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86
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| B09W1YP556
| unknown
| 4.36
| 44
| unknown
| Sep 20, 2022
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it was ok
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**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, theref
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on the self-mutilation of a minor, absent parental figure, financial insecurity, a minor’s inappropriate encounter with an adult, & others. Agatha Anxious is introduced to the reader on the eve of her 13th birthday; a nervous girl who expresses herself in a gloomy fashion, preferring to spend time amongst the cold tombstones of the local cemetery rather than with other children her age. Yet, on the eve of her teenage birthday, Agatha is gifted her first ghost. As a Perceiver, she is introduced to the mysteriously intertwined realities of the living & the dead. The adventure that takes Agatha far from home in the middle of the night will require her to form a bond with Leopold Panic as they manoeuvre through the grasps of unpleasant apparitions whose sole intent is to hold them back from freeing the souls of the unheard entities that wander the earth. This is a book that is for children & that is why I will be highlighting why I included some of the content warnings that were listed at the beginning of this review. Firstly, Agatha is someone who exhibits high levels of anxiety which reveal themselves through her ripping her own skin from her fingers to the point in which she bleeds. McDowell saw fit to include this facet of Agatha’s character in the book as an indicator that she is a Perceiver, as all Perceivers have nervous habits—Leopold folds his hair, Dorian Doom sways on his feet—-which is not necessarily, in & of itself, a negative aspect. It is often beneficial for children to see themselves reflected within plots so as to gather strength alongside the characters. Many children exhibit behavioural tendencies that see them performing actions that result in negative consequences on their own bodies. Picking at the skin on one's fingers is a very common practice amongst anxiety-ridden children. Yet, to continuously describe the peeling of flesh & bleeding of body members in such a casual way moves this book into a category that is not necessarily for younger audiences. I believe that the inclusion of such behaviour could be brought forward in a way that does not necessarily hold the gore of the entire novel in a few sentences. Reading about Agatha peeling skin from her hands during bouts of heightened anxiety makes me feel very sad for her given that no one around her seems to know how to approach this behaviour appropriately. Her Aunt Hattie tells her she will never move past mutilating herself because that is part of being a Perceiver. In this same breath, we read about the character of Lucius Nikolai who is described as being over 200 years old & cuts Agatha’s fingers with his nails & then places her fingers in his mouth, sucking the blood from her hand. I appreciate that this character was meant to represent a vampiric entity of sorts but the descriptors of such a character were done with great subtlety & without verbal indicators to differentiate him from any of the others. Therefore, reading about young Agatha sitting alone in his home whilst he sucks on her fingers made me greatly uncomfortable. I can imagine that a young reader might be led to wonder at what Lucious Nikolai was—how can a person live for 200 years? Had McDowell crafted this character in a more distinguished fashion we might see him represented as the ghoulish fiend of the monster world rather than represented as an elderly man who performs gross actions as ‘payment’ for information. The plot of this book holds much intrigue & having been a young person who devoured books of all kinds, once upon a time, I can appreciate that there is a multitude of readers making their way into the literary world. However, this book fails at identifying a reader. This is not to say that books should necessarily be restricted to us based on our ages but, there are subject matters that will be explored more tenderly for younger readers so as to introduce them kindly; opening the door to discussions & information. Much of the dialogue utilized in this book felt overly mature for someone who would be around Agatha’s age (13) yet, we often saw this character acting in a variety of polarizing ways which led me to question who this book was for. Agatha is written as being a very meek & mild young girl. She knows what she enjoys but she is going through life without much parental guidance given that both her parents work long hours to provide the basics of life care to Agatha & when they are home they are all but distracted, often keeping behind the closed door to their bedroom. Having grown up in the 90s I recognize that much literature of the time saw fit to have the parents neglect their children or behave in ways which saw them express exasperation with their presence. What year does this story take place? It would make sense for young Agatha to be wandering around at all hours of the night & day if this story took place during a period in time when her parents didn’t feel the need to worry about the other adults in the town, or those rolling through. There are no set features within the book to highlight when this story is taking place which leads to many of Agatha’s actions feeling a bit disjointed. Her family refers to ‘the War’ in which Uncle Tim was killed & within the cemetery we see the young protagonists clearly reading plates from 1914. Aunt Hattie has an old TV but we don’t know if Agatha is watching movies on a VHS or a DVD. We don’t know which War Uncle Tim was killed in & we don’t have any set ages for any of the adults in the book to gauge when the story is taking place. All we know for sure is that Lucius Nikolai started his job as an Undertaker in 1899 & he is presently over 200 years old. When I say that this facet of the story leaves the dialogue & character actions feeling disjointed it is because much of what happens relies on a timeline. The spirit of Blanche Caillavet has been waiting for Aunt Hattie for 40 years yet we know she was alive & well in 1938. How long ago did this character die? How long has she been roaming the earth? If the characters who were alive in the past (Blanche & Lucius) are still roaming around now, their dialogue should be altered to create a set distinction between them & the characters who are born in the current Century. Given this book is directly targeting a younger audience, it would be beneficial for the story to include vernacular which saw the characters date themselves, so to speak. For example, the dialogue between Aunt Hattie & Agatha takes on a Southern twang when they are speaking intimately. This is a good way for the reader to understand that Aunt Hattie has lived in the South for a while & is leading Agatha through ‘proper’ Southern talk—even if it’s not necessarily the case, the change in tone adds dimension to the story. Some reworking in the book will help ease the flow of the story so that Agatha’s character comes across as fully developed. There were often times when I was a bit confused about her behaviour. She is very quick to sacrifice her friends to fulfill her desires—ripping the library book apart without communicating with Leopold, whom she keeps in the dark at all times. A person can be contradictory in their behaviours, inner dialogue & desires, I understand this to be true. However, Agatha reads as very sensitive & introverted & then will do a full 180 & be rude & cruel to other people for no reason at all. Is she meant to come across as confident or threatened by other people? She speaks about how she feels pride in being the ‘bravest’ person in her friend group, totally disregarding the fact that Leopold bends over backward to accompany her everywhere & ensures she gets out of places safe & unharmed. In this same breath, a bit of editing will sew shut the little holes that popped up along the way of this book. For example: - Aunt Hattie tells Agatha that her father has the money to buy a new house but we are told that they are very poor. - We are told that Macbeth sleeps beside Agatha’s bed & then see her tell the reader that his sleeping spot is on the sofa. - Agatha is shocked that Leopold can see Lucious, assuming he is a ghost, but the man has been sustaining an Undertaker’s role in the town for years on end so everyone would assumedly be able to see him. - Agatha has a birthday cake with Aunt Hattie at her house on the eve of her 13th birthday but she doesn’t have any celebration at her house with either of her parents. This event is skipped over completely, save for it being mentioned by her teacher. I can appreciate that it does seem I have many structural critiques for a book whose target audience I am not, however, a good book is, a good book. Everyone deserves the chance to read a story that is well-crafted. The author of this book recognizes that their audience is very smart & willing to go the extra mile to solve a supernatural mystery, entwining history & lore, as evidenced in their writing style & the plot. Every reader should feel cherished & producing edits to an otherwise enthusiastic read will reinforce the sentiment to those of all ages. When all is said & done I feel confident that this book could be remembered amongst the greats. Thank you to NetGalley, Crumblebee Books & RJ McDowell for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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May 10, 2022
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May 10, 2022
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Kindle Edition
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83
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| 1632173182
| 9781632173188
| 1632173182
| 4.36
| 265
| unknown
| Sep 27, 2022
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really liked it
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Nancy is a young girl who loves to read—a delightful activity—but the children at her school seem to find the habit crude & boring; teasing her whenev
Nancy is a young girl who loves to read—a delightful activity—but the children at her school seem to find the habit crude & boring; teasing her whenever they see her carrying books, or lost within the pages of a story. I cannot say that I ever encountered such treatment alongside my love of reading but I can certainly appreciate delving head-first into the complexities of a story told safely within the pages of a book. What makes this book so lovely is the journey, as found in all good books. Nancy is trying to find her place in the world & when you are growing, confronting adversity for the things you enjoy, & worrying about a place all your own; the uphill climb can feel very steep. As we move through this story we come to find the gentle presence of librarians who notice Nancy & help cultivate her adoration of books as well as strengthen her self-esteem. Deep in my heart, I send out gratitude for the adults in my life who encouraged me to read; who saw me develop critical thinking, logistically rooted perspectives & the desire to relinquish all my inhibitions while meandering a plot. Reading is a very special activity & one I feel thankful to be able to participate in. Should it be due to financial instability, geographic scarcity or physical setbacks, many children are unable to access the innumerable stories that line the shelves of human history. It is important, valuable & wonderful when we meet someone along the way who can cushion us from the harsh realities of the world, even if only for an instant. Within books we might find ourselves or our friends, sometimes we learn a bit about the people we don’t understand too. Ultimately, stories enhance the human experience. The illustrations in this book bring me a feeling of quaint nostalgia for those children’s books I read as a kid. Gifting young readers stories wherein they can see parts of themselves is a precious act they won’t soon forget & I am touched to know that the real-life Nancy forged a path for other young readers who might have lost their way in the great wide world. Thank you to NetGalley, Sasquatch Books, Little Bigfoot & Karen Henry Clark for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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May 03, 2022
