Illustrado - Miguel Syjuco
Did I like this book? Certainly the mastery of it, the technical proficiency, the sheer breadth captivated me and will captivate me again; it is rare that I finish a book and immediately want to re-read it. I can’t figure out if I liked the characters, but I recognised them. I can’t decide if I liked the plot, but something about it captured me. I can’t decide if I want to recommend this book, but I can’t stop being blown away by it, even in memory.
Did I like this book? Certainly the mastery of it, the technical proficiency, the sheer breadth captivated me and will captivate me again; it is rare that I finish a book and immediately want to re-read it. I can’t figure out if I liked the characters, but I recognised them. I can’t decide if I liked the plot, but something about it captured me. I can’t decide if I want to recommend this book, but I can’t stop being blown away by it, even in memory.
All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr
Father-daughter stories mess me UP. Stories about language and national identity and poverty and siblings and power and weakness and music and the sea and friendship and love and what it means to do the right thing and if the right thing is ever enough? Told in snapshots and flashes with the dreamy quality of remembrance, of trauma made into something matter of fact so it can be spoken of without awakening it? War and what it means to be human in and out (although asking also if we are ever truly out) of it? A haunting book. A hurtful book. A book without an easy answer. And, at the end of all things, the music.
Father-daughter stories mess me UP. Stories about language and national identity and poverty and siblings and power and weakness and music and the sea and friendship and love and what it means to do the right thing and if the right thing is ever enough? Told in snapshots and flashes with the dreamy quality of remembrance, of trauma made into something matter of fact so it can be spoken of without awakening it? War and what it means to be human in and out (although asking also if we are ever truly out) of it? A haunting book. A hurtful book. A book without an easy answer. And, at the end of all things, the music.
Stupeur et tremblement - Amélie Nothomb
This book was given to me by a dear friend who called it “weird,” which of course meant that I had to read it immediately. I think the best thing about it was how delightfully matter-of-fact the narrator was about that weirdness, keeping the narrative afloat and connected to the reader. The second best part was the perfect, sensible, necessary use of the first person to paint a morally complex set of characters with genuine affection, making it impossible not to love long with the narrator despite a full awareness of cruelty. And what an expressive narrating voice!
This book was given to me by a dear friend who called it “weird,” which of course meant that I had to read it immediately. I think the best thing about it was how delightfully matter-of-fact the narrator was about that weirdness, keeping the narrative afloat and connected to the reader. The second best part was the perfect, sensible, necessary use of the first person to paint a morally complex set of characters with genuine affection, making it impossible not to love long with the narrator despite a full awareness of cruelty. And what an expressive narrating voice!
The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters - Gordon Dahlquist
Oh my GOODNESS. I have not been this frustrated by a book in a long time. Ah, steampunk. Why do you always let me down? I suppose I could as easily say, "ah, male authors! Have you ever met a woman? Who convinced you that you could write them without ever having spoken to one?" because maybe it isn't steampunk's fault this time. I finished this trash heap of a book because I was desperately curious about a central plot device. I am still desperately curious, because none of my questions about the science or the technology or the CULT or the art or the alchemy or the gnostic esoterica were ever answered. But basically every time I picked it up I wanted to put it back down. Think of all the things that make a story bad - bad characters, bad dialogue, bad descriptive narrative, bad plotting, bad writing - and they're in here. I do have to hand it to Mr. Dahlquist of the Extraordinarily Douche-y Moustache on the dustcover, though: this book could be a how-to guide for turning women into sexual objects who are violated for the titillation of a male reader.
Oh my GOODNESS. I have not been this frustrated by a book in a long time. Ah, steampunk. Why do you always let me down? I suppose I could as easily say, "ah, male authors! Have you ever met a woman? Who convinced you that you could write them without ever having spoken to one?" because maybe it isn't steampunk's fault this time. I finished this trash heap of a book because I was desperately curious about a central plot device. I am still desperately curious, because none of my questions about the science or the technology or the CULT or the art or the alchemy or the gnostic esoterica were ever answered. But basically every time I picked it up I wanted to put it back down. Think of all the things that make a story bad - bad characters, bad dialogue, bad descriptive narrative, bad plotting, bad writing - and they're in here. I do have to hand it to Mr. Dahlquist of the Extraordinarily Douche-y Moustache on the dustcover, though: this book could be a how-to guide for turning women into sexual objects who are violated for the titillation of a male reader.
King John of Canada - Scott Gardiner
There were a lot of reasons for me to like this book. I like political satire, I like interesting narrative conceits, and I like (okay, I LOVE) Canada. The writing here is also pretty good, and the way language and symbolism are played with is really delightful. But I always wonder what you're supposed to call something that thinks it's satire and punches down instead of up? To hear Gardiner tell it, white Anglo meat-eating dudes are oppressed by indigenous people, Francophones, environmentalists, and women. The near-obsession with creating a character who symbolises the triumph of what is actually the status quo over the attempts to make life better for, like, the majority of the world - and painting that character as the Good and Righteous Ideal - really compromised my enjoyment of the book. Satire is supposed to tell hard truths, but this book's skewed vision of reality read more like the whiny arguments that you read in YouTube comments. So while I can say that there were some beautiful, creative, funny, poignant, perfectly Canadian moments in this book, it was largely disappointing. Also it used my least favourite thing: the "my narrative depends on me revealing this set of life-altering facts at the very end" only you can see it coming from a mile away and then you're just waiting for the reveal so you can be like "uh-huh, suspicion confirmed."
There were a lot of reasons for me to like this book. I like political satire, I like interesting narrative conceits, and I like (okay, I LOVE) Canada. The writing here is also pretty good, and the way language and symbolism are played with is really delightful. But I always wonder what you're supposed to call something that thinks it's satire and punches down instead of up? To hear Gardiner tell it, white Anglo meat-eating dudes are oppressed by indigenous people, Francophones, environmentalists, and women. The near-obsession with creating a character who symbolises the triumph of what is actually the status quo over the attempts to make life better for, like, the majority of the world - and painting that character as the Good and Righteous Ideal - really compromised my enjoyment of the book. Satire is supposed to tell hard truths, but this book's skewed vision of reality read more like the whiny arguments that you read in YouTube comments. So while I can say that there were some beautiful, creative, funny, poignant, perfectly Canadian moments in this book, it was largely disappointing. Also it used my least favourite thing: the "my narrative depends on me revealing this set of life-altering facts at the very end" only you can see it coming from a mile away and then you're just waiting for the reveal so you can be like "uh-huh, suspicion confirmed."
