Take a photo of a barcode or cover
treehuggeranonymous's reviews
571 reviews
Going into this book I didn't think it would capture my interest. In fact if it had been written by any one other than Bill Bryson I wouldn't even bother with the dust jacket.
But as it was I really enjoyed this book. It was informative and personal and a real page turner. A very easy to read book that's good for taking with you on a trip.
But as it was I really enjoyed this book. It was informative and personal and a real page turner. A very easy to read book that's good for taking with you on a trip.
The book was very slow to start. I kind of slept through whole chapters during the first part. The intermittent chapters with the 'author' describing the narrator are just plain annoying.
But then you get to part 2 and things start getting interesting. The 'author' doesn't show up again until part 3. And there's a tiger.
If you're reading this book and finding the first part just drags on and on, persevere. It gets much better at Chapter 37. If that seems like too many chapters to get through, then here is the cliff notes version of Part 1: And that is everything that you need to know to understand Part 2.
But then you get to part 2 and things start getting interesting. The 'author' doesn't show up again until part 3. And there's a tiger.
If you're reading this book and finding the first part just drags on and on, persevere. It gets much better at Chapter 37. If that seems like too many chapters to get through, then here is the cliff notes version of Part 1:
Spoiler
Pi is short of Piscine, our narrator who is about 16 years old. Pi's dad owns a zoo in India, but sells it due to a change in government. So the whole family and all the animals are in a boat heading to North America (leaving from Manilla). Pi is all major religions (well, Hindu, Muslim, and Christian).
I'd give three quarters of the book 3.5 stars, but the remainder is so horrendous that the best I can give the overall book is half a star. There are interesting characters like Virlomi and engaging story lines around Peter and Achille and a decent amount of action.
But then there's the Petra Bean storyline and it's just utter trash and sermonising about the need to have children. According to Card (through Bean and Anton), you are not a full citizen until you have children and life's purpose is to pair off in sets of opposite genitals. Petra's character becomes even more shallow and unlike able than in previous books, nothing left but the desire to have children and not beyond manipulation and non-disclosure to get it.
To those that have enjoyed the previous Shadow Books avoid this one so you can continue to enjoy them.
But then there's the Petra Bean storyline and it's just utter trash and sermonising about the need to have children. According to Card (through Bean and Anton), you are not a full citizen until you have children and life's purpose is to pair off in sets of opposite genitals. Petra's character becomes even more shallow and unlike able than in previous books, nothing left but the desire to have children and not beyond manipulation and non-disclosure to get it.
To those that have enjoyed the previous Shadow Books avoid this one so you can continue to enjoy them.
An interesting read but a bit overly technical at times.