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May 03, 2022
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Hardcover
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81
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| B09JVHDJ2M
| 3.97
| 5,123
| Jul 19, 2022
| Jul 19, 2022
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it was amazing
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**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, theref
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on suicide, self-harm, grooming, alcoholism, sexual abuse against a minor, graphic physical abuse against a minor, parental neglect, psychological distress, parental abuse, racially motivated crime, graphic animal cruelty, death of an animal, abuse of a person with developmental delays, murder of a child, & others. When I was young I learnt that with the right imagery, scenery & trust, a person could be led into a minefield of fear. It didn’t matter what was being told or what was happening, per se, but rather the malleability of the mind to be encouraged to linger on the event. I cannot call to mind the first time I watched “We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story” (1993) but the character of Professor Screweyes has stayed with me well into adulthood. Watching ‘Professor Screweyes’ Eccentric Circus roll onto the screen clicked with some part of my brain that longed for me to feel intrigued & repulsed by the man with the screws for eyes who lured children into his Eccentric Circus; feeding off their plights from the Fright Radio until it became apparent that he was emboldened by the aspects of a person’s entity that are seldom able to be controlled. Time has distanced me from the first impressions I held of Professor Screweyes; I have come to know that the world is full of people who linger outside the confines of ‘good’ whether or not their end goal is to divert attention from their own terror, such as it was for the Professor. Yet, with all the years between me & my first viewing of the film, I refuse to shake the imagery that the movie has embedded in my mind. I understood that even if this movie presented me with the absurd—a professor who fed Brain Drain cereal to revert fun-loving Rex & his palls back into prehistoric beasts—the intention behind Professor Screweyes’ actions was a real facet within my reality. Children had been lured from safety into the clutches of people who might as well have had screws for eyes, so little was there behind the iris’. I credit this 1993 movie with gifting me the ability to discern terror in the absurd; fear in the monstrously outlandish; & the comprehension that a distinctly crafted image can settle, mould & infect the recess’ of the mind for life. It is with the vivid recollection of Professor Screweyes, wandering within my mind, that I began reading this most recent work by Malfi. In West Virginia, Black Mouth resides in something of a concavity within the land. Sucking the inhabitants dry of their will to bloom within their own lives & instead filling their hearts with tar; sedating them into positions of vulnerability poured forth from wicked tales of ghosts walking the earth; actioning despair through the limbs of guardian figure-heads wandering the corridors in broad daylight. This is where the heart of Jamie Warren’s issue lies. The main character of this book, Jamie, is a man well into his thirties who is narrating this story to the reader from a moment in the future; reflecting on his emotions as one might when one is faced with the bulk of everything that holds one back. From the introductory parts of this book until the end, Jamie presents a clear & honest narration; expressing every detail in a blunt, weighted fashion that leads the reader to discern that what haunts Jamie the most is everything unsaid. Jamie suffers from alcoholism that is sustained by the traumatic experiences he suffered throughout his childhood & which he has never been in a position to confront. I do not blame him for this. Each of the characters in this book might be read as presenting aspects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). By this I mean, that Jaimie, Dennis, Clay, Mia & Wayne are characters whose personalities, actions & decisions are driven forward by markers of what one might clock as being the consequences of trauma on the mind of a child. Though it would be accurate to state that the after-effects of a traumatic event play out in very different ways for every person affected, I regard Malfi very highly for being able to write characters who very much resemble me or you in that they are not simply the horrific events that they experienced but, entire human beings that live in a world that is real. I have seldom come across an author who was able to present the weight of actual horror without necessitating a minute recounting of everything that could go wrong in the chemical makeup of the brain, that influences a person to act in a certain way. A traumatic experience is one that has the power to overthrow the person you have hoped to become. Living through traumatic experiences as a child changes the world; it strips away any semblance of safety & revolts within the body repeatedly over the years until such a time as you are faced with yourself & wonder why things happened as they did. None of it ever seems fair & speaking that into existence seems pitiful because, of course, it wasn’t fair but outside yourself & the shadowy haunts of actions performed beyond your control, no one can possibly grasp the weight of what it means to be afraid in your own home. There is great praise to be given to Malfi in that he was able to present the reader with a cast of characters who were incredibly well-developed, solid, entities in this realm. One might make a case study of each of the characters; discerning how each of their choices throughout life shed light on the results of their morbid experiences in childhood. For example, Clay became a social worker, one who seeks out children who are experiencing horrific abuse & attempts to give them a helping hand—one he admits to never having been given himself. Another example can be found in Mia who maintains an obsession with the morose to the point of wanting to have imagery of ‘spooky’ beings tattooed on her body. This obsession can be noted as initially developed after she was given a graphic retelling of the events which saw her parents decapitated in an automobile accident. When I started this review I sought to highlight that horror does not need to be presented as the masked man looming the street with a knife while a babysitter makes popcorn. Nor does it need to be Professor Screweyes’ murder of crows eating him alive at the end of an animated movie. What is scary about both of those scenes lies in their presence in reality. Just as the screw-eyed cartoon man wanders in my mind so too did The Illustrated Man seep into the forefront when we are introduced to The Magician in this book. I cannot say for certain if Malfi sought to pay homage to Ray Bradbury’s “Something Wicked This Way Comes” (1962) or if I drew the parallels myself out of wishful & appreciative thinking. However, Bradbury’s ‘The Illustrated Man’ resembles Malfi’s ‘The Magician’ in ample ways, one might even be led to feel that these two dangerous figures are one & the same; a nightmare that seeks out the joyful trust of children. As the mind-numbingly swift writing drew me into this story, revoking my need to reside on the sidelines as I saw myself approaching sentiments that I have held as desolated as the characters, I began to feel my heartbeat mounting in my ears as the dirty, fleshly figure of The Magician appeared to us in the darkened barn of Jamie Warren’s childhood home. I find it most difficult to read books that involve child abuse because it leaves me in the impossibility of trying to stop what I, inevitably, know is going to happen. This is where Malfi’s superb writing comes into play. As I read, begrudgingly turning the pages of the book in molten anticipation of what I knew would happen when Jamie saw The Magician, Malfi saw fit to leave me hanging. The stress, anxiety & worry, that I had building remained peaked as the scene passed by with The Magician giving Jamie a blank playing card, & nothing else. I read on knowing that at any moment I would be brought to the precipice of what my emotions had been preparing me for; setting a cushioning in my brain for the terrible things I knew I would have to read. Yet, that moment never came. Instead, I was left feeling succumbed with heated worry for the children page after page, until the book drew to a close & I realized that the symbolism of everything that happened would play out in my mind for as long as Professor Screweyes had been wandering the periphery. Malfi did not write a book that leaves the reader to contemplate everything that might have happened—those things did happen. He did not write antagonists who wandered in the dark never to seek out the light—those characters sauntered the streets as any normal person might. Everything that Malfi wrote was intended & valuable. Even if you are a reader who does not want to acknowledge or seek out the undercurrent of themes, truth & actions, performed in a magic trick fashion—disillusioning yourself that the fire was the worst of it—Malfi grants your mind permission, almost sickeningly so, to absorb the words & have them play out in a mirage when you least expect it. With all my heart, I found myself adoring this book. I would love to say that this is a feeling I encounter regularly but, it is not. I am seldom one who is able to look past aspects of a story that do not make sense & within this book, there were few if not any. I will say that I found myself a bit annoyed—rather irrationally upset—that Dennis died. This is a character who somewhat carried the weight of the narrative by saying nothing at all, yet all of Jamie’s drive to be a better person, a brave person, resides in the being of Dennis Warren. I have no professional weight to back my comments regarding Dennis & I would like to highlight that here as well. Malfi’s inclusion of an array of characters never read as tokenism; everyone was positioned within the plot because, just as in life, there are people of all sorts. I never felt that the inclusion of Dennis, a character who had developmental delays, was in an effort to play this character off as being a brilliant but uncommunicative genius who saw past the ploy of The Magician. Rather, Dennis read as a person you might meet in your life & as someone who followed their older brother to the woods to play with his friends. A single read of this book will not be enough for me to comment on every aspect of the story. I find myself at a loss to communicate why Dennis’ death leaves me feeling cheated but then, I ask myself how his character's display of PSTD plays within the story. Should I discern that The Magician having been trapped in Dennis’ turtle shell means that Dennis internalized the evil that he could not name & it drove him away from this world—in whatever metaphorical way this might mean? Should I conclude that Dennis & Jamie’s relationship saw them play off each other’s strengths until they were both unable to grasp enough courage to face the demons of their lives? Could this be read as meaning that the weight of internalized, chemically altering, trauma can remove a person from this life? I’m sure there are many interpretations of this event yet, I remain irritated that Dennis died. Wayne Lee Stull—the serial murderer & victim of The Magician—plays such a seemingly minute role in this book that it is easy to villainize his participation in the plot. Yet, with prose that seeps through the pages & riddles the senses with the flourish of nostalgia, the reader remembers that everyone started out as a child who looked upon a guardian in the hopes of love, safety & comfort. How quickly life can change when we are tormented at the hands of people who brought us here; people who have accepted us into their homes; people that are supposed to protect us. I cannot speak to the experiences of all people & certainly, will never pretend to nor can I confidently say that everyone began at the same starting point in life—this would be ignorant—However, what I can say is that Malfi welcomes the possibility of reflection & divergence on all accounts. It is important for me to read a book that challenges me. I can certainly appreciate a straightforward narrative that sees the moral of the story as simple to understand. However, I prefer to trudge through the plot & feel uncertain at the end of a book. I want to be left to sit with myself & allow my mind to wander past every word, replaying every scene; I want to be pensive, reflective & uncomfortable. By writing a story that leads a reader through generational trauma with characters who are very real, fully developed, & strong, Malfi encourages the reader to fly through this book without a qualm. He settles the reader within the community & allows them to grasp hold of this place could be their hometown too. What, in fact, differentiates the fictional from the non-fictional? I am left feeling incomparably thankful. A well-written book is something that I treasure to the core. Books have held a special place for me when nowhere else did. Here I remain, steadfast, searching for the stories that wedge their way between the unfathomable & the tangible human experience. Thank you to Edelweiss+, Titan Books & Ronald Malfi for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Apr 29, 2022