The Dispossessed - Urusula K. LeGuin
I love LeGuin's sense of moral ambiguity. I will confess that being an anarcho-socialist myself (surprising absolutely no one), I found the protagonist's history and world compelling and sympathetic, but I wondered repeatedly throughout the book who my die-hard conservative, religiously capitalist father-in-law would find sympathetic. I think it's a testament to LeGuin's skill that I think he would see - and love - different things in this book than I did. At any rate, LeGuin's style is always very good, and the back-and-forth timelines were really well-utilised, and both philosophically and aesthetically I left feeling satisfied. Like eating a good meal is reading LeGuin. Edit two months later to add: I'm still thinking about this book. It has stayed with me in a more abstract way than books usually do, like the ideas have remained present more than details of plot or characterisation. As of December 30th: I still find myself reflecting on and digesting these ideas.
I love LeGuin's sense of moral ambiguity. I will confess that being an anarcho-socialist myself (surprising absolutely no one), I found the protagonist's history and world compelling and sympathetic, but I wondered repeatedly throughout the book who my die-hard conservative, religiously capitalist father-in-law would find sympathetic. I think it's a testament to LeGuin's skill that I think he would see - and love - different things in this book than I did. At any rate, LeGuin's style is always very good, and the back-and-forth timelines were really well-utilised, and both philosophically and aesthetically I left feeling satisfied. Like eating a good meal is reading LeGuin. Edit two months later to add: I'm still thinking about this book. It has stayed with me in a more abstract way than books usually do, like the ideas have remained present more than details of plot or characterisation. As of December 30th: I still find myself reflecting on and digesting these ideas.
Sandman: Overture - Neil Gaiman
I’ve had all of Sandman on my reading list for YEARS, and finding it in a library in Moncton when I had a few hours to kill made the choice of where to start easy (Overture is half prequel, half standalone, and very slim). I was intrigued by characters and storylines as I knew I would be, tantalised by the world built by image and colour; narrative forms of all kinds impress me by their creative execution. I must confess that I found the dialogue a little stilted, but I don’t know if that’s a problem with the prequel medium – so much left unsaid that a reader of the whole series would take for granted – or with Gaiman’s writing of the series, or with graphic novel format, or with stories that require a lot of exposition. For now, I am entertained and ready to delve into the series proper.
I’ve had all of Sandman on my reading list for YEARS, and finding it in a library in Moncton when I had a few hours to kill made the choice of where to start easy (Overture is half prequel, half standalone, and very slim). I was intrigued by characters and storylines as I knew I would be, tantalised by the world built by image and colour; narrative forms of all kinds impress me by their creative execution. I must confess that I found the dialogue a little stilted, but I don’t know if that’s a problem with the prequel medium – so much left unsaid that a reader of the whole series would take for granted – or with Gaiman’s writing of the series, or with graphic novel format, or with stories that require a lot of exposition. For now, I am entertained and ready to delve into the series proper.
Greenmantle - Charles De Lint
I remember when I was really in love with De Lint. To a certain extent, I still adore his urban fantasy – no one else equals him for the inventiveness or power of synthesis, even now. He writes in jump-around focus, playing with different eyes and voices, and I love that, too. I find that every time I return to him, though, I am less enamoured by how he writes women, and less enamoured by his kind of preachy monism. This book in particular, one of his earliest, felt like it hit both of those sore points pretty hard. I still loved the story, though, and his power of imagination never fails to capture me. I read this book in an afternoon, waiting for a train in Campbellton.
I remember when I was really in love with De Lint. To a certain extent, I still adore his urban fantasy – no one else equals him for the inventiveness or power of synthesis, even now. He writes in jump-around focus, playing with different eyes and voices, and I love that, too. I find that every time I return to him, though, I am less enamoured by how he writes women, and less enamoured by his kind of preachy monism. This book in particular, one of his earliest, felt like it hit both of those sore points pretty hard. I still loved the story, though, and his power of imagination never fails to capture me. I read this book in an afternoon, waiting for a train in Campbellton.
Echopraxia - Peter Watts
I think I liked Blindsight better, although Watts’ vision of the posthuman is always up my alley. Something about this novel felt contrived, though, felt too much like it was following a plan and not enough like either narrative or characters were allowed to develop. 50-odd pages of padding would really have helped, I think. As it was, too much happened too quickly and there was too much revelation; by the final twist, which was really unexpected, I felt numb and didn’t get the satisfaction, the enjoyment, from it that such crafting deserved. In a way, the structure mirrored the content, which was nice, but it was a little too on the nose for my tastes. Still, I love the concept work, and Watts knows the ingredients of a good twist ending.
I think I liked Blindsight better, although Watts’ vision of the posthuman is always up my alley. Something about this novel felt contrived, though, felt too much like it was following a plan and not enough like either narrative or characters were allowed to develop. 50-odd pages of padding would really have helped, I think. As it was, too much happened too quickly and there was too much revelation; by the final twist, which was really unexpected, I felt numb and didn’t get the satisfaction, the enjoyment, from it that such crafting deserved. In a way, the structure mirrored the content, which was nice, but it was a little too on the nose for my tastes. Still, I love the concept work, and Watts knows the ingredients of a good twist ending.
The Other Side of the Sky - Arthur C. Clarke
I do love SF short stories, although I will admit to finding the classics perpetually hit or miss. Clarke loves to destroy the earth and he doesn’t really understand how women work, but his conceptual ingenuity is really a pleasure to read. It’s really striking how prescient some of his stories are, and really saddening to see how dated all of the optimistic ones are.
I do love SF short stories, although I will admit to finding the classics perpetually hit or miss. Clarke loves to destroy the earth and he doesn’t really understand how women work, but his conceptual ingenuity is really a pleasure to read. It’s really striking how prescient some of his stories are, and really saddening to see how dated all of the optimistic ones are.
For the Life of the World - Alexander Schmemman
First of all, this prose is just gorgeous. I am overwhelmed by the sheer poetic beauty of it, the musicality, the richness. Schmeman’s take on sacramental justice and the cohesiveness of his theology – in so concise a volume! – is absolutely staggering. I read this twice in a row, on a train through the Rockies, and took extensive notes, and have been discussing with anyone who will listen the profound simplicity of the possibility of engaging with the world from a sacramental perspective.
First of all, this prose is just gorgeous. I am overwhelmed by the sheer poetic beauty of it, the musicality, the richness. Schmeman’s take on sacramental justice and the cohesiveness of his theology – in so concise a volume! – is absolutely staggering. I read this twice in a row, on a train through the Rockies, and took extensive notes, and have been discussing with anyone who will listen the profound simplicity of the possibility of engaging with the world from a sacramental perspective.
Burial Rites - Hannah Kent
I will first off say that I found the change of perspective jarring. I am usually fine with these things, but here the effect was to take me out of the story with irritation at the craftsmanship. Even small paratextual elements – an asterix in the middle of the page, a dash, ANYTHING – would have set off the changes and made this more readable. I don’t think the effect added to the narrative. I liked the story, more or less? Clearly well-researched, without feeling like Kent was showing off, really vibrant images of 19th century Icelandic life, but the characterisations were all a little one-dimensional. A nice read, a quick read, but not one I’m likely to come back to.
