johnbrads's reviews
445 reviews

This book had me utterly mesmerized. It's hard to feel as moved by a novel as I was by this. The fact that it is an unfinished novel doesn't diminish its achievement. That it could've been even better with more time is almost unfathomable, considering how well it stands up in this form. How DFW can draw such humanity from such strange and damaged people is a testament to his power as a writer. Perhaps my favorite book. Truly a masterpiece.

Classic Murakami, even down to a man in a sheep costume. I enjoyed the use of illustrations to enhance Murakami's natural strangeness. A quick and fun read.

A really excellent novel for DFW fans. Might even be a good intro for folks new to his work. Highly recommended.

An interesting read, if not a real page turner. I'm left scratching my head as to how much I really enjoyed it, and I think John Darnielle, in this his debut novel, hasn't done a great job of balancing his personal interests against the interests of his readers. Still, short and sweet!

Rarely can I finish a book where the characters don't draw me in (or repulse me). Here though, the plot and twists made this one a page turner. Now to see the movie.

Serendipitously finished on Vonnegut's birthday. Definitely a quick read. Few books have given me such pause after reading. I'm torn between a distaste for what I perceive is the overall message and an appreciation for the meta-fictional manner in which the story develops. Reading it's quickly only made me want to start again from the beginning to figure it out more. Devastatingly sad and less funny than I had been told, but nonetheless very moving.