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Apr 29, 2022
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Kindle Edition
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80
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| 1419754580
| 9781419754586
| 1419754580
| 4.36
| 213
| unknown
| Oct 04, 2022
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it was amazing
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Klepetan & Marlena are storks that found themselves enjoying every moment they spent together, sleeping or awake. They shared adventures, jokes, & swe
Klepetan & Marlena are storks that found themselves enjoying every moment they spent together, sleeping or awake. They shared adventures, jokes, & sweet bedtime stories in the company of one another; leading them to feel comfort & safety particular to their friendship. One day, after being injured, Marlena cannot make the migration journey from Croatia to South Africa & the pair is faced with the difficult decision; to remain together or accept that time apart can still be considered time with each other. The illustrations by Charles Santoso encompassed the environment in resplendent colours & scenery, all of which allowed me to smoothly feel that I was peeking into the lives of Klepetan & Marlena. The story that Caron Levis tells is beautiful & leaves me feeling very moved by the subject matter & their approach made towards broaching the topic for young audiences. A great many adults will admit, whether to themselves or to others, that spending time apart from someone you love is no easy feat. In adulthood, we are presented with many forks in our roads that lead us every which way & the difficulty in maintaining intimate relationships as well as friendships is something we must come to terms with, often with little comfort or hope that things might work out. Levis has introduced the young reader to this experience without intertwining adult fears. Suffice it to say that anyone can miss another, yet even with the distance, we can remain loving & hope for the best both for ourselves & the other person. When Marlena is forced to say goodbye to Klepetan as he flies to South Africa, I recognized in myself the feeling of dread that she experienced. There have been many a time that, though I would have wanted the parting note to simply be a transition until we met again; I knew that goodbye meant forever. We never truly know what the future holds but, I appreciated how Levis lead the reader through some of the worries that both birds felt. Is it ok to feel happy when the person we usually shared our joy with wasn’t present? Is it wrong to feel sad about circumstances that we cannot change? This is an important story to tell, to everyone, but, especially to young readers. As I said, much of adulthood sees people presented with circumstances that lead them in different directions to the ones they love & one has to learn, often on their toes, how to manoeuvre these changes. It’s important to broach the topic of distance in a way that sees us able to feel glad that we had moments of comfort, safety, joy & pleasure with another person & to keep those feelings in mind when life leads us down different paths. Many children will see their parents &/or guardians need to be away for work, take holidays, go see friends or simply need space for themselves. It is important & valuable to explain to young readers that space & distance do not equate to negative things. When we approach these topics in such a way as Levis has done we allow children to feel safe. Reminding them that even if their guardian wants to watch a movie alone, this does not mean that they are not loved. Just because someone needs to go on a work trip does not mean that they are never coming back. Lest we forget that family immigrate, they move house; some people are separated by those they love because of horrific events & sometimes death. It is always OK to encourage someone to hold on to love. Life can be very overwhelming & we do well to remember how grand the world does seem to those who are still growing. Thank you to Edelweiss+, Abrams Books for Young Readers & Caron Levis for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Apr 26, 2022
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Apr 26, 2022
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Hardcover
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98
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| 1939905222
| B01FZSCUKO
| 3.91
| 29,035
| Jun 30, 2016
| Jun 30, 2016
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liked it
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**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, theref
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on terminal illness, grief, substance abuse, death of a child, animal cruelty, suicide, & others. I have finished reading a book I cannot wrap my mind around. I could not picture the methuselah of Der Fischer nor could I begin to imagine a beast as colossal as the Leviathan. Yet, in all this what I couldn’t wrap my mind around, to the extent it drew me out of the story, was the point. Why would a man seek out a creature of biblical standing with the purpose of taking control of its powers? What powers does the Leviathan have? Granted, I read this book while sick in bed so, there is a chance that the obvious was clearly stated & I was too congested to breathe in its fumes. Regardless, I found myself reading this book & truly adoring the writing style but not being able to grasp the purpose behind any of the actions undertaken & therefore, I must ask myself why. Abraham (“Abe”) Samuelson recounts the events that took place over a decade prior to his most recent encounter with the Vertebrata incarnation of a friend he saw eaten alive. Though this book is under 300 pages I was shocked to find myself reading it as though it were a bulking epic that transcended the median length. Truthfully, I do not even know where to begin. I suppose Part 1 is as good a place as any. In the beginning, this book drew my interest & adoration immediately. Langan’s writing felt ideal for transmitting the personality of the narrator, Abe, as he sat on his lonesome to tell us a cautionary tale. There was no moment that I felt conflicted about my appreciation of the writing style nor did I question who our main character was as an individual entity and a thriving member of his society. Abe speaks to the reader in a written format that is similar to dialects adopted through speech. I acknowledge that this style is very often difficult to master without the writing appearing choppy & slanted, given the frequency at which people switch topics & tones whilst speaking. However, Abe’s writing was earnest & calming. He wrote to the reader as a friend & it was easy to trust him. I suppose this can be the attributing factor for which I found myself immediately enthralled in this book. I trusted the words of the writer; Abe wasn’t obstructive or imposing, he wasn’t a daunting figure I needed to understand. He was simply a man who wanted to share his experiences in the only way he knew how. There is something to be said for the calm brought on by encountering a main character who is so settled in themselves; both honest & tender towards their own actions & feelings; it is charming. Throughout all of this, I felt an emotional pull toward his person as I wanted to see him vindicated however, this feeling did not last. When Abe begins fishing with Dan, a co-worker at IBM, they exchange very few words. Both men have experienced tremendous loss & are working through the grieving stages differently. There is something to be said about the way that Langan wrote about grief. It was eminently present while I felt it to be simultaneously out of my reach. The experiences of the characters were close enough for me to comprehend as being their lived realities without being able to grasp them as my own feelings. Rather than feel that Langan held back on his descriptions & depth, I believe this to be a most powerful way of writing about such a behemoth of emotions. For truly who can reach you when you are down. Grief is something many of us might have encountered in one form or another & yet it remains difficult to link together planks of wood to cross the bridge of sorrow that buoys us between monstrous white water waves. By writing about Dan & Abe’s experiences in such a way as to allow the reader to feel aware while not privy to their inner thoughts & emotions, Langan kept the divide just enough out of reach for their grief to be tangible & authentic. While working to keep the reader distanced from the characters, Langan also kept the characters from truly connecting to each other. Out of all the moments Abe spent with Dan the final moments they shared together is the one that has the most impact on their friendship. While Part 1 delves into setting the scene & encouraging the reader to trust Abe & the setting that is being presented. Part 2 incorporates lesions of lore & dread into the story, both of which, I am sorry to say, left me feeling confused. I attribute these feelings to my ongoing sickness which is very much at the forefront of my mind as not a moment goes by without being reminded of the blockage in my sinus & the raw experience of unawareness in my throat; however, so much of what transpired in the second part of this book felt that it would have been more worthy of a reader who understood some of the historical significance the author was attempting to incorporate. I have not studied the Bible nor much of the religions that circulate such texts. I cannot draw to mind the engineering blueprints that would be required to build a Reservoir, nor could I understand what it would be like to see a dead person walking around town in the same body they were trampled to death in. All of which severely disjointed my appreciation of the narrative. I continued to feel that had I held a further understanding of the significance of the Leviathan, I might have appreciated & understood why Der Fischer went out of his way to spend centuries trying to capture it. Yet, for all the wonderful prose that Langan does include, my sick-ridden logical brain could not comprehend how a man could fish a biblical beast. Certainly, the realm of magic that circulated this character impacted his earthly abilities but, therein again I found myself at a loss to fully grasp the weight of what was being presented to me. Did everyone know that magic existed? How does one casually come upon a society of magicians? Would not anyone prior to Rainer think to want to stop Der Fischer? What was the purpose of being a guest within Cornelius Dort’s house? How did he come to know that he could count on Cornelius to use his house? We come to know that the Dort residence is the connected area where the setting ‘behind the mask’ might be accessed from ‘reality’ however no information is given to the reader for us to discern how this knowledge came about. Cornelius was an angry, abusive, bully of a man. The little we come to know about him is not enough to garner reasonable deductions as to why he would have welcomed this stranger into his home & why he would have been so blatantly opposed to the Reservoir. What is the connection? Given that when the Reservoir is built, the link between