I will first off say that I found the change of perspective jarring. I am usually fine with these things, but here the effect was to take me out of the story with irritation at the craftsmanship. Even small paratextual elements – an asterix in the middle of the page, a dash, ANYTHING – would have set off the changes and made this more readable. I don’t think the effect added to the narrative. I liked the story, more or less? Clearly well-researched, without feeling like Kent was showing off, really vibrant images of 19th century Icelandic life, but the characterisations were all a little one-dimensional. A nice read, a quick read, but not one I’m likely to come back to.
The Killing Moon - N.K. Jemisin
Jemisin is just unstoppable. Everything I read of hers is perfect and delicious and painful and SIMPLE in all its complexity, and this was no exception. She manages dialogue (ft. code-switching, multilingual dynamics, registers of speech) and descriptive and narrative all so masterfully, her worlds are so well-built and alive, and she knows the keys to inevitability that isn’t predictable and the way to strike emotional resonances that come together in such glorious wholes. Plus, dream magic? Vaguely Middle Kingdom Egypt inspired? Found family dynamics? Peace-as-justice? Yes, yes please.
Jemisin is just unstoppable. Everything I read of hers is perfect and delicious and painful and SIMPLE in all its complexity, and this was no exception. She manages dialogue (ft. code-switching, multilingual dynamics, registers of speech) and descriptive and narrative all so masterfully, her worlds are so well-built and alive, and she knows the keys to inevitability that isn’t predictable and the way to strike emotional resonances that come together in such glorious wholes. Plus, dream magic? Vaguely Middle Kingdom Egypt inspired? Found family dynamics? Peace-as-justice? Yes, yes please.
The Shadowed Sun - N.K. Jemisin
THANKS N.K. JEMISIN. Honestly, I never read narratives of love that make more sense – that feel more inevitable – than hers (or with better characters, honestly). She has this way of writing where nothing is superfluous and everything is so tightly bound together that there are no real surprises (because when you get there the time is right and the tale is ripe and everything clicks into place), and yet it is surprising, always, where she has taken you. I am always invested in her characters, in her stories, and this one was no different, the more so because it is a celebration of womanhood in all of its many, many forms, ugly and beautiful alike, and to an extent of manhood as well. I did not get up from my seat in between reading this second installment a first and second time, and that second time it was no easier to put down than the first. It’s my best book of the year, I think.
THANKS N.K. JEMISIN. Honestly, I never read narratives of love that make more sense – that feel more inevitable – than hers (or with better characters, honestly). She has this way of writing where nothing is superfluous and everything is so tightly bound together that there are no real surprises (because when you get there the time is right and the tale is ripe and everything clicks into place), and yet it is surprising, always, where she has taken you. I am always invested in her characters, in her stories, and this one was no different, the more so because it is a celebration of womanhood in all of its many, many forms, ugly and beautiful alike, and to an extent of manhood as well. I did not get up from my seat in between reading this second installment a first and second time, and that second time it was no easier to put down than the first. It’s my best book of the year, I think.
The Obituary - Gail Scott
I am usually not so much a fan of experimental prose (contrived, fatuous, masturbatory), but this novel gripped me. Maybe it was because the language really did speak to the pastiche of identities and speeches of Montreal, of Canada. Maybe because of all it didn’t say, didn’t have to say, said by not-saying. Maybe it was how rough the narrator’s ventriloquizing was, how easy to see through, how understandable for what it was. Whatever the reason, I think this is a novel I will read again and again.
I am usually not so much a fan of experimental prose (contrived, fatuous, masturbatory), but this novel gripped me. Maybe it was because the language really did speak to the pastiche of identities and speeches of Montreal, of Canada. Maybe because of all it didn’t say, didn’t have to say, said by not-saying. Maybe it was how rough the narrator’s ventriloquizing was, how easy to see through, how understandable for what it was. Whatever the reason, I think this is a novel I will read again and again.
Beren and Luthin - JRR and Christopher Tolkien
I love this for the same reason I loved Children of Hurin: archival research into the evolution of myth? Mythopoeia especially? Kind of my jam. On a content level, of course, I love this particular strand of Tolkien’s mythos more than most other bits, and it’s so inspiring to read carefully crafted epic poetry and see it in its developmental stages. On a meta-level, I’m fascinated by how the Tolkien archive is treated like a set of religious texts, puzzling canonisation and narrative development and strands of editing. It really is just extraordinarily fun for me to think of textual studies methods being used in this way. JRR gave us a wonderful world of imagination and vision, but Christopher’s work has made it important, culturally and disciplinarily significant. He’s my archive historian inspiration.
I love this for the same reason I loved Children of Hurin: archival research into the evolution of myth? Mythopoeia especially? Kind of my jam. On a content level, of course, I love this particular strand of Tolkien’s mythos more than most other bits, and it’s so inspiring to read carefully crafted epic poetry and see it in its developmental stages. On a meta-level, I’m fascinated by how the Tolkien archive is treated like a set of religious texts, puzzling canonisation and narrative development and strands of editing. It really is just extraordinarily fun for me to think of textual studies methods being used in this way. JRR gave us a wonderful world of imagination and vision, but Christopher’s work has made it important, culturally and disciplinarily significant. He’s my archive historian inspiration.
How (Not) To Be Secular - James K.A. Smith
I must confess that despite, or perhaps because of, my disciplinary training, I have very little interest in “the secular,” and as a consequence Taylor’s book has never been on my reading list. I don’t know that Smith’s summary changed that, but I do know that I am glad a dear friend lent this book to me, as everyone knows it’s rude not to read a loaned book. I found Taylor’s arguments in Smith’s words sensible and convincing, and although I wish there had been fewer snide footnotes (Evangelicals hating on Catholics, what else is new) and more critical engagement in-text, it was helpful to have Smith as a guide. I certainly have a lot to think about when it comes to transcendence and activism, especially given that Smith’s reading of Taylor has a very limited view of activist potential.
I must confess that despite, or perhaps because of, my disciplinary training, I have very little interest in “the secular,” and as a consequence Taylor’s book has never been on my reading list. I don’t know that Smith’s summary changed that, but I do know that I am glad a dear friend lent this book to me, as everyone knows it’s rude not to read a loaned book. I found Taylor’s arguments in Smith’s words sensible and convincing, and although I wish there had been fewer snide footnotes (Evangelicals hating on Catholics, what else is new) and more critical engagement in-text, it was helpful to have Smith as a guide. I certainly have a lot to think about when it comes to transcendence and activism, especially given that Smith’s reading of Taylor has a very limited view of activist potential.
The Penderwicks - Jeanne Birdsall
Four girls? Single father? Latin phrases, adventures, class struggle, and a dog named Hound? This was a delightful book that contained wise insights about the nature of childhood, girlhood especially, and of talent without saying anything that a third-grader couldn’t understand. I’m excited to read the rest of these really genuinely endearing, utterly wholesome books.
Four girls? Single father? Latin phrases, adventures, class struggle, and a dog named Hound? This was a delightful book that contained wise insights about the nature of childhood, girlhood especially, and of talent without saying anything that a third-grader couldn’t understand. I’m excited to read the rest of these really genuinely endearing, utterly wholesome books.
