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nhborg's reviews
436 reviews
Vicious by V.E. Schwab
3.0
Had a nice time listening to this. This must be a textbook example of morally gray characters, and it was definitely edgy, to the point where it sometimes fell flat instead of actually being cool. I really liked the premise of academic rivalling and the bad guy vs bad guy setup, but I think some of the potential was lost along the way and that the story ended up feeling too narrow. It was engaging, but it didn’t have that much interesting to offer otherwise. That being said, I’ll probably hop right onto the «Vengeful» audiobook to see if it takes that extra step that I’m looking for.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
4.0
Wow, it feels strange to be through with this!
Early on I described this as a combination of Norwegian Wood and The Promised Neverland, and I still stand by that. Heading into this I was pleasantly surprised to find myself wrapped in a soft kind of dark academia atmosphere, and the reading experience was like watching a ball of yarn unravelling slowly but surely to give you more insight into what’s going on. The storytelling seemed impressively genuine, like there’s an actual person reliving their memories in fragments and taking certain truths for granted, and in this way telling you what was going on, but not really.
In addition to loving the narration style, I was very interested in the themes being explored, especially since I felt like I could relate some of the central principles and discussions to my background in biology. I also felt that the considerations of art and creative expression made an impression on me and will stay summing in my thoughts for a while.
I sensed some 5-star tingles at the beginning of the book, but I think what brought it down a notch was the fact that I never found myself truly feeling for the characters. I tried to, but there was always this distance which I was never able to close, although I did sympathize with the designed situation. Acknowledgning that this may have been an intentional move, I personally still prefer when a book is able to tug at my heartstrings.
Nevertheless, a solid read, and I’m happy for those who have yet to experience it for the first time:)
Early on I described this as a combination of Norwegian Wood and The Promised Neverland, and I still stand by that. Heading into this I was pleasantly surprised to find myself wrapped in a soft kind of dark academia atmosphere, and the reading experience was like watching a ball of yarn unravelling slowly but surely to give you more insight into what’s going on. The storytelling seemed impressively genuine, like there’s an actual person reliving their memories in fragments and taking certain truths for granted, and in this way telling you what was going on, but not really.
In addition to loving the narration style, I was very interested in the themes being explored, especially since I felt like I could relate some of the central principles and discussions to my background in biology. I also felt that the considerations of art and creative expression made an impression on me and will stay summing in my thoughts for a while.
I sensed some 5-star tingles at the beginning of the book, but I think what brought it down a notch was the fact that I never found myself truly feeling for the characters. I tried to, but there was always this distance which I was never able to close, although I did sympathize with the designed situation. Acknowledgning that this may have been an intentional move, I personally still prefer when a book is able to tug at my heartstrings.
Nevertheless, a solid read, and I’m happy for those who have yet to experience it for the first time:)
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk
5.0
This was absolutely fantastic. I simultaneously want to sit in silent contemplation and scream out to everyone about it; it’s the kind of book you wish everyone in the world had read. It is written with such curiosity, care and respect, and Bessel van der Kolk’s genuine desire to understand and help people radiates through all the pages. I can’t believe how much I’ve learned from this reading experience, spanning across personal and societal sectors of life. I can’t recommend it enough, but due to the heavy thematics I urge you to take care in how you feel comfortable with approaching it.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
4.0
3.75
“This isn't simply an orphanage. It is a house of healing, and one that I think is necessary.”
I loved how this whimsical, cozy fantasy manages to capture real-life thematics of inadequate orphanage care, bureaucracy, queerness, xenophobia etc. Nevertheless it functions as a wonderful escape from reality, being centered around a warm story about healing and belonging and a cast of characters you can’t help but love.
“This isn't simply an orphanage. It is a house of healing, and one that I think is necessary.”
I loved how this whimsical, cozy fantasy manages to capture real-life thematics of inadequate orphanage care, bureaucracy, queerness, xenophobia etc. Nevertheless it functions as a wonderful escape from reality, being centered around a warm story about healing and belonging and a cast of characters you can’t help but love.
The Tempest by William Shakespeare
3.0
«And by that destiny to perform an act
Whereof what’s past is prologue, what to come
In yours and my discharge.» (2.1.288)
Not my favorite Shakespeare read so far, but it was cool! I liked the complexity of the plot, the focus on stories and mythological creatures, and the thematization of European exploration and colonization. It also managed to make me chuckle a few times:)
Whereof what’s past is prologue, what to come
In yours and my discharge.» (2.1.288)
Not my favorite Shakespeare read so far, but it was cool! I liked the complexity of the plot, the focus on stories and mythological creatures, and the thematization of European exploration and colonization. It also managed to make me chuckle a few times:)
2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
3.0
3.5
This had its ups and downs, but I generally liked it! I haven’t watched the movie, but I was familiar with two of the iconic scenes and therefore kind of knew where it was going. I think what I liked the most was the otherwordly and surrealistic atmosphere it obtained in the later stages. Otherwise I’d say that the book was mostly interesting due to its age, as I don’t think it would’ve gotten the same sensational status if it was released now instead of in 1968.