the two worlds seems to flow freely—freer than it did prior—so if Cornelius is in cahoots with Der Fischer, why would he oppose something that would ease the transition that Der Fischer was trying to obtain? You may garner that Part 2 left me with ample questions & you would be correct. I could not find it in myself to understand how an entire town of people would be fine with seeing a zombie walking in their midst, attacking people & causing them to commit violent acts against others & themselves. What part of their society had them so certain that this was a probability? Helen returns from the dead yet no one is shocked, they all wander around talking amongst themselves that there is a dead woman walking among them & that is the end of that. How does that make sense? I felt that there was a significant part of this entry that I was missing. Why would Rainer be blamed for Wilhelm’s death when it was Wilhelm who chose to ignore protocol? Why would the society not see that Wilhelm was self-serving? Why would this event influence his career in any way given that the society was secret? How would the University have come to know that Rainer was being accused of an accessory murder, for someone who died of no apparent physical wounds—not counting the grey creases that formed on his skin. What did the white light on Rainer’s face signify? Though the scenes wherein Reiner confronts Der Fischer is intended to cause fear & worry, they were lost on me due to the simplicity with which everything transpired. Of course, this book would go nowhere if Lottie had not survived to tell Reverend Maple the story of her Father & the men that trapped Der Fischer. However, these men confronted an alleged wizard of decades who had been fishing a literal Goliath of a beast, on his own, how did they think they stood any chance at succeeding in their quest? What did Rainer find in the books that gave him enough stamina to confront a person who was a senior in the field? How did the capturing of souls help Der Fischer in capturing the Leviathan? What happened to those who made deals with him to see their departed family members? What are the logistics of making a deal with such a man? I found myself with little to no tangible understanding of what was going on & as someone who necessitates at least a bit of information to be able to participate in the make-believe world, I was disappointed about how little was given to the reader in this case. I will say that I appreciated how the author introduced recounting an old story through another & a friend of a friend, this style worked really well in this context. Langan did not dwell on anything for a particularly long period of time, which I appreciated, yet this also resulted in my finishing Part 2 wondering why any of what transpired wasn’t questioned, was happening & what impact it had on the world at large, who did not believe or know about these events. In the final part of this book, I found myself glad that I was nearing the end. The writing was the sole aspect of this story to leave an impression on me & now, upon trying to find the energy to write a review, I struggle to highlight anything in particular that rendered this story incredible. I appreciated the vivid descriptions & haunting portrayals of grief. It was terribly sad to see Dan be consumed by the beasts that portrayed themselves as members of his family to entrap him in the magician’s world. I appreciated the connection that Langan drew between all the events. Yet, just as Abe asked himself what the point was of the story that Howard told him, so too do I ask myself this same question toward Langan’s book. At first glance, it is obvious to say that the parallels between grief & extreme physical exertions performed by ghouls are the tangible purpose of this story. If one removed all the goblin-like figures one would still have a Horror, albeit one that plagues the reader with the emphasis on its subjects’ experience in reality. Unfortunately, the lore left much to be desired. I do not particularly mind an ambiguous ending or even being privy to events that leave me with questions. However, the extent to which I was left with little information & then thrust into a new set of action sequences left me with little desire to want to understand. When all is said & done, I enjoyed this book. It was absurd & bizarre & in so many ways, transcribed as a perfectly sensible series of events. Could I understand why Abe would have sex with someone he knew died years ago? No. I was not surprised when Marie’s apparition was in fact an amphibian of some horrific sort. The logistics of procreating with this being leave me with further questions about the biological probabilities of this but, I will set those aside. Suffice it to say I was blown away that Abe would fornicate with his dead wife while she had fish eyes. If you are looking to read a puzzling story about magicians & lore, this is as good a book as any. I feel inclined to believe that I might revisit this at a future date when I am in good health so that I might compare my analysis of the work with clear sinuses, a bushy tail, & bright eyes & clearness of thought to link the painting in the diner to the one that saw the artist commit suicide, so haunting was the subject matter. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Jun 23, 2022
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Apr 18, 2022
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Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||
82
| 
| B005IP513I
| 4.20
| 740,192
| 1962
| Aug 23, 2011
|
liked it
|
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, theref
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on suicide, body mutilation, self-harm, derogatory terminology, abuse aimed at people exhibiting &/or displaying criteria of mental illnesses & mental disorders, sexual deviancy, psychological distress, rape of a minor, sexual proclivity of a minor, graphic physical abuse, & others. I was never one to take literary discussions in school for granted. Now that I am no longer in class, no longer forced to sit amongst peers who view, interpret & understand different aspects of a story, I find myself longing for the teachers who would encourage us to have discussions regarding a book deemed a Classic. During these discussions, we would be allowed to question the validity of deeming a book something powerful & life-changing. I find myself wondering why this book is as highly regarded as it is & after having read many articles detailing critiques & studies about the subject matter at hand, I am left feeling no more positively towards the story than I did before. I had no prior knowledge of the plot of this book before I started reading it. I had seen the movie poster & knew enough that the film was an adaptation of a book but, this was one of the few cases wherein I was able to read a Classic without holding any prior knowledge as to what the book would be exploring, nor had I any guidance as to prepare me to analyze the themes that Kesey wrote. I would like to believe that had I read this book with the guidance of someone who studied the material I might have found more to appreciate within the text. However, where it stands, I find that Kesey’s writing lacked a great deal of depth & completion; inducing the reader to leap from one ideology to another without necessarily linking them to a stable story in which the reader might deduce the weight they carried, jointly within many an individual as well as singularly as social beliefs. Before moving forward with this review I want to highlight that I will not be writing about the employment of racially derogatory terminology within the book. It is no surprise to me, nor would it be to many, that the characters in this book utilized vernacular with the intent to degrade as well as speaking in such a way that is recognized today as being dated. The utilization of terminology did not impact my rating. I do not need to read a book that utilizes current vocabulary to ease my way through a story & when words are included in dialogue with the intent to seek to represent characters fully & authentically, I can appreciate that the inclusion of such terms is not done with the intention to exclude the reader but to render the characters full entities within the plot. That being said, some of the vocabulary felt tedious to work through. I cannot understand why we were sometimes given the names of the assistants ("black boys") & other times we're meant to distinguish them by the pigmentation of their skin. I am aware that this might have been done to render them inert within the plot as a whole & to remain steadfast in their tertiary villainous role in the asylum but, from a reader’s perspective, it was a poor move. Simply classifying the "black boys" by sometimes saying “the least black boy” & then distinguishing another by his stature leaves no continuity within the narrative. Who is Sam? Why is the elder assistant named & physically described only for us to see him so little? Why not simply leave all the assistants as being "black boys" if that is how the author sought the narrator to describe them as being? This brings me to my main qualm in the book & one that leaves me feeling that this entire review is without purpose because truly, what is the point? Why would I wonder about the details that were lacking in a plot that sees me researching rationals confirmed by an author who may or may not have been tossing ideas at a wall & hoping that some of them stuck? What is the point in my writing a long-winded critique of a book that many, blindly, applaud for its narrative about asylums, which thousands of people were being sent to year after year? Can I be left to feel encouraged to review a piece of work that did the bare minimum in terms of exploring the reality of those with mental illness & disorders & physical disabilities when none of the story truly touched on that at all? I found myself questioning the narrative that Kesey chose to explore because he didn’t actually explore it with any diligence. The initial introduction of each of the characters leaves me longing for any specifics then, I wonder, if people were in a mass state of illusion towards the existence of every & any part of this story which granted it the success that it saw. Why should I be left to feel that Nurse Ratched was the antagonist when we see repeated scenes of her sitting in silence or of her being proven correct? What is necessarily singularly evil about a person who (being a woman) had to work against the tide of socially imposed order, to find their place in the working world? Was that the point? Was I meant to feel poorly for everyone in this book without truly having reason to believe that the author intended any of it? Did Kesey know that writing the character of Nurse Ratched might leave a great deal of her behaviour up to interpretation? Would the readers automatically believe her to be the devil incarnate because she was a woman working in a hospital & all her patients were men? Would the readers read into the fact that the women in the book were indeed opposites of every man they encountered so as to render them the polarizing figures that people feared in life? Would the readers, at any point in time, read this book & accept the fact that Nurse Ratched was evil simply because she worked in an industry which saw no one truly cared for & therefore her assumed maternal/feminine entity was annexed by her presence in such a place? The lack of distinguishing factors among all the male characters in this book left me, again, wondering about the intention. Is this book actually a study on the assumed gender roles & victimhood that might be absorbed by the person who refuses to acknowledge the versatility in human roles within their social structure? What rendered Billy so absurdly fearful of his mother? Was it that she was a self-sufficient working woman or was it that she didn’t have time to pander to his self-indulgent vapidness? What renders any of the male characters people one should root for? Which aspects of their personalities were granted to the reader so as to allow us to come to any profound conclusion? If all of the patients viewed themselves as meek, ill & inept who am I to believe otherwise? The discussions surrounding their state of illness (i.e. if they were indeed able or disabled) plays second fiddle to their distress at being led by a woman who worked in the health field during WWII & was able