The Queue - Basma Abdel Aziz
Hyper-realistic and terrifying in its bleakness, what Aziz offers is not so much a narrative as a carefully constructed, highly detailed picture. I loved the framing device of the medical report, and the way the rest of her prose took a similar tone. I loved the simultaneous presence and absence of detail. I loved the sense of isolation even in a highly social environment. And I loved how readable it was – I whipped through it in less than a day.
Hyper-realistic and terrifying in its bleakness, what Aziz offers is not so much a narrative as a carefully constructed, highly detailed picture. I loved the framing device of the medical report, and the way the rest of her prose took a similar tone. I loved the simultaneous presence and absence of detail. I loved the sense of isolation even in a highly social environment. And I loved how readable it was – I whipped through it in less than a day.
The Summer Before the War - Helen Simonson
I will confess a great love for war poets. For siblings. For found family. For women’s networks of support. For teachers. But, mostly, for war poets, whose words are never quite enough to stop men less inclined to see beauty even in desolation from going to war. I couldn’t put this book and its quiet humour, its careful phrasing, its well-timed and inevitable pacing down – I even managed to read it in the car, which I normally can’t – and I cried through the last 100 or so pages. What a triumph.
I will confess a great love for war poets. For siblings. For found family. For women’s networks of support. For teachers. But, mostly, for war poets, whose words are never quite enough to stop men less inclined to see beauty even in desolation from going to war. I couldn’t put this book and its quiet humour, its careful phrasing, its well-timed and inevitable pacing down – I even managed to read it in the car, which I normally can’t – and I cried through the last 100 or so pages. What a triumph.
The Scarlet Pimpernel - Baroness Orczy
I always forget how much of British literature is about how hateable the French are. As someone who loves the complexity possible in interpreting the French Revolution, too, I will admit that I expected more from this book? But it’s pretty straightforward, SUPER classist and not aware of that at all, pretty-anti-Semitic, and dubiously anti-revolutionary. But I found the love story, the falling-back-in-love story, really appealing, and as is usual when I read female authors of this period, I found the portrayal of female agency, desire, and internal monologue both realistic and relatable. In short, this work is a product of its time, and is a great picture of that time, and I appreciate that picture.
I always forget how much of British literature is about how hateable the French are. As someone who loves the complexity possible in interpreting the French Revolution, too, I will admit that I expected more from this book? But it’s pretty straightforward, SUPER classist and not aware of that at all, pretty-anti-Semitic, and dubiously anti-revolutionary. But I found the love story, the falling-back-in-love story, really appealing, and as is usual when I read female authors of this period, I found the portrayal of female agency, desire, and internal monologue both realistic and relatable. In short, this work is a product of its time, and is a great picture of that time, and I appreciate that picture.
Synners - Pat Cadigan
Man, the start on this one was slow! It took 250-odd pages for something resembling a plot to emerge, and the characters were also not terribly compelling for about that long, so it was kind of a slog to get through. But once it all came together! Boy, did it ever. The plot, when it emerges, is very well constructed, and the patterns are set for it from the first page (they just want a lot of narrative justification a lot earlier), and I finally did get invested in one character, although not really ever in either of what I think were the main characters. It’s the conceptual work that’s truly mind-blowing, though; Cadigan doesn’t quite stick the landing in execution, and I have clarity-related stylistic concerns about much of the last two chapters, but hot damn what prescient, beautiful, truly unthinkable and yet all-too-recognisable concepts. Makes me want to be Sam’s kind of hacker.
Man, the start on this one was slow! It took 250-odd pages for something resembling a plot to emerge, and the characters were also not terribly compelling for about that long, so it was kind of a slog to get through. But once it all came together! Boy, did it ever. The plot, when it emerges, is very well constructed, and the patterns are set for it from the first page (they just want a lot of narrative justification a lot earlier), and I finally did get invested in one character, although not really ever in either of what I think were the main characters. It’s the conceptual work that’s truly mind-blowing, though; Cadigan doesn’t quite stick the landing in execution, and I have clarity-related stylistic concerns about much of the last two chapters, but hot damn what prescient, beautiful, truly unthinkable and yet all-too-recognisable concepts. Makes me want to be Sam’s kind of hacker.
Game of Thrones - GRR Martin
The second time around, I remember why I flew through these books back in, what, 2011? And why it seems everyone is obsessed with their televised adaptation. GRRM’s vision of the Middle Ages is hysterically inaccurate (and I do mean hysterically – he’s doing a screeching arm-waving job of being convicted and trying to convince everyone else), and why he thinks he can write girls or women is beyond me, but he is a damn fine writer of cliffhangers. In this first installment, I find myself caring not so much about the characters as what the characters care about – well, okay, I care what Ned Stark cares about – and there is a certain measure of talent in this. But I am also realising that I now have the vocabulary to explain why I feel much less enamoured than I was the first time.
The second time around, I remember why I flew through these books back in, what, 2011? And why it seems everyone is obsessed with their televised adaptation. GRRM’s vision of the Middle Ages is hysterically inaccurate (and I do mean hysterically – he’s doing a screeching arm-waving job of being convicted and trying to convince everyone else), and why he thinks he can write girls or women is beyond me, but he is a damn fine writer of cliffhangers. In this first installment, I find myself caring not so much about the characters as what the characters care about – well, okay, I care what Ned Stark cares about – and there is a certain measure of talent in this. But I am also realising that I now have the vocabulary to explain why I feel much less enamoured than I was the first time.
The Penderwicks on Gardham Street - Jeanne Birdsall
Stories about sisters always get me. Rosalind’s struggles in this book are particularly recognisable for me, and make me almost wish an Iantha had happened when my situation was hers. But the utter delightfulness of four sisters scheming and playing and working together, of classic literature and stage dramas and friendship, of routines and gentle adventures, and the exquisite beauty and humour of the writing, would make me recommend this books to anyone regardless of my personal emotional stake.
Stories about sisters always get me. Rosalind’s struggles in this book are particularly recognisable for me, and make me almost wish an Iantha had happened when my situation was hers. But the utter delightfulness of four sisters scheming and playing and working together, of classic literature and stage dramas and friendship, of routines and gentle adventures, and the exquisite beauty and humour of the writing, would make me recommend this books to anyone regardless of my personal emotional stake.
Persuasion - Jane Austen
The main disappointment with Persuasion, of course, is that Austen doesn’t give us the scene where Anne and Wentworth actually talk out their feelings, we just get told that it happens. Otherwise, Anne is always a delight, their drama is both delicious and presented as both of their faults, Mr. Eliot is the paradigmatic slimy bugger, and on the whole the gossipy niceties are both gossipy and nice. I will say that this time I was sad to realise that Anne’s family are rather two-dimensional; there’s no humanising here. Nevertheless! Austen is always worth the reread (well, relisten – and this narrator was a+!)
