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tyrant_flycatcher's reviews
16 reviews
Crónica de una muerte anunciada by Gabriel García Márquez
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Very happy to have picked up Pratchett's work. His take on satirical fantasy is like warm, fuzzy comfort food for my brain in these stressful times.
Much like Guards! Guards!, it's a a snappy and enjoyable read. It won't shatter your worldview, and the book knows this. It also knows how to be genuinely funny, and it comes packed with a surprising amount of social commentary surrounding its now even more varied cast.
My only real complaint is that Pratchett's syncopated narrative style gets a tad confusing during the climax. I got lost a couple of times trying to keep up with who is where and for how long. This was rare, mind you, but it did subtract a bit of enjoyment. Another one is that I wish Angua had more impact in the plot : we spend a good chunk of the book following her and Gaspode, but they hardly contribute much to solving the mystery. Her character and actions orbit too much around Carrot, which is kind of a shame.
I would not hesitate to recommend this one to anyone into fantasy who wishes to have a good laugh.
Much like Guards! Guards!, it's a a snappy and enjoyable read. It won't shatter your worldview, and the book knows this. It also knows how to be genuinely funny, and it comes packed with a surprising amount of social commentary surrounding its now even more varied cast.
My only real complaint is that Pratchett's syncopated narrative style gets a tad confusing during the climax. I got lost a couple of times trying to keep up with who is where and for how long. This was rare, mind you, but it did subtract a bit of enjoyment. Another one is that I wish Angua had more impact in the plot : we spend a good chunk of the book following her and Gaspode, but they hardly contribute much to solving the mystery. Her character and actions orbit too much around Carrot, which is kind of a shame.
I would not hesitate to recommend this one to anyone into fantasy who wishes to have a good laugh.
From Bauhaus to Our House by Tom Wolfe
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.25
A very short, snarky and useful introduction to Modern and Post-Modern architecture. Unless you are in the know, you probably will need to read this with your cellphone by your side (as I did), searching for artists' work as they are introduced. Aside from that, it is a surprisingly quick read.
I have one criticism to Wolfe's angle on the movement: for someone who makes so much fun and argues that Modernism had a superficial anti-bourgeois angle to it, Wolfe has very little to say about the social issues caused by some of the public works made by these people. If anything, he approaches such topics dismissively, haphazardly throwing in phrases like "any decent folk had left the building by X time" (I'm paraphrasing here, but I'm not far off) when discussing massive housing issues such as Pruitt-Igoe. Mr. Wolfe has much to say about the isms and pretentious blabber that some of these guys had going on, but he himself can be surprisingly myopic when it comes to the big picture.
I have one criticism to Wolfe's angle on the movement: for someone who makes so much fun and argues that Modernism had a superficial anti-bourgeois angle to it, Wolfe has very little to say about the social issues caused by some of the public works made by these people. If anything, he approaches such topics dismissively, haphazardly throwing in phrases like "any decent folk had left the building by X time" (I'm paraphrasing here, but I'm not far off) when discussing massive housing issues such as Pruitt-Igoe. Mr. Wolfe has much to say about the isms and pretentious blabber that some of these guys had going on, but he himself can be surprisingly myopic when it comes to the big picture.
Solaris by Stanisław Lem
challenging
emotional
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
3.5
Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
El Conde de Monte-Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25