to come out of the horror (seemingly) unfazed whereas many of the patients were veterans who never found any semblance of normalcy in the habitual behaviours they left behind. Kesey never explores the depth of any diagnosis save for McMurphy's. The reader is to deduce that everyone is there because they are off their rockers & the imposition of strict habits & schedules by the hospital staff is evil. Yet, Nurse Ratched puts their presence into very simple terms: they are there because they could not healthily adapt to the requirements of social experiences in the communal world. I do not think that at face value we should read into this statement as confirmation that every man in the asylum should indeed be held against their will & subjected to ‘therapies’. What I do think is that we should read into this sentence as being a very plain indicator that some of the outcries we read about are unfounded & reinforce the belief that these patients would be neglected on the conveyor belt of life. How would the WWI veteran who speaks in riddles & who is speaking to no one in particular, fare in a world that (to this day) sees elders discarded? Who would take the dedicated time to build the self-esteem of the men who felt emasculated by a strong-minded woman? This last example is not to say that I think a person with low self-esteem should be institutionalized but, we are not privy to the details of each patient’s condition. By including this example, I am simply seeking to highlight that we cannot know whom these men are expecting to guide them through a life wherein they believe they are owed everything & see them give nothing. The appearance of McMurphy saw me waiting for his demise from the jump. I find it hard to believe that this seasoned criminal wandered through life totally oblivious to the horrors that were taking place in asylums for years on end, only to request to be put in one. Had he never once, in all his gambling days, come across a person who had a relative, or who themselves, was kept behind the curtain, subjected to torturous practices? Was this not something that was ever talked about? I understand that many ‘obvious’ aspects of our lives are oftentimes not very obvious to us at all. I am also writing this review in the year 2022 & therefore have heard my own parents speak of the horrors of elder ‘care’ homes & asylums that destroyed human beings. I do acknowledge the position I take when I write this & know that by the time the end of my years has drawn to a close, there will have been many a thing that appeared ‘obvious’ that I missed noticing. However, McMurphy is not a simple town boy, he was a literal criminal who moved around using & abusing. I really cannot believe he never once heard a single story about what was happening in those hospitals. With that being said, I think the weight of the realization that he would be kept institutionalized for life was lost on me as a reveal because I already knew that was what would happen when he was transferred from physical labour to the psychiatric ward. I lacked any empathy towards him because the fact that this character was a predatory sexual deviant & abuser did not linger out of centre stage—I was never able to forget it. Perhaps it is because I have known some similarly conniving individuals in my life that I found McMurphy tiresome but, his entire presence in the book droned on. Was there a purpose in him being the embodiment of ‘masculinity’? Certainly. However, at what cost? We read so much about the scars he had on his body so as to deduce that he was a brute—we already knew that the man was jailed for rape & aggression—who cared for no one but himself. Yet, we then had to read onwards of 300 pages about his good behaviour amongst the other patients as though this were a normal conclusion of events. His manipulation of the patients & subsequent encouragement of their demise was painfully obvious to me, so as to leave me wondering when we would get to the actual point. Wherein, again, I am left asking myself: was the point for me to be sitting around waiting for something of substance to happen? Was I meant to find this character absurd? There are aspects of the book that I did appreciate. I did appreciate how Kesey wrote from the perspective of Chief Bromden & that he included titbits of the reality of Indigenous peoples across North America. Given the year of publication, I was a bit surprised that Kesey didn’t delve further into the racially derogatory beliefs & behaviours that people held towards Indigenous peoples, rather the story explores his reality in a very tame fashion. His narration style felt intriguing & relaxed; leading the reader through simple recollections that could be done during a memory exercise or through the retelling of events to a friend. Yet, I didn’t find this as annoying as I might have given the inclusion of delusions & transcendent memories that Bromden experiences in the middle of his narration. Could the pages about the fishing trip have been cut? Definitely. But, I do appreciate the girth with which Kesey put forward everything he had to write. I would like to believe that the author was well-intentioned to write a book that dove headfirst into tangible horror yet, I cannot truly believe that to be the case because the subject matter gleamed so pitifully. McMurphy, being the embodiment of ‘masculinity’, is not faulted for being the villain that he is. Given the period of time in which this book was published & in which the story takes place, I understand that the perspectives of rape & its evils were not so very much viewed as they are now by the majority. Marital rape was not considered as such for many years & we can deduce that McMurphy is quite quickly forgiven for his predatory assault on a minor by his explanations that she was just that way inclined & that he didn’t seek her out. Just as he did when explaining that his sexual experience as a child was at the hands of a girl who was ‘promiscuous’ at the age of nine (9). We can read into that a great deal but, again, the author blows through the information & lands the reader back to the surface-level dialogue; mental hospitals treated people badly. Do I think this story would have carried more weight with a bit of editing towards the dialogue to see the inclusion of character details? Yes. Do I think that these details would have worked towards reinforcing the themes explored in this book? Yes. Would these themes have been viewed with a better lens with the inclusion of detail? I cannot say for certain. I return to my original feelings & thoughts about writing this review—what is the point? I am not seeking to be necessarily accusatory in this review but, I feel disappointed & am weighed down by the reality that none of my questions will be answered. There are ample studies about the subject matter & writing approach for this book & they leave me questioning whether anyone ever truly understood Kesey & his intentions. Was he trying to say that men could be forgiven for their villainy when it was done with the intention of overthrowing a woman (dictator)? Was he seeking to explore the complexity within gender roles & the relationships that we hold between those roles & the complexities of mental illness? Am I correct in viewing all the characters as somewhat antagonistic both to themselves & in the narrative as a whole? Is this a book that is meant to be regarded as revelatory or as something of a spotlight on social commentary? Can I deduce that the absence of mental diagnostics within the patients was intended to lead the reader to deduce that they were there for reasons unsubstantiated by any standards? Is the diagnosis of mental illness & mental disorders a field that resembles that of the plot more closely than we choose to admit? Is the purpose of the location to intone that even a person that is ‘unwell’ can be whole within their being? When Chief Bromden looks in the mirror & isn’t able to recognize himself for the individual that he is & rather, sees his parents represented in his physical features, we peek into the core of the novel. Every single character is at a loss for whom they are meant to be, having lost themselves in one way or another. The mirage of illness, disability, villainy & ploy surrounding their beings disembodies them from the people that they thought they could be. Through fogged lenses, they seek to dislodge themselves from a place where they have become settled. Sometimes we put ourselves in confines & sometimes we wander through the doors seeking comfort hidden to us through struggle & drudgery. In every narrative we interchange ourselves as being the protagonist & antagonist to our own success or demise; every day brings something new, every day a different dialogue to affront. Sitting within ourselves & the voice that guides us might reflect the therapies of accusation & derelict that see us probed into submission against the will that we hold. A memory holds weight as the beginning of an end wherein we question where the invisible road leads. To which we always must ask what purpose is there in travelling anywhere outside of the self. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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May 02, 2022
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Apr 16, 2022
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Kindle Edition
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101
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| 0439568420
| 9780439568425
| 0439568420
| 3.78
| 27,000
| Nov 01, 1992
| Sep 01, 2003
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it was amazing
|
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, theref
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on inappropriate activities of an adult against minors, the disappearance of a minor, & others. Pitts Landing is in fact, the Pitts, or so claim the group of four (4) young friends who find themselves roaming the streets of their town one summer’s day without any idea of what to do with their free time. After listing off what appears to be a diverse list of ideas, most of which cost money that they do not have, the quartet decides to investigate the Coffman House. This abandoned building sits on the outskirts of the playground, surrounded by overgrown vegetation & is drenched in looming lore; Who lived there? What happened to them? Is someone living in the house now? I was not expecting this book to be scary, these are, after all, stories written with young readers in mind. However, the reason for which I have put a content warning at the beginning of this review is due to the fact that I read this as an adult with far too much exposure to life & fictional horror to look past how some of the scenes might be interpreted. Firstly, the antagonist of this story is an elderly man whom the local children call ‘Spidey’. He is a ghostly figure who wanders around town, always dressed in black, & whom no one knows very well. He is, at present, living in the basement of the Coffman House when the group of friends decides to explore the premises. What renders Spidey such a bizarre character in this narrative is the fact that Stine wrote an entity that glimmers along the water’s edge like a ray while simultaneously floating as a crocodile’s body under the surface. Though Spidey is revealed to be a man who used to be a famed scientist, one that is self-proclaimed as being “very evil”, the actions performed by this man teeter on severely dangerous—whereas they are, perhaps, meant to simply be a bit freaky. Should Spidey not have broken into Greg’s room & gone through all his personal belongings in an act that proves to be at once predatory & insane, I might have felt differently. However, the raving delusions of this adult escalate to a scene where he is chasing two (2) of the children down the street & then has them cornered in the basement of the house telling them that they will never be able to leave. Don’t get me wrong, the way that this character presents himself throughout the narrative is oddly unsettling—a positive attribute to this tale. Spidey is never given enough dimension to comfort the reader in knowing that his devious plans will not find success. He at once acts as a cartoonish fiend, one who is invisible to all other adults, while also leaving the reader to recall that those who appear solely to children with the inducement of fear are indeed, very unsavoury characters. I could not help but