The main disappointment with Persuasion, of course, is that Austen doesn’t give us the scene where Anne and Wentworth actually talk out their feelings, we just get told that it happens. Otherwise, Anne is always a delight, their drama is both delicious and presented as both of their faults, Mr. Eliot is the paradigmatic slimy bugger, and on the whole the gossipy niceties are both gossipy and nice. I will say that this time I was sad to realise that Anne’s family are rather two-dimensional; there’s no humanising here. Nevertheless! Austen is always worth the reread (well, relisten – and this narrator was a+!)
A Clash of Kings - GRR Martin
Ah, a nice reminder that GRRM’s skill lies mostly in keeping the reader guessing. Of course it’s addictive; one always wants to know what will happen next! The twists are unimaginably twisty! By virtue of being so many, though, there is no such thing as resolution or completion, no sense of internal narrative logic. Things happen seemingly at random, maybe to be resolved in a later book; maybe to satisfy Martin’s vision of the Middle Ages, which is not even how the writing of history works, much less the writing of fiction. I sentence Martin to read Ricoeur and White and myself to read the next book.
Ah, a nice reminder that GRRM’s skill lies mostly in keeping the reader guessing. Of course it’s addictive; one always wants to know what will happen next! The twists are unimaginably twisty! By virtue of being so many, though, there is no such thing as resolution or completion, no sense of internal narrative logic. Things happen seemingly at random, maybe to be resolved in a later book; maybe to satisfy Martin’s vision of the Middle Ages, which is not even how the writing of history works, much less the writing of fiction. I sentence Martin to read Ricoeur and White and myself to read the next book.
Communal Luxury - Kristin Ross
I read a lot about communism and anarchism, but it’s so rare to find something that feels quite this optimistic. I love the clarity and accessibility of Ross’s prose. I love the connections she draws, and I love the unspoken implication that the Paris Commune’s successes could be reimplemented, revitalised, in our world that suffers so many of the same problems. Her incisive unpacking of the challenges faced and solved in the transition from ideal to reality makes this work useful for critical praxis, but also just so, so hopeful. The roots of anarcho-communism, grounded in radical equality, solid education, and a retreat from the rhetoric of proportionality, find themselves in this beautiful articulation of what luxury looks like when it is lavished on all.
I read a lot about communism and anarchism, but it’s so rare to find something that feels quite this optimistic. I love the clarity and accessibility of Ross’s prose. I love the connections she draws, and I love the unspoken implication that the Paris Commune’s successes could be reimplemented, revitalised, in our world that suffers so many of the same problems. Her incisive unpacking of the challenges faced and solved in the transition from ideal to reality makes this work useful for critical praxis, but also just so, so hopeful. The roots of anarcho-communism, grounded in radical equality, solid education, and a retreat from the rhetoric of proportionality, find themselves in this beautiful articulation of what luxury looks like when it is lavished on all.
A Storm of Swords - GRR Martin
This is where I end my re-read. When I read these books the first time, I suspected that they were not re-readable, and I wish I had stuck with that. Martin struggles to write structured narrative: because he is writing “history” he is not plotting, there are no arcs and no possibly satisfying endings. This is why he needs to kill characters so often, to keep some semblance that things are happening. But, as I remarked for the last book, that’s not how the writing of history works, either. Humans think in narrative. We also tend to like characters who are multidimensional – by which I don’t mean characters who do different things and act in contrary ways, but characters whose inner motivations and desires are complex and layered, hard to pin down. Martin’s female characters are particularly plagued by one-dimensionality, but his male characters are almost as bad. One is kept reading only to find out the answers to the secrets and mysteries Martin sees fit to sprinkle through, and, at the end of the day, that’s what wikis are for.
This is where I end my re-read. When I read these books the first time, I suspected that they were not re-readable, and I wish I had stuck with that. Martin struggles to write structured narrative: because he is writing “history” he is not plotting, there are no arcs and no possibly satisfying endings. This is why he needs to kill characters so often, to keep some semblance that things are happening. But, as I remarked for the last book, that’s not how the writing of history works, either. Humans think in narrative. We also tend to like characters who are multidimensional – by which I don’t mean characters who do different things and act in contrary ways, but characters whose inner motivations and desires are complex and layered, hard to pin down. Martin’s female characters are particularly plagued by one-dimensionality, but his male characters are almost as bad. One is kept reading only to find out the answers to the secrets and mysteries Martin sees fit to sprinkle through, and, at the end of the day, that’s what wikis are for.
Summer and Bird - Katherine Catmull
As heartbreaking and as beautiful as the first time through. I love the rich grounding in folklore, love the diction that makes this a children’s book that is not a children’s book, the careful repetition, the concentric circles of plot. I love the characters, their imperfections and their triumphs, and I love the slow gravity that spirals everything down to inevitable conclusions. This is a book I am already yearning to return to.
As heartbreaking and as beautiful as the first time through. I love the rich grounding in folklore, love the diction that makes this a children’s book that is not a children’s book, the careful repetition, the concentric circles of plot. I love the characters, their imperfections and their triumphs, and I love the slow gravity that spirals everything down to inevitable conclusions. This is a book I am already yearning to return to.
The Songs of the Kings - Barry Unsworth
I love, absolutely love, retellings of myth. This is the second of Unsworth’s books I’ve read, and I think I’m coming to love his jarring anachronisms of speech, his modern motivations, the sense of immediacy and vitality his diction lends to his stories. In particular here the slow progress of inevitability and the so many shades and layers of meaning, the deft and judicious use of descriptive, the narrative turn that relies upon the reader being ready for it and unsurprised – Unsworth is a great novelist, and this is a great novel.
I love, absolutely love, retellings of myth. This is the second of Unsworth’s books I’ve read, and I think I’m coming to love his jarring anachronisms of speech, his modern motivations, the sense of immediacy and vitality his diction lends to his stories. In particular here the slow progress of inevitability and the so many shades and layers of meaning, the deft and judicious use of descriptive, the narrative turn that relies upon the reader being ready for it and unsurprised – Unsworth is a great novelist, and this is a great novel.
Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy - Gabriella Coleman
What a delightful romp! Pop anthropology is really one of the most fun genres, in my opinion, and biella has done a singularly magnificent job of crafting a narrative and offering an analysis that is as ambivalent as it is, paradoxically, pointed. I was missing, I think, some comparative work, but otherwise this is a remarkable and insightful project expressed accessibly and, at times, with great emotion.
What a delightful romp! Pop anthropology is really one of the most fun genres, in my opinion, and biella has done a singularly magnificent job of crafting a narrative and offering an analysis that is as ambivalent as it is, paradoxically, pointed. I was missing, I think, some comparative work, but otherwise this is a remarkable and insightful project expressed accessibly and, at times, with great emotion.
