woogafolgawomp's reviews
50 reviews

The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut

adventurous funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

challenging funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

as a high school student moving cross-country for university soon i found toru's struggle between the past and future to be painfully relatable. at the same time, however, wow! what an asshole!

Lou Reed: A Life by Anthony DeCurtis

informative slow-paced

2.0

very informative, but this book is absolutely glacial and i almost fell asleep reading several times.

Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger

dark funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

1.0

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men by David Foster Wallace

challenging dark funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

how does he keep getting away with it!!!!! what a master of language and interpretation of the modern world. every short story in this collection is evocative and genius in its own ways. highly recommend to anyone, especially wallace first-timers, as the majority of this collection is very accessible.

favorite stories: octet, adult world, church not built with hands, forever overhead (in contest with "the dead" as my favorite ever short story), and interviews #31, #42, and #20

The Sailor who Fell from Grace with the Sea by Yukio Mishima

dark reflective sad medium-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

1.0

just incredibly boring, it's like a dollar store imitation of how mishima writes ordinarily, and is not illuminating at all.

Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad slow-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? Yes

5.0

sometimes i think about how this book has boiled down to a "haha litbro" joke among reading communities online and i get so sad that i almost throw up. infinife jest is not only the sole "society bad" book to offer and tangible and hopeful solution to modern ennui but it does so with skill of language and humor the likes of which has never been achieved before or after (and likely never will be again). everybody on the modern-day earth needs to read infinite jest.

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

i read this immediately after finishing infinite jest so it sort of felt like powerwashing my brain. very nice experience although often i question if that was the only reason i liked it so much. fun characters and the writing felt very light/easy to read. not gonna change the world or anything but an extremely cute and entertaining book nonetheless.

Spring Snow by Yukio Mishima

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.0

very serviceable plot, but the writing is often very stiff and utilitarian. the majorit of this books many metaphors feel purposeless (although this could be the fault of the translation i was reading). occasionally, however, mishima writes with vast, awe-inspiring beauty, but i found these moments to be few and far between.