bengriffin's reviews
2677 reviews

I couldn't decide if this was going to be really good, or really twee, contrived and cringe inducing. I'm glad I risked it. It was mature, well written, and incredibly sweet. I think most people with a heart would struggle to dislike this book.

Incredibly flawed and often derivative, but with smatterings of beauty and thrilling action. Maybe as his style and ideas mature he might one day write something amazing, but if you can tolerate the weaknesses and have time to spare, there's enough enjoyment to be had with this one until then.

It's ok. Like a lot of his work it trys too hard to be shocking and/or Hunter S. Thompson. Occasionally it works, the odd bit of dark beauty or humour breaks through, but mostly it's quite thin and disposable, which may be it's intention but still. It is an easy and quick read though, and if you just treat it for the pulp it is then it's enjoyable enough.

There's a lot of interesting experiments compiled in this book, some well known, and some less so. Generally a fascinating read, you just have to gloss over the author's attempts to be funny and let the experiments speak for themselves.

An excellent read. Every page has something fascinating on it and is presented in such a readable fashion. It's a book for everyone really as it cuts through the scientific jargon and conflicting ideas and presents everything in a way that makes it imaginable for the everyday person, as well as frequently humourous and often terrifying. I kind of wish there was a follow up that expanded on certain parts or updated where we'd advanced in the past few years. I guess I'll have to keep my fingers crossed.

I enjoyed the first part of this one, which was consistent with earlier volumes, but the second story arc didn't do much for me. Hoping it will pick up again in subsequent volumes.

Doesn't disappoint after the first volume with more of the same humour, action and intrigue. Hard to stop reading once you start.

A promising start. Both funny and traumatic in parts, with lots of cool references.

Unlike the other McCarthy novels I've read I found this quite difficult to get into and to follow at times due to the fractured narrative and language. Whilst there are moments of chilling beauty and dark brutality, I didn't much care for the characters and their fates. I imagine it would be an amazing book to study, but that doesn't necessarily make it an enjoyable read.