wonder what Spidey’s ultimate goal was when telling the children (Greg & Shari) that he would never let them leave the basement. Certainly, my questions are pointless because this is, again, a book for audiences much younger than myself. The beauty of writing horror is in not necessarily having to include dedicated rationals. Spidey did not need to have a game plan; suffice it to say that the idea of a grown man entrapping children in the basement of an abandoned house was scary enough, we did not need to see him enumerate the ways in which he would keep them captive. I have no qualms in stating that because this book presented such a duality with its antagonist & with the garish item of the camera that it left me feeling glad to see such pointed writing play out for all ages. I am a firm believer that a good book is, a good book & that all readers deserve to come upon stories that are well-thought-out & well-written. Stine is a wonder at his craft. Though there were times when some of the actions of the younger characters were quite annoying—Shari essentially bullying Greg into bringing the haunted camera—I could understand that this was the essence of the 90s writing style. Just as I found it outlandish, in a sadly hilarious way, that Jerry, the neighbour who stopped the initial attack by Spidey upon Greg & Shari; would even think to ask if he should call the police when he saw an unknown adult chasing children who were obviously running for their safety. This brings me to my second reason for including a content warning. During Shari’s birthday celebration, Greg takes her picture & it is revealed to have made Shari invisible. This plays out with the disappearance of the child & has several scenes in which police are searching the premises in hopes of locating her. I acknowledge that this is meant to be linked back to the haunted camera & is in fact not an ominous occurrence. However, I found myself wondering if Spidey had been lurking in the woods during the party. The police investigation was bad, to be blunt. Yet, I did not expect anything more from them because that wasn’t the point—Shari didn’t vanish, she wasn’t kidnapped, she wasn’t abducted, she was in an in-between state due to the haunted camera. Regardless, the scenes which depict her parent's grief are very vivid & this is something, that I think, is important to keep in mind. In all, this was a wonderful book & one that I will call to mind in future. I find myself grateful to Stine for having taken the time in this life to write so many stories for audiences across the globe. His words play out like a frozen image in our minds, always holding fast to the terror they create. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Jul 16, 2022
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Apr 15, 2022
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Paperback
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129
| 
| 0525557598
| 9780525557593
| 0525557598
| 4.01
| 23,240
| 2022
| May 24, 2022
|
did not like it
|
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, theref
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on mental health, suicidal ideation, promiscuity, & others. When a reader first encounters the character who will lead the way, jaunt them through a laneway of memories, new adventures, mystery, intellectual reflection, & prose, the reader is to have—ideally—met their match. This does not mean that the main character is one who poses a struggle; is something of a troll marooning the underpass of a desecrated & lonely bridge. More so, this is to mean that their match, like sticks set to light a flame against the backside of their box, are different & similar in all the ways that count towards encouraging the reader to pursue the tale of a thousand eves set forth by the main character. Selin is such a character as need never have been revisited upon a final parting word. Though my review for “The Idiot” (2017) was one that reflected a genial enjoyment, I retain my opinions; this was not a book that needed to be read & certainly not a book that many people would enjoy reading mostly because nothing much happened. I admit that I am not someone for whom SparkNotes-style stories bode well. I find this approach rather tedious as it leaves me feeling that the author in question hadn’t much gumption to write their own work & rather relies heavily on that which has already been written to slather hardened jam into the crevices of rye. Batuman has lost her way, or perhaps, she never had her sights set on a path to begin with. I cannot say for certain, I am not her. Nor am I the person who set out to write a sequel to a story that did not necessitate one, leaving me to feel that the author in question must have lost a sense of themselves & their path given the absolutely abhorrent second instalment in the dull & despairingly pretentious life of Selin. To begin, I want to delve further into my first critique which is that a story whose sole intent is to rehash the written word of others is, generally speaking, not a story worth reading. Certainly, most veteran readers have come upon a story that linked the characters' experiences or their surroundings to events that were beautifully explored within another work of fiction. In this vein, I can appreciate the draw to include references to the Classics & philosophies of thought that allow the story at play to run its course whilst leaving the reader with a taste of the sweetness that lies in other wonderful stories. What Batuman has failed to do, or perhaps has altogether neglected to attempt, is weaving references in the ways in which we are taught before beginning secondary school. There is a colossal difference between writing a double-digit number of pages, wherein these other books/stories are totally rehashed & being able to reference aspects of these works so that the character’s entity is reflected in a dimensionality surpassing fiction. I did not need to have every single book explained to me as though I were cramming for a test. I did not need a play-by-play of every single word ever written in these books & the background information to go along with them, to understand why Selin felt a connection. Instead of granting Selin the ability to weave her way through a new chapter of her life, Batuman has simply formatted a textbook-style informational booklet in which a great number of Classic works of literature are used in place of the plot of this very book. One is left asking oneself what the purpose was behind writing this book if the author had no idea how to craft a story in the first place. There is no point in formatting a story under the guise of it being a continuation of a series that saw its end with the very appropriate termination of the first novel. Did we need another 300+ pages to discern that Selin was at once horribly pretentious as to almost be cruel whilst simultaneously being a person who was safeguarded from every basic human experience up until the age at which she left for University? No, we did not. Nothing that is presented in this novel brings forth any new form of the information nor any series of events which lead the reader to feel any feelings of fondness or gratitude. I had first heard of “The Idiot” (2017) after coming across “Either/Or” (2022)—I was intrigued by the premise & the promise of an intellectually stimulating story. By this point in time, the first book had garnered something of a controversial reputation & I enthusiastically read the polarizing reviews from those who proclaimed a dying adoration & those who felt a dying pang whilst reading the story. Having been someone who has consumed books voraciously during the many moons of my life, I had nothing to lose but faith in the publishing world, by endeavouring to read both books. With so much of a reputation preceding “The Idiot” (2017) one might wonder why Batuman felt the need to come back to Selin all these years later. Certainly, nothing was left unsaid—no stone left to turn over for, Selin spent pages on end philosophizing about the many probabilities that she might encounter under & over, every rock. Therefore, I ask again—why was this book written? At a glance, one might wonder that Selin didn’t have more to say; having left her at the end of her friendship with Ivan, pondering whether or not what she felt for him was romantic, intimate, love. Yet, with all those reflections, questions, & possibilities, Selin returns to us as a shadow of a real person & unlike in the first instalment, she is a shadow because the person that she is, so lacks substance that she cannot but be a ghost child wandering the earth in search of some mandate to fulfill. It is not difficult to discern that I did not like Selin in this story. The girl who was once at an age that many of us have come upon & who was faced with the adult version of the person she never learnt to comprehend, became a brut barbarian in the form of a pretentious Harvard attendee. Given that there is very little of unique substance to this book—i.e. rather little in terms of un-cited, pre-existing literature—the bouts of conversation that take place are excruciating &, to be frank, boring as all hell. I honestly thought I might lose my mind if I had to listen to Selin wonder at Ivan’s decision to move along with his life when his friend (Selin) developed sentiments of love towards him due to her hyperactive imagination. So strange that an adult person might want to distance themselves from another adult person who couldn’t keep their sanity under wraps & persisted in creating an atmosphere of chaos in every interaction. (reads—sarcasm) Throughout the first book, I wanted to give Selin the benefit of the doubt. It can be confusing to maneuver relationships. Especially for people like Selin who have spent their entire lives over-analyzing everything while subsequently sheltered from life. Within this instalment, this conflict was cruelly apparent & rendered the story a difficult one to read. Did Selin ever think to wonder that, if indeed, Ivan was pursuing an intimate relationship with her, he did so whilst in a committed relationship with Eunice? Did Selin never wonder at the fact that he was already in an outwardly long-term romantic relationship? Why did we have to read about her back/forth regarding a friendship? After Zita explained to Selin what most of us could garner in the first book—that Ivan is culturally a free-flowing person & most Western people do not read into his behaviour as being respectful to his partner—Selin persists in committing to the idea that she was in love with Ivan & he was in love with her. It grew tiresome to have to go back & forth about what might or may, or would have, happened. All the while. I did not care. Ivan was living his life, the situation was explained at length & there is nothing more to say. Except, Batuman wanted to SparkNotes an entire series of books over & over again to really drive this point home. It made me feel conflicted to feel so strongly that this story was a waste of my time whilst also appreciating that there were points within the first half of this book that were worth exploring. The ties between Selin’s obtuse naivety & her preposterous pretension were fascinating. At once, we see how this character was who she is & had been that way all along; a person who is, kind of a banana-brained meany. Is it acceptable to postulate that people are too dumb to understand literature if read outside of a post-secondary institution? Is it acceptable to stand around with people who are pretty rotten human beings while they douse on those who don’t have the means of pursuing a prestigious post-secondary education? No, it’s not. Yet, Selin seeks out these types of people, she longs to be close to them because they reflect her essence in extroverted ways. At once we read about the casualty of her mentioning spending summers in Turkey & yet read about her pinching pennies to buy a winter coat. I am born & raised in one of the colder parts of Canada, I know how expensive winter coats are. The point I’m trying to make is that the disparity between what we are told—i.e. that Selin lives in financial insecurity—& the truth—that her mother & father are well-off & can afford a multitude of luxuries for themselves & their children—so starkly contrasts that one gets lost in the middle. There were too many instances when Selin appears to be too naïve, that it is almost improbable that she would have so little awareness of the