violetturtledove's reviews
410 reviews

A Geordie Scrapbook by Joe Ging

lighthearted medium-paced

2.25

I'm not really sure what I expected from a 'scrapbook' of this kind but I don't think it was this. It's mostly a series of anecdotes and comedy sketches (some of which probably work better performed, some of which are just very old). I didn't expect to be baffled by Geordie, but I think some of the references are just too old for me. Other bits seem to have been included because they were told by a Geordie but don't actually have much relevance to the area, if that makes sense. 

I can't exactly say it was bad but it just wasn't a book for me and I'm not sure quite what it was aiming for. 

The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

So I this is the first book I've read by this author (maybe not the best choice) so I don't know how typical this is, but I found this one very slow to get into. It started with an interesting hook - the author himself is the main character, claiming to be finally telling the story of a real life experience. So we have an unreliable narrator from the start, but to what extent? We assume this isn't real life, but how much is real in the world of the story?

The slowness comes from the repetition of small details; every song played and road driven on is noted, and certain phrases are used again and again. Some of these do have relevance within the story - for example the narrator is never 'at home' but at 'the empty house on mulholland' (his parents being on an extended vacation). But although it conveys the narrators feeling of alienation, it's a clunkier phrase to read when it's used so often. 

Now I can appreciate a slow build up with interesting characters, but I was struggling to empathise with a load of rich, beautiful (if disconnected) teenagers. Maybe it's the nostalgia of the unreliable narrator, maybe it's what LA is actually like - they all seem incredibly self-assured and sophisticated, and yet still typical dumb kids when it comes to some things. Again, it demonstrates the social scene but didn't make it enjoyable to read. 

Regarding the mystery and ending, I was disappointed that this wasn't as big a part of the narrative as I'd expected. I was quite gripped by the end, but as I had a few ideas about what the 'twist' might be (including some I very much disliked) it was quite an uncomfortable reading experience. I wasn't exactly let down by the ending (I'd accepted that it wasn't going to be clear cut) but I wasn't quite satisfied either. 

Ulysses by James Joyce

challenging reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

So I doubt I'm going to be able to say anything original about this book, plenty of people cleverer than me have puzzled over it before and all I can hope is that some of them were similarly confused.

It's tempting to accuse Joyce of simply being a troll; creating the most obtuse, profound- seeming nonsense of a book and then laughing at the thought of people trying to figure it out. But even taken as that it's impressive. You need an immense knowledge of the English language to run it through the woodchipper like this, and that's without touching on the various allegories.

As it quickly became apparent how impenetrable I was going to find the book, I decided that this first reading was just going to be for 'the feel'. I wasn't going to look up references, translations or even worry too much if I got muddled about the characters. Even with that there were a lot of sentences and paragraphs I had to reread several times just to get the gist of what was going on, but some of the prose is quite poetic or funny so I wouldn't say I didn't enjoy parts. But it was definitely a struggle. I did look up a few words, but mainly when I started to feel he was just inventing them. 

Now that I've absorbed some of the book, by osmosis it feels, I will in future (when I feel up to it) reread and be ready to look up references and dig a bit deeper into it. 

Monsters: What Do We Do With Great Art By Bad People? by Claire Dederer

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

I don't think I could have picked a more timely or relevant book to read right now, although the issues it covers aren't exactly new. It's a thorough exploration of the nature of art, artist and audience, touching on ethics, capitalism, parasocial relationships, creative genius, trauma, motherhood... but most importantly how art makes us feel. 

It won't give any easy answers (because there are none) but it should have the starting points to make whatever decisions you need. 

This is definitely, as befits the authors ambition, 'an important book'.

The Wind's Twelve Quarters by Ursula K. Le Guin

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I've never read any Le Guin before and I thought this collection was just a beautiful introduction. The stories are moving and thought-provoking, serene and sometimes sad but hopeful. A great selection, All of the stories have something clear to say and take the right amount of time to say it. 

Underground London by Stephen Smith

informative lighthearted slow-paced

3.0

This was fairly interesting in places although it suffers a little from being 20 years old now. 

When it was written it was probably a fairly unique book but now there's a lot more out there in the form of books, blogs, YouTube channels etc so a lot of the facts here might not be so surprising to readers as they once were. 

There's humour but most of it was a bit glib for me. I think part of it was the author not being too respectful or honest with his sources. It may be a minor complaint and I understand that journalists sometimes have to be a bit sneaky, but it felt unnecessary to include in the book that certain people had told him things off-record and he was including them anyway. 

Altogether not bad but I have the feeling there are better books on the subject. 

That Time I Got Drunk And Saved A Demon by Kimberly Lemming

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

I'm going to be fairly gentle with this one because it wasn't really my thing but maybe it's very good at what it intends to do. I'm not usually a romance (or 'romantasy') reader but the ridiculous title got my attention and it was indeed very silly. Full of cheese and spice, both the food stuffs and the style of writing (the main character is literally a Spice Farmer).

I groaned a lot (not in a sexy way) while reading this but maybe that's the intention. I did sometimes laugh at the same time. 

I wasn't expecting a complex, serious plot and it was too sickly sweet for me but I'm sure it hits the spot for plenty of people. 

Intercourse by Andrea Dworkin

informative reflective slow-paced

3.25

I thought this one was a really interesting read and probably an important work for anyone reading up on the feminist movement. Yes it's a bit extreme and militant for me (maybe when it was written more militancy was needed) but I can see how it's been misrepresented too. 

Some of the metaphors and analogies were a bit too complex for me to fully grasp, and some of the examinations of famous writings went on for so long that I lost track of the relevance. But on the whole it's written well and with passion. 

Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor

emotional funny lighthearted 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? It's complicated

3.5

I'm not totally sure how to review this one as,  while it was entertaining it wasn't entirely my thing, or at least what I was in the mood for. 

It was funny and sweet and gave our book club lots to talk about; there's some interesting characters and thoughts on gender and the setting of the gay scene in 90s America came across very clearly. The issue for me was that, like a queer 'catcher in the rye' it's a coming-of-age tale where a lot of little incidents happen. The incidents might be amusing, gross or entertaining but they just happen one after the other rather than building up to anything. 

Similarly, the fantasy elements aren't ever explained or expanded beyond the initial set up, and while they and the fairytale interludes work well as metaphors about gender and identity (again, good group talking points), for me it felt like more could have been done with this part of it. 

It seems like a very personal story so I don't want to be harsh; I was touched by it and it's a great bodily-fluids-and-all look at youth, identity and sexuality, but I just felt the premise and feeling deserved a little more from the plot. 

Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I feel like this one would definitely benefit from multiple readings, as when I finished it my first urge was to go back to the start and start flicking through looking for clues and foreshadowing. Ok, that was partly because the non-linear style meant that some aspects of the 'end' were scattered through the rest of the book and I couldn't quite keep track of it all. There's also several layers of reality to consider: the script of the film, the legend built up around the film, the narrators unreliable memories/mental state, and his motivation in telling his story. Some of this looks like plot holes at first read but I think it all fits together in a way - however there are no easy answers and the ending could be debated and interpreted a few different ways. On spending an hour or two flicking back through the book (call it a speed-read) I noticed more subtle links between the different layers - the world of the movie and the 'real' events - and how the intended effect of the movie on the audience was similar to how I felt as a reader of the book. Very meta. It's tense,  disorienting and bleak, and while it won't be for those who need a concrete plot, for me it had more than enough atmosphere to make up for it.