from the 80's. You know the kind, the ones where you can guarantee bad acting and some rape scenes just for the hell of it.
The writing is classic Herbert, say it how it is with no garnish, which can be forgiven if you just want a fat stack of plot and nothing else. That's not my jam, in fact I would say it's quite the opposite of my jam.
Believe it or not, I did enjoy the initial chapters, the way the madness exploded without any build up was fun and engaging, but the joy quickly tapered off for me.
My experience was made better due to the audio book which I listened to for around half of the book. Audio narration is good at improving bad prose I think, because it's more like listening to someone chat shit over a pint than actually reading. For this reason, I will give this book 4/10, with a caveat: without narration this would be a 1 or 2.
4/10*
Augustus by John Williams
informative
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
2.5
When I think of John Williams, I think of sad stories rich with atmosphere and loneliness. Butchers Crossing is possibly my favourite book ever, and Stoner isn’t too far behind. I enjoyed these novels for their bleakness and prose, of which Williams has demonstrated immense expertise over. So where does Augustus fit in Williams’ small catalogue of novels?
It’s a difficult one, I can see why Augustus is a literary success, its correspondence style structure and many unique voices, all of which contributing to one giant history lesson, is a clever way of telling a political story; indeed reading Augustus is a bit like reading a political thesis, with cross references and a multitude of examples to bring together a coherent structure and point.
The book had a melancholy tone which I did enjoy, but for me I would have preferred to be kept in the dark, less context and less perspectives would have been more to my taste. I like to feel the story rather than see it, and let my imagination take over to create mystique and, usually, paranoia. With a structure that’s based on letters and correspondence, it’s difficult to curate atmospheric prose, because the whole book is essentially dialogue and no one is realistically going to say anything beautifully written. I never got a good sense of the setting, which isn’t necessarily important (one of my favourite authors is Bukowski, whose writing is almost the opposite of beautiful) but I think it’s a damn shame to see Williams neglecting his talent for atmosphere.
I’m glad I read Augustus, for I learned a lot about Rome’s history, which I do find mildly fascinating. But ultimately, I much prefer the stark cold and brutality of Butchers Crossing, or the extreme melancholy and existential dread of Stoner.
5/10
It’s a difficult one, I can see why Augustus is a literary success, its correspondence style structure and many unique voices, all of which contributing to one giant history lesson, is a clever way of telling a political story; indeed reading Augustus is a bit like reading a political thesis, with cross references and a multitude of examples to bring together a coherent structure and point.
The book had a melancholy tone which I did enjoy, but for me I would have preferred to be kept in the dark, less context and less perspectives would have been more to my taste. I like to feel the story rather than see it, and let my imagination take over to create mystique and, usually, paranoia. With a structure that’s based on letters and correspondence, it’s difficult to curate atmospheric prose, because the whole book is essentially dialogue and no one is realistically going to say anything beautifully written. I never got a good sense of the setting, which isn’t necessarily important (one of my favourite authors is Bukowski, whose writing is almost the opposite of beautiful) but I think it’s a damn shame to see Williams neglecting his talent for atmosphere.
I’m glad I read Augustus, for I learned a lot about Rome’s history, which I do find mildly fascinating. But ultimately, I much prefer the stark cold and brutality of Butchers Crossing, or the extreme melancholy and existential dread of Stoner.
5/10