aspects that surround her. To have this story veer into sexual promiscuity & scenes on end describing the insertion of genitals & the movements that might take place throughout intercourse was ridiculous. Selin is a free-moving adult in the late 90s in what world is she pondering—after describing sex scenes in movies—what constitutes ‘having sex’? What part of this fits into the textbook-style approach of the philosophical thoughts of the first 60% of the story? Had this section been slimmed down to a scene or two, the premise might not have felt so dreary & underwhelming. After listening to Selin drone about how much she loved Ivan then acknowledge that she might just love men who don’t have any interest in her, as the scene with ‘The Count’, was boring. This premise was repeated until it annihilated the positive attributes held within the story's first half. I cannot think of the reason for including such a tremendous level of smut if not to satiate some demand. From whom, I cannot begin to know. When all is said & done, this second book ruined any fond feelings I might have held toward Selin. She was daft in a way that was uncomplimentary to her person—a person who was studious, thoughtful, curious, diligent, & intrigued by the aspects of life she had yet to know firsthand. She became a bully, someone resting on the premises of their titles; an entity snuggled into the classifiers she deigned worthy. What happened to the girl who loved to learn? Where did the girl who enjoyed running & roaming disappear to? I am glad to see mental health approached within this book because I feel that there was much to study & yet I realize that what was said was minimal & quite inadequate. Selin lives to defend her mother, to keep her safe, & to follow her every word. Selin does not live for herself. In the same way that she was becoming her own person, she decided that whom she had become under the guidance of her mother’s watchful eye was enough & so she sought other people who were dedicated to their own causes & she moved forward with their message. I wanted to see Selin grow to be the person I believed she could be. I had a glimmer of hope that she knew she was capable of that too. Unfortunately, as in real life, we can seldom shape the path of the person who walks ahead of us, especially if we are the ghosts in the tree trunks & flowers lining the stones. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Oct 13, 2022
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Apr 11, 2022
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Hardcover
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105
| 
| B01HNJIJ3U
| 3.67
| 85,159
| Mar 14, 2017
| Mar 14, 2017
|
really liked it
|
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, theref
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on disordered eating, distorted body image, poverty, financial insecurity, & others. Selin is a girl who is actually not like other girls. This is because she isn’t herself; a person she hasn’t come to know, doesn’t quite understand, & fails to connect with. In all her years growing into the person we meet on the pages, Selin wandered through the roles she adopted by surrogate need, rather than fulfill the centre of her desires & the ultimately sought-after purpose in human existence: to be oneself. Batuman’s novel guides the reader into a story that is slow, stilted, uncomfortably bland, & often times ridiculous. However much all these things are true, her story is also one that is enticing, curious, honest, & enthralling. Selin is a character that we know well yet, this is what leaves the reader with sadness for the desire to see this girl be more than she is; the result in a gaping hole of desire left unfulfilled. It is always a toss, choosing to read a book that has been highly popularized. One may be left reeling with regret & perhaps even anger, at all the reviewers who stated that the book was worth their time. On the flip side, one might find themselves as I do, confused. I certainly appreciate those reviewers who stated—with gusto—that this book was horrific & a waste of time. Yet, I find myself longing to read it again. After the day that has passed since I finished this book I am still conflicted as to what particular aspect of this story was what reeled me in; left me comforted in the banal universe of the main character & her discussions of strawberry plants. What part of the writing was smart, stunning, & inspiring? Should I be asked, I cannot say with any level of confidence that I would recommend this book to anyone I know. If I were to take the time to imagine a reader who would take a thrill from reading this book, I cannot call one to mind. Who is this book for? Evidently, in this case, the ideal reader is me. I will not lie to you & say that there were not multiple instances throughout this book that left me laughing for wondering at the ridiculousness of the dialogue. I often paused to marvel that Batuman endeavoured to write such a story to leave one feeling that nothing much, if anything, happened at all. All the while so much was transpiring & I suppose that is so similar to the realities we inhabit as to make readers uncomfortable with the confrontation of the monotone existence we lead on this big round ball. Do not mistake me, we can encounter any number of fantastic events, opportunities, feelings, relationships, etc. Selin is at an age where she is meant to know who she is—everyone around her knows who they are & are very vocal in their pursuits of things that will fill their being with the desires that they need met. It appears to Selin that she is simply a shadow, a secondary member of the main cast who acts as a transitional conversationalist for them during their downtime. It certainly does not help that the society in which Selin grew up has changed to include virtual reality. The introduction of the internet in such a grandiose way has opened the door for computerized mail, e-mail. She now has to balance being present in real terms while maintaining the activities she participates in virtually. Admittedly, it is difficult for me to know where to begin this review because my mind is still reflecting on the story itself. I suppose that this is part of what I enjoyed so much; the sheer banality of presenting a story in something of a linear fashion that leads one to slowly piece together what was there all along. Before moving forward, I would like to touch on something that I have seen many people’s critiques include; the lack of a plot. Though I can appreciate that the format of this story & the way in which it was written leave a person feeling overwhelmed with stagnation, there is in fact a plot to this book. By definition, a plot is usually categorized by the interruption of a sequence, a pattern. This may be reflected in the altering of what was taking place even if by a small moment within the story, such as the moment in time that Selin stepped foot into her Russian language course. I respect that people might interpret this book in different ways & this also includes interpreting the key points of the forward movement of the plot differently as well. In my humble opinion, not being the person who wrote this book but simply someone who read it, this key moment takes place when Selin meets Ivan. He is just the back of a head & then he becomes someone that Selin longs to know in a fashion that is uncharacteristic of herself. When the book introduces Ivan’s character this begins the series of events that transform the book from a simple tenure at the university where Selin will learn to be scholarly, to the story that reveals the nuance in learning the semantics of conversation & being able to truly understand another person. The question that this story poses is not one that necessitates rhetoric so much as one that seeks to leave the reader with the desire to reflect on their own abilities, & their own habits for communicating & therefore highlighting how varied our interpretation of both Selin & Ivan can be. At face value, Ivan appears to be a highly intelligent person who struggles to vocalize his inner thoughts to a person who does not view the world as he does. The fact that he studies mathematics & Selin studies linguistics is not lost on me, nor should it be lost on any reader. The difference & struggle to view a single rose in a similar way as the person sitting right beside you, at the same moment in time, can be as vast & difficult as trying to interpret a rose with a person born ten thousand years in the past. Our means of communicating, connecting, forging bonds, & finding common ground are overestimated as being simple feats. Within the relationship that forms between Ivan & Selin one notes that Selin always appears to be heartbroken over some form of behaviour that Ivan has showcased. One can love one’s friends—this is preferable as one should be encouraged to spend time with what one loves. Yet, love in & of itself varies per person, per relationship; the language one uses to show love, etc. How can Selin feel heartbroken when Ivan has simply been acting as he is around people he loves, as shown when he is with his family in Hungary? Why does it take Selin an entire novel to realize that the person she thinks she loves isn’t someone she knows at all? What part of Ivan made Selin fall in love, if not the aspect of him that she could not understand? I spent a great deal of the story teetering between feeling that Selin was a great nuisance & that she was simply a young person trying to find their way in the world. I wished she had been stronger, had a more forceful will, had taken the opportunity to speak her truth. I know that that is not who she is when we meet her & I had to learn to be okay with the fact that Selin is not a full person, just yet. Her relationship with Ivan did highlight how easy it is to think a person the villain simply because they differ so staggeringly from another. For example, one may argue that Ivan is being unfaithful to Eunice, his long-term girlfriend because he spends time with Selin doing random activities that could be done with his partner. However, for many people, & in many cultures, friendships are just as important as intimate relationships & there is nothing inherently wrong with spending time with friends, of any gender or sexe. Perhaps because Ivan struggles to be earnest & act in ways that allow him to be forward without coming across as dry, do we feel that Eunice is being taken for a ride? However, Eunice is at once described as being stuck in her own cycle of comfort; studiously working through languages within the university structure in an attempt to stay where she is, challenged by the ever-developing world of language. Does this mean we should view her as the victim? Does this mean she is in need of saving from Ivan? I do not think so. As much as I was frustrated at times, reading about Selin loving Ivan for things he never meant to encourage in her, I could also understand that there is too much discrepancy between what we think we know & what we actually understand. It’s almost ironic how the study of linguistics & languages plays such a hefty role within this story all the while Selin is simply unable to engage in simple dialogue to power forward its potential to her benefit. In her email exchanges with Ivan, we see her writing in a way that mirrors the simplicity of the ‘Nina in Siberia’ series that she was studying for her Russian language course. I would not say that she covets any particular point so much as it appears that she attempts to toss words into a salad in an attempt to make them something palatable for both herself & the reader. On a parting note, I will advise that this book is riddled with spoilers of older Classic pieces. There is a part of me that is always a bit disappointed when this happens for it leaves me feeling that time was wasted rehashing someone else’s story instead of moving one’s own forward but, that is a personal inclination. As well, there were some moments of inconsistency within the story that left me pondering. For example, Eunice meets Ivan & Selin before they go swimming at Walden Pond. Ivan tells her that they are going swimming but then we read about her having a blow-up later because she didn’t know where he was. Another example of this takes place when Selin is writing a school paper; Ralph calls her & asks to spend time with her after she has finished writing some extra pages. However, Selin is out the door in the next breath to go clubbing with a friend. What happened to Ralph? What did his friendship mean to Selin & why was it so easy for her to look past all the things they did together? Are we meant to read into their friendship as being the antithesis to the one Selin has with Ivan? I missed seeing him come across the page, he brought something gentle to the story & I appreciated his presence. In all, I found this story to be at once entertaining & mind-numbing. I wanted to read & read, then read some more, but I was constantly confounded by the banality of the dialogue, primarily when pertaining to those who thought themselves speaking so insightfully. Perhaps, every missed connection reveals something about the individual at play. Perhaps we can acknowledge that variety enhances the lived experience; drawing a picture in flamboyancy & grace, weaving streaks of every shade of the river. Perhaps, there is more to language than the sounds, the word; the mere mention of something different than our own roll of the tongue. Perhaps, communication is in all the ways we tend, caress, blink, stifle, glance, embrace, hum, & smirk; when we are close or very far away. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