The main drawback is that it felt pretty «hollow»; there were some reflections and interesting concepts touched upon, but in general it was written in a simplistic and flat way that made me think that it would be better suited for the movie screen. This made it a super quick read, but took away some of the substantiality. Knowing that the book and movie were made simultaneously, I started questioning whether there was actually any point in having the story as a book at all. Still, certain scenes convinced me that a book format was probably an interesting contrast to a movie which displays everything and leaves no room for imagination. I also read in some reviews that Clarke and Kubrick wrote different endings, which makes me extra curious to compare the two.
Time to go watch the movie!
This had its ups and downs, but I generally liked it! I haven’t watched the movie, but I was familiar with two of the iconic scenes and therefore kind of knew where it was going. I think what I liked the most was the otherwordly and surrealistic atmosphere it obtained in the later stages. Otherwise I’d say that the book was mostly interesting due to its age, as I don’t think it would’ve gotten the same sensational status if it was released now instead of in 1968.
The main drawback is that it felt pretty «hollow»; there were some reflections and interesting concepts touched upon, but in general it was written in a simplistic and flat way that made me think that it would be better suited for the movie screen. This made it a super quick read, but took away some of the substantiality. Knowing that the book and movie were made simultaneously, I started questioning whether there was actually any point in having the story as a book at all. Still, certain scenes convinced me that a book format was probably an interesting contrast to a movie which displays everything and leaves no room for imagination. I also read in some reviews that Clarke and Kubrick wrote different endings, which makes me extra curious to compare the two.
Time to go watch the movie!
The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
4.0
4.25
I’ll see if I can write out some words with all these tears in my eyes… phew.
I would say that this went from a flop to a win over the course of the book. I started out quite skeptical, as I’m used to this kind of Japanese cat-inspired literature missing the mark for me, and feeling slightly annoyed at the highly antropomorphic cat POV. However… as the story progressed, an invisible hand managed to sneak its way around my heart, culminating in an extreme tug at the heartstrings as I finished the final chapters. I really did not expect to cry this much, but I loved it for it.
I appreciated how each of the side characters were used to piece together the childhood of the main character Saturo, while also being explored on their own terms. Hiro Arikawa has an eye for subtle conflicts that can occur between humans, even if they love and care for another. And the POV of the cat Nana, while initially coming across as kind of annoying, ended up being heartwarming and funny and definitely adding a nice layer to the narration.
And last but not least, I loved the journey we went on together with Satoru and Nana, in multiple senses. The image of them traveling together and sharing witness of the world’s beauty will stick with me as a source of comfort. Overall, it also resonated well with one of my favorite quotes of all time: «You should enjoy the little detours. To the fullest. Because that’s where you’ll find the things more important than what you want.» (Ging Freecss, HxH).
So yeah.. that’s pretty much it. I feel like I’ll start sobbing everytime I see this book on my bookshelf now:’)
Side note:
I was about to make a «You had one job» comment about the cover (since the cat looks strikingly different from the way it’s described in the book), but turns out the graphic design researchers fell in love with this original Chinese brush painting made by an artist with cerebral palsy. So, hats off in respect.
I’ll see if I can write out some words with all these tears in my eyes… phew.
I would say that this went from a flop to a win over the course of the book. I started out quite skeptical, as I’m used to this kind of Japanese cat-inspired literature missing the mark for me, and feeling slightly annoyed at the highly antropomorphic cat POV. However… as the story progressed, an invisible hand managed to sneak its way around my heart, culminating in an extreme tug at the heartstrings as I finished the final chapters. I really did not expect to cry this much, but I loved it for it.
I appreciated how each of the side characters were used to piece together the childhood of the main character Saturo, while also being explored on their own terms. Hiro Arikawa has an eye for subtle conflicts that can occur between humans, even if they love and care for another. And the POV of the cat Nana, while initially coming across as kind of annoying, ended up being heartwarming and funny and definitely adding a nice layer to the narration.
And last but not least, I loved the journey we went on together with Satoru and Nana, in multiple senses. The image of them traveling together and sharing witness of the world’s beauty will stick with me as a source of comfort. Overall, it also resonated well with one of my favorite quotes of all time: «You should enjoy the little detours. To the fullest. Because that’s where you’ll find the things more important than what you want.» (Ging Freecss, HxH).
So yeah.. that’s pretty much it. I feel like I’ll start sobbing everytime I see this book on my bookshelf now:’)
Side note:
I was about to make a «You had one job» comment about the cover (since the cat looks strikingly different from the way it’s described in the book), but turns out the graphic design researchers fell in love with this original Chinese brush painting made by an artist with cerebral palsy. So, hats off in respect.
Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
2.0
2.5
This was a miss for me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I’ll admit that I was sceptical about this even before I started, because although Brandon Sanderson has written some of my favorite books, I know that he’s not a guaranteed win (at least for me).