Charles Jessold, Considered As a Murderer - Wesley Snipes
I like this as much the second time through, which I suspected I might. It’s not as carefully crafted as other twist-ending novels I’ve read, but it’s well-crafted enough to inspire some delightful moments of memory and others of respect at Snipes’ plotting capabilities. Musical metaphors, character studies, and repetition that, like in a good concerto, feels like an enhancement rather than a bore. What an excellent novel, a novel mystery, a beautiful love story.
I like this as much the second time through, which I suspected I might. It’s not as carefully crafted as other twist-ending novels I’ve read, but it’s well-crafted enough to inspire some delightful moments of memory and others of respect at Snipes’ plotting capabilities. Musical metaphors, character studies, and repetition that, like in a good concerto, feels like an enhancement rather than a bore. What an excellent novel, a novel mystery, a beautiful love story.
The Lady Cyclist’s Guide to Kashgar - Suzanne Joinston
Firstly, yes. More stories in Central Asia, please! More stories about language and despair that centre the problems of Eurocentricity. More stories of breaking cycles, of inevitability turned on its head, of travel and danger and the impossibility of coming home. I loved the mirroring structures of the two stories here, and the way the bicycle became a metaphor, and the way hope is a bird. Perhaps not as emotionally gripping a book as it could or maybe should have been; its well-constructedness is too evidently at the fore. But it hit a lot of really delicious things for me, and I eagerly anticipate whatever Joinston produces next.
Firstly, yes. More stories in Central Asia, please! More stories about language and despair that centre the problems of Eurocentricity. More stories of breaking cycles, of inevitability turned on its head, of travel and danger and the impossibility of coming home. I loved the mirroring structures of the two stories here, and the way the bicycle became a metaphor, and the way hope is a bird. Perhaps not as emotionally gripping a book as it could or maybe should have been; its well-constructedness is too evidently at the fore. But it hit a lot of really delicious things for me, and I eagerly anticipate whatever Joinston produces next.
Good Omens - Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
This book gets funnier every time I read it, probably because I understand more of what Sir Pterry and Neil are getting on about. I am particularly moved by the ideas of belonging, of love making all the difference (how’s THAT for ineffable?), and of the absolute impossibility of once-for-all solutions within a human paradigm. Also, man, bureaucracy and academia and the Church all get a hard hit here, which I love, and I find as I get older that Aziraphale’s bookshop probably smells a lot like all the things I love best.
This book gets funnier every time I read it, probably because I understand more of what Sir Pterry and Neil are getting on about. I am particularly moved by the ideas of belonging, of love making all the difference (how’s THAT for ineffable?), and of the absolute impossibility of once-for-all solutions within a human paradigm. Also, man, bureaucracy and academia and the Church all get a hard hit here, which I love, and I find as I get older that Aziraphale’s bookshop probably smells a lot like all the things I love best.
A Darker Shade of Magic – V.E. Schwab
Schwab's language use is so deft! It would have been nice to see diction changes that were perhaps a little more pronounced, especially when it is explicitly acknowledged that of all the principal characters, almost all of them are speaking a second (or third?) language or are using translation spells. I think that's the only disappointment for me, though, in a book that pulls together a really excellently conceived system of magic, magical coats, a girl who dresses like a boy and wants only to be a pirate (I mean, same), and a plot whose resolution fit the genre without being super predictable. Overall, delightful. I'll definitely be reading the next installment at least.
Schwab's language use is so deft! It would have been nice to see diction changes that were perhaps a little more pronounced, especially when it is explicitly acknowledged that of all the principal characters, almost all of them are speaking a second (or third?) language or are using translation spells. I think that's the only disappointment for me, though, in a book that pulls together a really excellently conceived system of magic, magical coats, a girl who dresses like a boy and wants only to be a pirate (I mean, same), and a plot whose resolution fit the genre without being super predictable. Overall, delightful. I'll definitely be reading the next installment at least.
The Primates of Park Avenue - Wednesday Martin
I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did! I do really love pop science books, and so it shouldn't have surprised me that pop social science was just as nice. I loved the weaving back and forth stylistically between the right amount of gossipy for a juicy memoir and the self-aware fieldwork mode. I loved how well Martin showed her arguments, so that when I arrived at her conclusions I was nodding along. I loved the revelation of the indomitable spirit of motherhood, that spans all the great apes and keeps us rooted in our own prehistory. I also loved how Martin wasn't out to convince anyone that her Upper East Side mommies were the best kind of people; she presented them with the kind of balance that can only come from long intimacy and a commitment to honesty.
I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did! I do really love pop science books, and so it shouldn't have surprised me that pop social science was just as nice. I loved the weaving back and forth stylistically between the right amount of gossipy for a juicy memoir and the self-aware fieldwork mode. I loved how well Martin showed her arguments, so that when I arrived at her conclusions I was nodding along. I loved the revelation of the indomitable spirit of motherhood, that spans all the great apes and keeps us rooted in our own prehistory. I also loved how Martin wasn't out to convince anyone that her Upper East Side mommies were the best kind of people; she presented them with the kind of balance that can only come from long intimacy and a commitment to honesty.
The Republic of Thieves - Scott Lynch
I have to say, I have never met a writer whose writing utterly captivates me the way that Lynch's does. I have met more beautiful writing, and wittier, but none quite so earthy. I have met plotting more skillfully convoluted, but none quite so satisfying to unravel. I have met characters both less and more likeable, dialogue both funnier and more realistic, and settings more artfully designed. But Lynch has fun with his plots, his characters, his dialogue, his settings. Every word is so utterly joy-infused, so delighted and delightful, so self-consciously clever and openly childlike in its wonder at its own being. There are many books that make me cry, but Lynch makes me laugh - not so much with amusement (although that there is in spades), but with delight. Republic of Thieves was just as wonderful - if not more so, for its deepening intrigue and its careful picking up of loose ends - as the previous installments, and Lynch's particular way of dancing around timelines to have parallel plots that predict and represent and inform each other was as well executed as ever. Sure, I have complaints - Lynch has a hard time using female characters for their own value rather than to serve the narratives of his leading men; Lynch's big reveals are not always very delicately handled; Lynch represents a vibrantly diverse world without delving into the experiences his characters of colour have when he describes the (albeit very subtle) racism to which they are subject; Lynch himself perpetuates racist stereotypes in his framing of a fantasy world where the mysterious South is where all exotic things originate. But these are books I will read again and again and again.
I have to say, I have never met a writer whose writing utterly captivates me the way that Lynch's does. I have met more beautiful writing, and wittier, but none quite so earthy. I have met plotting more skillfully convoluted, but none quite so satisfying to unravel. I have met characters both less and more likeable, dialogue both funnier and more realistic, and settings more artfully designed. But Lynch has fun with his plots, his characters, his dialogue, his settings. Every word is so utterly joy-infused, so delighted and delightful, so self-consciously clever and openly childlike in its wonder at its own being. There are many books that make me cry, but Lynch makes me laugh - not so much with amusement (although that there is in spades), but with delight. Republic of Thieves was just as wonderful - if not more so, for its deepening intrigue and its careful picking up of loose ends - as the previous installments, and Lynch's particular way of dancing around timelines to have parallel plots that predict and represent and inform each other was as well executed as ever. Sure, I have complaints - Lynch has a hard time using female characters for their own value rather than to serve the narratives of his leading men; Lynch's big reveals are not always very delicately handled; Lynch represents a vibrantly diverse world without delving into the experiences his characters of colour have when he describes the (albeit very subtle) racism to which they are subject; Lynch himself perpetuates racist stereotypes in his framing of a fantasy world where the mysterious South is where all exotic things originate. But these are books I will read again and again and again.
