Scan barcode
brusboks's reviews
369 reviews
A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This is wonderful fantasy, for both young adults and adults. It's like reading a ghibli movie mixed with a movie from cartoon saloon.
The author has a wonderful way with words when describing the world and it's many nooks and corners. Also subtle critiques to be found in how it addresses social layers and phenomena found on our own world as well.
Highly recommended!
The author has a wonderful way with words when describing the world and it's many nooks and corners. Also subtle critiques to be found in how it addresses social layers and phenomena found on our own world as well.
Highly recommended!
Hvis jeg faller by Jan Grue
informative
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
Mange flotte deler, men kunne med fordel vært kortere. En del gled mye over i en "min corona-dagbok"-tendenser.
Behersker til tross for dette er veldig godt litterært men lettfattelig språk.
Behersker til tross for dette er veldig godt litterært men lettfattelig språk.
The Murmur of Bees by Sofía Segovia
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
It shows a good use of language, at times verging in being overly dramatic during certain plot progressions.
Plot and character-wise:
Problematic staging of who we get to see as victims. The true victim of the larger system is instead totally demonized as a sort of "only option to become evil if not accepting the hierarchy" type. A romantisation of the past and farm holding instead.
Also, problematic of creating the only character with a disability as only operating on upholding the system that exists to subjogate him and only acting in relation to securing his godfamily. He is forever a servant to the "victims" and does not get to express his own wishes and desires. He could have been a great vehicle for exploring the posthuman world and how human and nature work together and how a good relationship can benefit the world, a missed ecocriticism opportunity. Instead the magical realism serves only as romanticising a historical time and place. Where nature is working at upholding the system that kills it, exploitative capitalism.
Do not recommend.
Plot and character-wise:
Problematic staging of who we get to see as victims. The true victim of the larger system is instead totally demonized as a sort of "only option to become evil if not accepting the hierarchy" type. A romantisation of the past and farm holding instead.
Also, problematic of creating the only character with a disability as only operating on upholding the system that exists to subjogate him and only acting in relation to securing his godfamily. He is forever a servant to the "victims" and does not get to express his own wishes and desires. He could have been a great vehicle for exploring the posthuman world and how human and nature work together and how a good relationship can benefit the world, a missed ecocriticism opportunity. Instead the magical realism serves only as romanticising a historical time and place. Where nature is working at upholding the system that kills it, exploitative capitalism.
Do not recommend.
Alle utlendinger har lukka gardiner by Maria Navarro Skaranger
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
YA som også kan leses av voksne. Øvelse i form og stil der det skrives som en ungdomsjentes egne blogginnlegg (men lukket blogg) typ det man gjorde på den tida boka er satt til. I tillegg brukes også det spesifikke muntlige språket for ungdommene i det miljøet på Romsås. Som jo var typisk for hvordan man skrev slike innlegg på den tida - muntlig-skriftlig.
Helt grei bok med typiske YA-temaer som kjærlighet, familie og det og ikke være gammel nok til helt å skjønne hva som skjer i familien.
Helt grei bok med typiske YA-temaer som kjærlighet, familie og det og ikke være gammel nok til helt å skjønne hva som skjer i familien.
Alice B. Toklas' sjølvbiografi by Gertrude Stein
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.0
Gertrude Stein let's you learn some stuff about herself and her friends through the eyes of her partner Alice. You are however left with a longing for actually seeing life through Alice's eyes, which would have been more than just Gertrude i hope,even if her voice must be very genuinely Alice.
Use this book to create an overview who's who in the art and literature world of France, England and America in the first 30 years of the 1900s. And their quirks.
Mostly an excersize in style, and probably bit of a quirky joke Stein did with by writing Alice's autobiography and making a point of how that can never go well because you cannot really be someone else than yourself, even if you get the voice correctly of the one you are pretending to be. Can almost see Alice be like "oh god, Gertrude... You made it all about yourself. This is so typically you"
So yes, read if you like language games and mulling over exersizes in style and form, and the result of authors putting constraints on their writing.
And if you just want to understand the art world of that time a bit better.
3 stars for Stein showing off being crafty with creating a specific voice. We get it Stein, you are good with words.
Use this book to create an overview who's who in the art and literature world of France, England and America in the first 30 years of the 1900s. And their quirks.
Mostly an excersize in style, and probably bit of a quirky joke Stein did with by writing Alice's autobiography and making a point of how that can never go well because you cannot really be someone else than yourself, even if you get the voice correctly of the one you are pretending to be. Can almost see Alice be like "oh god, Gertrude... You made it all about yourself. This is so typically you"
So yes, read if you like language games and mulling over exersizes in style and form, and the result of authors putting constraints on their writing.
And if you just want to understand the art world of that time a bit better.
3 stars for Stein showing off being crafty with creating a specific voice. We get it Stein, you are good with words.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It feels bit like a contemporary Coehlo. Kind of obvious from the start how it is going to end, so you're basically there just for the ride. But I guess some readers need this ride, and will perhaps enjoy it more than me who found it to be an average ok nice book, but nothing more.
A negative thing is that the author wants to kind of over-explain different things, not letting us get to use our own imagination, for instance of how the library in detail could work. As a reader, you do not always need long explanations of how things work, we can piece it together ourselves.
A negative thing is that the author wants to kind of over-explain different things, not letting us get to use our own imagination, for instance of how the library in detail could work. As a reader, you do not always need long explanations of how things work, we can piece it together ourselves.
Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
relaxing
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? It's complicated
2.0
The language is not that bad, but everything else is just horrible. You're forced to take part in a small segment of the life of a couple of really unlikeable annoying characters who is just living without really living. A study on the boring mundane lives of boring mundane people.
I guess one positive thing this novel does is remind us that people and life in general is really mundane and boring.
Negative side? It's a movie script cosplaying as a novel.
I guess one positive thing this novel does is remind us that people and life in general is really mundane and boring.
Negative side? It's a movie script cosplaying as a novel.
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Read for historical insight. Yes, the characters are annoying, but so is life.