The way I see it, it seems like he doesn’t write as well for books that are not part of a series that he’s committed to continuing. In Tress, I found that he put a lot less effort into the atmosphere and characters, making most of the book feel superficial. I usually found it difficult to imagine myself in the current setting because of the meagre descriptions and dialogue-based progression. The characters mostly felt like cardboard characters, and although it makes sense since this is a short, fairy-tale like book, I couldn’t properly connect to or care about any of them except for Tress. If I’m being really harsh, the book all in all felt like a random jumble of ideas and Cosmere references with an underdeveloped plot and only the spore ocean-world to ground it as something unique.
One thing I got tired of was the quasi-philosophical intermissons showing up in basically every chapter. While most of them were just cliché and uninspiring, some downright didn’t make sense (like the one about humans not being able to make matter or life, only light…?). I guess it comes down to me not enjoying the narration by Hoid (who I know from another Brandon Sanderson book), and I know it is my personal preference to hate the combination of a goofy/witty/unserious style and the presentation of moral lessons. I’m unable to take any of the «deeper content» seriously when I’ve just been exposed to jokes falling completely flat and my expression is set to
This was a miss for me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I’ll admit that I was sceptical about this even before I started, because although Brandon Sanderson has written some of my favorite books, I know that he’s not a guaranteed win (at least for me).
The way I see it, it seems like he doesn’t write as well for books that are not part of a series that he’s committed to continuing. In Tress, I found that he put a lot less effort into the atmosphere and characters, making most of the book feel superficial. I usually found it difficult to imagine myself in the current setting because of the meagre descriptions and dialogue-based progression. The characters mostly felt like cardboard characters, and although it makes sense since this is a short, fairy-tale like book, I couldn’t properly connect to or care about any of them except for Tress. If I’m being really harsh, the book all in all felt like a random jumble of ideas and Cosmere references with an underdeveloped plot and only the spore ocean-world to ground it as something unique.
One thing I got tired of was the quasi-philosophical intermissons showing up in basically every chapter. While most of them were just cliché and uninspiring, some downright didn’t make sense (like the one about humans not being able to make matter or life, only light…?). I guess it comes down to me not enjoying the narration by Hoid (who I know from another Brandon Sanderson book), and I know it is my personal preference to hate the combination of a goofy/witty/unserious style and the presentation of moral lessons. I’m unable to take any of the «deeper content» seriously when I’ve just been exposed to jokes falling completely flat and my expression is set to
The Trial by Franz Kafka
5.0
Wow. I had medium expectations going into this, feeling intrigued about the premise but worried that it might end up feeling too dry. Therefore I was so glad when I, from the very first page, found myself completely immersed in the book, actively annotating and writing out thoughts and theories, and ending every reading session with a «This is fantastic» feeling. Much of the novel felt like a fever dream, and there are several scenes that are now stuck like uncanny and symbolic paintings in my inner mind. I found it so fascinating to join K. on his descent into a bureaucratic hellscape, served in an equally bland and deranged manner.
Something else that adds to the reading experience is of course the context for its publication. Kafka never finished writing «The Trial», and like with most of his works, he wanted it burnt and eliminated after his death. It therefore feels strangely illegal to be reading the novel today, puzzled together from scribbled fragments and shown to the world against Kafka’s will, peering into his existential anxiety and feeling of isolation within life’s absurdities.
I couldn’t have wished for a better reading experience and had a lot of fun discussing it with my book club! I was also lucky enough to watch a theatre play of «The Trial» soon after finishing the book, which really hammered in my admiration.
———
// Lowkey SPOILER WARNING for paragraph quoted below (I just had to add it to my review) //
«The law had appointed [the doorkeeper] to its service; to doubt his worthiness is to doubt the law.»
«I don’t agree with that opinion,» said K., shaking his head, «for if you accept it you must believe everything the door-keeper says is true.»
«No,» said the priest, «one does not have to believe everything is true, one only has to believe it is necessary.»
«Depressing thought,» K. said. «It makes the lie fundamental to world order.»
Something else that adds to the reading experience is of course the context for its publication. Kafka never finished writing «The Trial», and like with most of his works, he wanted it burnt and eliminated after his death. It therefore feels strangely illegal to be reading the novel today, puzzled together from scribbled fragments and shown to the world against Kafka’s will, peering into his existential anxiety and feeling of isolation within life’s absurdities.
I couldn’t have wished for a better reading experience and had a lot of fun discussing it with my book club! I was also lucky enough to watch a theatre play of «The Trial» soon after finishing the book, which really hammered in my admiration.
———
// Lowkey SPOILER WARNING for paragraph quoted below (I just had to add it to my review) //
«The law had appointed [the doorkeeper] to its service; to doubt his worthiness is to doubt the law.»
«I don’t agree with that opinion,» said K., shaking his head, «for if you accept it you must believe everything the door-keeper says is true.»
«No,» said the priest, «one does not have to believe everything is true, one only has to believe it is necessary.»
«Depressing thought,» K. said. «It makes the lie fundamental to world order.»