Radiance - Catherine M. Valente
I finally know why it was important for me to read so much (bad, misogynistic) classic SF: it was so I could love and appreciate this book. The conceptual work here is just mind-boggling, although I am going to need to read a little more carefully next time through, since either I missed a lot of foreshadowing or the core conceptual reveal was a little abrupt. But I love non-linear narrative, and I love pastiche-style storytelling, and I absolutely adore stories about fathers and daughters who love the same things in very different ways. The send-ups to so many different genres were judiciously applied and scrupulously executed, the small visual details were a lovely way of making a story about Old Hollywood (ish) come alive, and, good grief but Valente is skilled at masking her voice while keeping the unity of the narrative intact. I'll definitely be reading more of her.
I finally know why it was important for me to read so much (bad, misogynistic) classic SF: it was so I could love and appreciate this book. The conceptual work here is just mind-boggling, although I am going to need to read a little more carefully next time through, since either I missed a lot of foreshadowing or the core conceptual reveal was a little abrupt. But I love non-linear narrative, and I love pastiche-style storytelling, and I absolutely adore stories about fathers and daughters who love the same things in very different ways. The send-ups to so many different genres were judiciously applied and scrupulously executed, the small visual details were a lovely way of making a story about Old Hollywood (ish) come alive, and, good grief but Valente is skilled at masking her voice while keeping the unity of the narrative intact. I'll definitely be reading more of her.
Penderwicks at Pointe Moute - Jeanne Birdsall
I loved the reasoning to not have Rosalind in this story (heaven knows that girl needs a break!), but I missed her dearly. Otherwise, I think this is my favourite installment, full of not just life and laughter and complex characters learning together how to grow and how to stay children, but also of poignant emotion and much more depth of resolution, I think, than the previous two. As always, Birdsall’s narrative voice delights, and her dialogue choices are just stellar. Children’s authors on the whole seem to be just uniformly technically skilled somehow, and I love it.
I loved the reasoning to not have Rosalind in this story (heaven knows that girl needs a break!), but I missed her dearly. Otherwise, I think this is my favourite installment, full of not just life and laughter and complex characters learning together how to grow and how to stay children, but also of poignant emotion and much more depth of resolution, I think, than the previous two. As always, Birdsall’s narrative voice delights, and her dialogue choices are just stellar. Children’s authors on the whole seem to be just uniformly technically skilled somehow, and I love it.
The Anti-Social Family - Michele Barret and Mary McIntosh
I was kind of disappointed here? The book has not aged well, and while I appreciated the snapshot into 80s family life (and the unsettling truth that not much has changed on some levels), the tactics for improvement and the suggestions for radical dissociation from oppressive structures were…lacking. At the time of initial publication, these observations were shocking enough to not require follow-up theory and activism, but now that they are commonly accepted in even many mainstream circles, the lack of and-then-what is sorely felt. Still, as with everything Verso publishes, the work is accessible and humble, careful and detailed, honest and emotional. It has certainly given me a Who Cites This? search hankering.
I was kind of disappointed here? The book has not aged well, and while I appreciated the snapshot into 80s family life (and the unsettling truth that not much has changed on some levels), the tactics for improvement and the suggestions for radical dissociation from oppressive structures were…lacking. At the time of initial publication, these observations were shocking enough to not require follow-up theory and activism, but now that they are commonly accepted in even many mainstream circles, the lack of and-then-what is sorely felt. Still, as with everything Verso publishes, the work is accessible and humble, careful and detailed, honest and emotional. It has certainly given me a Who Cites This? search hankering.
Embassytown - China Mieville
Just as brutal and beautiful the second time around. I love how Mieville makes this book about language about language down to the level of each sentence. I love how Avice’s narration reads like a chronicle, like something only halfway to narrative (this is what happens when you read Ricoeur before you write). I love the sheer inventiveness of absolutely everything, and the careful economy of exposition that allows the world to be unfamiliar but also understandable. And I love especially that, at the heart of it, this story about language is a story about love. All the best ones are.
Just as brutal and beautiful the second time around. I love how Mieville makes this book about language about language down to the level of each sentence. I love how Avice’s narration reads like a chronicle, like something only halfway to narrative (this is what happens when you read Ricoeur before you write). I love the sheer inventiveness of absolutely everything, and the careful economy of exposition that allows the world to be unfamiliar but also understandable. And I love especially that, at the heart of it, this story about language is a story about love. All the best ones are.
The Princess and the Goblin - George MacDonald
I could not help thinking, as I read this book, of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Both are stories about young girls coming to know themselves, and both were recommended to me on the basis of their protagonists reminding someone of me. This one, unlike Brooklyn’s, is obviously written by a man, as an idealised figure of the perpetually innocent, preternaturally wise feminine, without a real inner life or any dimensionality. The narrative is trite in the way that well-written children’s book are not, and the main antagonists have absolutely no moral shading – again, perfectly accomplishable in a children’s book, and in fact I could easily point out a half a dozen ways it could be accomplished here. The writing has that grating tone of the overbearing adult speaking to a child in a higher tonal register and thinking the child will not notice the condescension. I continue to not like MacDonald even remotely, and this book in particular reminding someone of me is almost insulting.
I could not help thinking, as I read this book, of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Both are stories about young girls coming to know themselves, and both were recommended to me on the basis of their protagonists reminding someone of me. This one, unlike Brooklyn’s, is obviously written by a man, as an idealised figure of the perpetually innocent, preternaturally wise feminine, without a real inner life or any dimensionality. The narrative is trite in the way that well-written children’s book are not, and the main antagonists have absolutely no moral shading – again, perfectly accomplishable in a children’s book, and in fact I could easily point out a half a dozen ways it could be accomplished here. The writing has that grating tone of the overbearing adult speaking to a child in a higher tonal register and thinking the child will not notice the condescension. I continue to not like MacDonald even remotely, and this book in particular reminding someone of me is almost insulting.
Altai - Wu Ming
I do wish this was an Own Voices novel, which I had thought it was, and I do wish a collective of white dudes hadn’t chosen a Chinese name as their pseudonym? But I think those are almost my only complaints. The writing, even in translation, is dynamic and expressive, multilingual (my favourite!) and many-faceted, spare and elegant and beautiful in its lack of adornment. Structurally the story loops and twists, driven by external events as much as by the lively, deeply human characters. I don’t know that the first person (my nemesis!) added anything, but I only found myself aware of it enough to be irritated a few times. Also irritating: you can tell this book was written by men because one of its explicit messages is “don’t underestimate women,” and yet the only female characters serve as plot points and/or romantic interests for the male characters. I only really noticed that in retrospect, though, so this collective is as good at sneaky patriarchy as they are at everything else.
