thesinginglights's reviews
665 reviews

This is an interesting, often strange and haunting, tale, that has some interesting analyses if mankind (or a man) could change the fabric of reality.

Le Guin writes in a melodious, accessible way and is always a pleasure to read. About halfway through, the steady foundations of the first half begin to rock the boat a little bit, but not enough to detract from the story or the message: essentially we have no right.

A solid book. Worth a read.

"The soul is a verb ... not a noun."

4.5 stars.

This has some of the most powerful and lively prose I have ever had the pleasure of reading: David Mitchell is easily one of the most inventive writers ever. I'm so embarrassed that I let Life get in the way of reading this marvel. A wonderful tale, if dichotomous (capital-g Good vs. capital-b Bad) tale.

This is a short story collection that deals with many different themes such as morality and racism while also tying in elements of fairy tales. Very brisk and pared down compared to a lot of fantasy, but in cutting the fat off, alongside the mystery, it felt a little empty. By no means a bad book, but I think I'll need to build into the novel series. But not yet.

3.75 stars.

That was ... very intense.

There are elements of predictability in this book that don't discredit it but ... it also doesn't make it any better. As the plot unravels you really get a feel for this idea of unreliability. Like the main narrators held up mirrors: the ideal vs. the actual. Ultimately sometimes you don't even know the people closest to you which makes this book a lot more haunting than on first pass.

There are a lot of interesting things that talk about gender relations. This ties together nicely with the ideal vs. the actual: some people want you to be a certain way and you want to be that way if it pleases people (being the "cool girl" or the "caring man"). Saying more will reveal too much but this adds to the weightiness of the book.

It's ... good. It is. Very much so, but the last twenty or so pages kind of made me want to drop that star. Don't let that dissuade you, though. It's a worthwhile read, I think. I need to lay down.

This is a rigorous insight into the life of a very interesting writer. Max did well to shine some light on DFW, a subject of my intellectual infatuation as of late. Where he made literary analyses it fell a little flat but, as a fellow reviewer has said, because the subject matter is so interesting, you can learn to get over it.

My name is Hemingway. I am a Man. I like alcohol. I like women. I like writing. I like being direct. Sometimes I write very long running sentences that go against my otherwise terse style so it's a little distracting and sometimes it's hard to follow, but trust me my writing and insight can be good. I love F. Scott Fitzgerald. We drink a lot. Sometimes we drink at night. Other times he drinks in the day. That worries me. This book is okay. I hope my fiction writing is better.

This is a very good look into a very significant and controversial figure, written with some sharp prose and dry wit. As a biography, in terms of how it discusses its subject, it succeeds in painting a complex image of an often misunderstood man. While it's showing Marx's more favourable aspects than some other critics, I really appreciate Wheen's commitment to painting a full picture: he never shies from some of Marx's great vices which range from darkly funny to outright awful at points.

I should point out that this is not a book for a beginner on Marx readers. There are a lot of assumptions on behalf of the reader's knowledge of Marx's works. I suppose that might be natural, though (the ones who would be reading this would have some insight into his work). My major gripe is that Wheen did not translate the German titles, for the most part. Some simple brackets of what they meant would be good, especially when he directly references them. Another thing is Wheen's willingness to move about in time with the facts of his life, often introducing figures and then moving back and forth in time. I did find that a little jarring, though am ready to admit that it might be the fault of the reader not paying close enough attention.

I am done. I have finished.

What did I think? I find myself fairly weary by the end.

This is such a mixed book it's hard for me to order my thoughts. When this book is good, it's really good. Like, seriously. So very good. When it's not. It's not ... awful but it's not as interesting.

The Bad

Mal: I'm so sorry Ms. Bardugo, but hot damn do I not like Mal. I don't dislike the guy, per se, but I'm not as intrigued by him as say someone like Nikolai.

Spoiler

Also, his being the last amplifier. I have mixed, ineffable feelings. I felt that if he were to die, he should have stayed dead. I think that would have made for some more powerful reading. Alina gave up everything: her powers, and her love's life for the future. Then she fades into obscurity alone, having being triumphant but significantly changed. I respect authorial autonomy, but I think it was a little safe. But that's just me. I might just be too demanding.

The ending: Beautifully written, but very safe. There is some real darkness in this book. Really awful things happen that were gripping to follow, so the ending felt strange and a little incongruous. To be honest, despite its safety, there was a lovely bit of the ending where you see that despite there being happiness, there's something of the darkness that is left within the people most affected. I thought that was neat: the very clear signs of change in them.

The side characters: I don't ... actually remember who was who. Zoya, Genya, David. The twins, Tolya and Tamar (though I always think that Tolya is the girl. Probably because of the name ending. Anywho). Fine. Crystal clear on them, but Adrik and Harshaw? Stigg? And many of the others ... I did not care for, sadly. I don't know if it was because they were poorly fleshed out or because I read it with too many breaks. If I could spend a minute honing in on Zoya, I'd like to say that I was a bit disappointed that there was a lack of character development for her there as well. I could nitpick further but I've said more than enough.

The Good

The opening: Navigating a position of weakness and turning it into strength? I thought the beginning was a blast, right the way up to the Nikolai reunion before its middle suffered a bit.

The twists: For the most part, the twists were super solid. Lots of genuine surprises in this book which actually had me calling out in glee.

The magic: Simple, easy to follow, and used very creatively. Easily one the best things about this book. Not much more that needs to be said.

The Darkling: A lot of people disliked the Darkling in this book but

Spoiler

I feel like with someone like him you have to make a choice. You either make a redemption arc for him or you show his truly twisted nature and accelerate it. Many hundreds of years of darkness will twist someone. Bardugo chose the latter option of showing his villain gambit, eschewing his previously anti-villainous goals for full-scale terror and Darkness. Either one would be bittersweet. I liked it, in a cruel way. The fact Bardugo was bold to twist a character like that, one of great torment. I did feel his death was a little easy, considering how impervious he was before but I shan't complain as we all must find an end.

Morozova's backstory: Hoo-boy. Just when I thought I couldn't be surprised. Excellent bit of the book.

"I know metal" David and Genya: Intensely moving scene. Great stuff. I remember continuing and having to flip back. Many feels were had.


So overall this series has left me exhausted, but oddly satisfied. I'm excited where her future books will take her.

Things to consider:

This isn't praise/criticism exactly, so I added this as an addendum but I'd love to know more about the mystical creatures of the world. The wildlife is fairly regular but they stick out. Not the least because of their properties. Like, how did they come about and how they survive. Something like the sea whip surely should have been spotted before? I wish there was more on them fitting into the world as opposed to them being in places designed for Plot. I loved them all though.

This is a great overview of the key issues in Personal Identity. Kind's writing is crisp, presenting the core arguments and ideas and in an easy-to-follow way. Having studied philosophy for half a decade, I can't vouch for this ease of reading for non-philosophically trained people but I imagine the level of understanding to be about the same: it's never too technical. What's also useful is the further reading. Because this works as more of an overview it never deeply explores the issues but the book does a great job of directing the reader to go further and explore more deeply. Recommended for anyone who wants to know more about PI.