I do wish this was an Own Voices novel, which I had thought it was, and I do wish a collective of white dudes hadn’t chosen a Chinese name as their pseudonym? But I think those are almost my only complaints. The writing, even in translation, is dynamic and expressive, multilingual (my favourite!) and many-faceted, spare and elegant and beautiful in its lack of adornment. Structurally the story loops and twists, driven by external events as much as by the lively, deeply human characters. I don’t know that the first person (my nemesis!) added anything, but I only found myself aware of it enough to be irritated a few times. Also irritating: you can tell this book was written by men because one of its explicit messages is “don’t underestimate women,” and yet the only female characters serve as plot points and/or romantic interests for the male characters. I only really noticed that in retrospect, though, so this collective is as good at sneaky patriarchy as they are at everything else.
Poison Study - Maria V. Snyder
Oh man, where to even start. Firstly, this publisher may need to fire their editors. So much of the writing here is just flawed on a technical level, which is one of my biggest turn-offs. But beyond that, the worldbuilding is sloppy, the descriptive awkward at best, the dialogue kind of cringe-y, the plot kind of just…there?, and the characters just…oh man. There were some ideas here that could have been brought to fruition by a more skillful author, but as it stands I’ve read Hunger Games fanfiction written by fourteen-year-olds that was better (seriously).
Oh man, where to even start. Firstly, this publisher may need to fire their editors. So much of the writing here is just flawed on a technical level, which is one of my biggest turn-offs. But beyond that, the worldbuilding is sloppy, the descriptive awkward at best, the dialogue kind of cringe-y, the plot kind of just…there?, and the characters just…oh man. There were some ideas here that could have been brought to fruition by a more skillful author, but as it stands I’ve read Hunger Games fanfiction written by fourteen-year-olds that was better (seriously).
House of the Scorpion - Nancy Farmer
What worldbuilding! A bit (okay, a lot) quick on the denouement, and inconsistently fleshed-out characters, but the pacing on the reveals was great, the plot arced more-or-less satisfyingly, and the narration was really spot-on stylistically. I don’t know how I feel about the portrayal of socialised work? It seems like a distinctly American perspective, and it might have been nice to see how Aztalan’s structure worked outside of orphan farms, but I suppose the really tightly focused lens throughout the novel was a stylistic choice, which conveyed a really nice sense of claustrophobia, but I think limited the potential of the world just a little.
What worldbuilding! A bit (okay, a lot) quick on the denouement, and inconsistently fleshed-out characters, but the pacing on the reveals was great, the plot arced more-or-less satisfyingly, and the narration was really spot-on stylistically. I don’t know how I feel about the portrayal of socialised work? It seems like a distinctly American perspective, and it might have been nice to see how Aztalan’s structure worked outside of orphan farms, but I suppose the really tightly focused lens throughout the novel was a stylistic choice, which conveyed a really nice sense of claustrophobia, but I think limited the potential of the world just a little.
The Confabulist - Steven Galloway
I like the ambiguity and confusion of this book. I am frustrated by it, because I want to KNOW things, but it is very good, very well-achieved. Galloway has a beautiful writing style, fresh and lively and natural, and the plots and characters here, the intertwined climaxes, the ultimately indistinguishable protagonists, are approachable and not all at the same time. This book is like a magic trick, and as a result I both want to know how it works and want to preserve the enchantment of illusion.
I like the ambiguity and confusion of this book. I am frustrated by it, because I want to KNOW things, but it is very good, very well-achieved. Galloway has a beautiful writing style, fresh and lively and natural, and the plots and characters here, the intertwined climaxes, the ultimately indistinguishable protagonists, are approachable and not all at the same time. This book is like a magic trick, and as a result I both want to know how it works and want to preserve the enchantment of illusion.
The Black Arrow - Robert Louis Stevenson
I will confess that I found this book somewhat plotless? The Wars of the Roses is one of my favourite periods of English history, and it was great to read this particular sliver (RLS is nothing if not thoroughly immersed in the world!), but a sequence of bad things happening to poor Dick Shelton does not a plot make. There was no resolution on so many issues (HOW DID HIS DAD DIE?), and while he did have a moral awakening (ish?) and a knighthood, this wasn’t much of a hero’s journey. And we didn’t get enough Joanna for my taste at all. Well-written and pleasant to read, but otherwise kind of disappointing. I’ll stick with Treasure Island.
I will confess that I found this book somewhat plotless? The Wars of the Roses is one of my favourite periods of English history, and it was great to read this particular sliver (RLS is nothing if not thoroughly immersed in the world!), but a sequence of bad things happening to poor Dick Shelton does not a plot make. There was no resolution on so many issues (HOW DID HIS DAD DIE?), and while he did have a moral awakening (ish?) and a knighthood, this wasn’t much of a hero’s journey. And we didn’t get enough Joanna for my taste at all. Well-written and pleasant to read, but otherwise kind of disappointing. I’ll stick with Treasure Island.
Secondhand Souls - Christopher Moore
I really detested this book about a chapter in, but found myself grudgingly warming to it as I read. I still has issues – Moore hasn’t quite nailed the parodic narrative style that makes Discworld, which it seems in some ways he’s trying to emulate, so good; all of the characters are caricatures of themselves, and not very good ones; the bodily humour jokes are too repetitive and insufficiently clever to be anything close to humourous; I’m uncomfortable with the random accessorisation of Buddhism. But it is effortlessly diverse, albeit with some parts that make you go “um, hey, white guy, probably this is not a joke that’s okay for you to make?” It doesn’t have heart, but it’s trying very hard to. It doesn’t have a complex or interesting plot, but the structure is clear and the pacing is good, and the dialogue reads very naturally. I’d been wanting to check out Moore for a while, and, curiosity satisfied, I can pass his books in the bookstore with a nod.
I really detested this book about a chapter in, but found myself grudgingly warming to it as I read. I still has issues – Moore hasn’t quite nailed the parodic narrative style that makes Discworld, which it seems in some ways he’s trying to emulate, so good; all of the characters are caricatures of themselves, and not very good ones; the bodily humour jokes are too repetitive and insufficiently clever to be anything close to humourous; I’m uncomfortable with the random accessorisation of Buddhism. But it is effortlessly diverse, albeit with some parts that make you go “um, hey, white guy, probably this is not a joke that’s okay for you to make?” It doesn’t have heart, but it’s trying very hard to. It doesn’t have a complex or interesting plot, but the structure is clear and the pacing is good, and the dialogue reads very naturally. I’d been wanting to check out Moore for a while, and, curiosity satisfied, I can pass his books in the bookstore with a nod.