|
not set
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Jul 29, 2022
|
Apr 10, 2022
|
Kindle Edition
| |||||||||||||||
100
| 
| B098PW8NP8
| 4.29
| 1,364,124
| Mar 31, 2022
| Apr 05, 2022
|
did not like it
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**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, theref
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on sexual harassment, sexual assault, rape, domestic abuse, Homophobia, Sexism, parental neglect, religious extremism, animal cruelty, sexual abuse of a minor, suicide of a minor, & others. In the rose-coloured world of the Cold War era in the United States, a singular woman leads the way to righteous equality by putting herself at the head of the line of women who are too stupid to be as wonderful; too ugly to be as outspoken; not sexually active enough to be as insightful, nor unbound by religious faith to be as debonair as Elizabeth Zott. Should any one woman wonder what it is they lack they need only regard Elizabeth at a glance for, without prompt, she will tell them what they are not. As a champion for women’s rights in the so-called world that existed before women cared to be treated with any level of dignity, Elizabeth set herself apart by being the only woman in the world worth treating respectfully. In what promises to be the blasphemous tremor that shakes the steeple, the synopsis of this book reveals everything a reader needs to know about the author & the story they have decided to write. Garmus reveals to the reader, in no uncertain terms, that her main character is unlike anyone we have ever known or ever will know; she is not like other girls because she is Elizabeth Zott. Should one be left to wonder at what this could mean, one is not left wondering for long as the introductory chapter of this book annihilates the hopes of the reader that they may encounter a woman, unlike the antagonists that plague the fictional world of their demonized dreams or, like those who exist in the West as wicked witches. I am not altogether unconvinced that this was not a work of satire. The world in which I live is shared with a variety of people & yet, this book that allegedly takes place in the same environment is loath to include anyone other than the attractive White able-bodied individual whom we are all familiar with seeing on posters plastered around from the nostalgically sickening period in which this story takes place. It is certainly not wrong to write what you know. This is often the piece of advice that has been sustained throughout the ages since being spoken by Twain all those years ago. However, at this point, & realistically, forever, there have been dedicated stories which are pushed to the forefront of the literary world that reflect a very specific take on social endeavours. Let me be very clear, everyone deserves to be able to speak their truth. It is important to gather a full perspective, especially about historical events such as, in this case, the feminist movement. That being said, we have heard from the same group of people for a very long time & there has been an apparent crater left in place of the narratives of those who remain disproportionally affected by the same issues that are raised in this book. I cannot help but feel annoyed that this story presented itself as something worth reading; something that broaches the topic of feminism, sexism, women’s rights, gender equality, & legislation against another person’s entity, all while remaining solely focused on the character of a woman who hates other women. There is a single instance in which Elizabeth hints that she is aware that BIPOC people exist but are neither represented nor present in her life & experiences. While sitting at the cinema she notes that the female character will inevitably be blamed for all the actions of the male characters. In that same breath, she notes that there are only White actors in the film. Perhaps, had I had more confidence in what the author was attempting to convey, I would have been able to blindly obey the banal pursuant of the plot however, that is not who I am as a reader nor as a person & I am therefore left with a great deal of disgust towards the approach of this narrative as a whole. Elizabeth is a chemist in Commons, California. This, in & of itself, is a wonderful achievement & something to be praised given the fact that women have not long been granted the privilege of education nor the freedom of choice to pursue endeavours to which their interests favour. Regrettably, this remains the singular point of which I can applaud Elizabeth. She remains a person who put themselves forth to pursue an education in a field that was male-dominated & in which she was never guaranteed success. It is important to remember that not every woman had the ability to pursue that which was made available to them. Even if a woman might have lived in a city where the local University permitted women to pursue studies this does not mean that they were free to apply & pursue their education. For a very long time, in many, many different parts of the world, a woman needed the written & signed permission of a male—typically their father or husband—to be granted admission to any number of activities. The fact that Elizabeth was able to study chemistry at University, at all, is a great stroke of privilege & chance. It would have been wonderful for her character to maintain some level of self-awareness because her path in life was, paved, whereas millions of women around here were not so much as granted the baselines for human rights—some of which we remain in pursuit of today. Though this book focuses on Elizabeth’s transition from a chemistry student to a professional chemist, we see no tangible level of relatability in her person. She does not encounter half of what many women did & this leaves her to remain solitary on the pedestal on which she placed herself. With all the opportunities that Elizabeth has had, she remains willfully ignorant of everything taking place around her. It is as though the author could not rationalize having a woman be an intellectual while simultaneously having common sense. Many of the events that take place in this book are ridiculously offensive for the simple fact that Elizabeth goes out of her way to prove that just because something bad happened to other women, does not mean it could happen to her because she is better than them. The first instance in which this takes place is during the initial rape scene that transpires at the hands of Elizabeth’s Professor who has a reputation for being a “lecher”. One does not need to have lived one’s entire life as a female to understand that knowledge of someone being a violent sexual deviant is enough to put oneself on guard & to ensure, with all one’s abilities, that a safe distance is kept whenever possible. I want to be explicitly clear here & say that it is never, under any circumstances, the fault of the victim in instances of such attacks. One can take all precautions to ensure one’s safety & still encounter villains such as the ones that exist within this book. With that being said, Elizabeth does not listen to victims, she does not showcase any awareness to care about their experiences because she deliberately puts herself in positions to be alone with men whom she has been told are dangerous. By blatantly ignoring the warnings given to her by victims of these assaults she transitions from a person who seamlessly gets away with criminal acts whereas any other woman would not & one is left asking oneself why. Knowing that the Professor was a prolific perpetrator of sexual violence against women; one who ensures that his victims lose their jobs, their position as students, & more, after they try to come forward, the author decides that the experiences of these women are not worth paying attention to because Elizabeth was able to stab the Professor with a pencil, subsequently causing him serious bodily harm. Why is that? Why are the experiences of other women completely ignored & why is the reader meant to focus solely on the crime performed by Elizabeth? Why was Elizabeth not arrested? What was it about her that indicated that this attractive, young, White, female did not need to be in a prison cell or—such as was utilized at the time—an insane asylum? She did, after all, stab someone. I find it difficult to forgive the blatant aggression against the experiences of every other woman in this book so that the plot might cushion the colossally moronic decisions of the main character. It was not enough for Elizabeth to have been raped by someone; this experience is glorified by presenting her as a saviour to all women, except every single woman who warned her to heed the looming presence of the villain himself. Not only does Elizabeth blatantly ignore the warnings of everyone at the University, but she decides that she can physically confront sexually violent men on more than one occasion. This is absurd behaviour. Though it would be wonderful to believe that women can walk freely in the world without the fear of assault, this is not the case. To write an entire scene where Elizabeth silences Rosa, a woman she works with, who is trying to warn her that their TV Producer is a sexual predator, is superbly stupid. What are we expected to gain from this scene? Are we to take away that because Elizabeth was ignorantly forward in what she might call bravery, she wouldn’t encounter the same fate as every other woman? Why are we following the roaming adventures of a woman who purposefully ignores other women? This is insulting & reinforces the perception that if you aren’t like other women you will be kept safe & the villains cannot harm you. When writing a book it is important to remember that people, women, will read this book; people, women, who have experienced abuse, assault, & violence, will regard this as the absolute slap in the face that it is. While actively ignoring the advice, warnings, & kindly words of women, Elizabeth has, along the way, decided that the only opinion worth heeding is her own. As she is actively described as being a genius one might be led to believe that this is the safe route to take—who knows better than an intellectual? Unfortunately, for both Elizabeth & the gumdrop world in which she lives, intellect is something that is to be constantly maintained, like a muscle that is trained—so too does the malleability of the brain affect one’s ability to retain information & comprehend the world. In Elizabeth's case, there is seldom an instant in which her appointed genius is proven, showcased, or reinforced in any way. If everyone around you is an imbecile, you are no relic of the intellectual, you are simply one step apart from the rest. The bar to which Elizabeth’s intelligence is measured is not very high if even a centimetre off the ground. Every man in this book is written as being a total ignoramus & dedicated full-time idiot. Can I believe that some people crept through the cracks of the lab work that Elizabeth was doing? Yes. Just as I can in any work environment. Some people are lucky & others are dedicated, while others still are incredibly gifted. However, what I cannot fathom is an entire team of Ph.D. Chemists who are dumber than doorknobs. Women are intelligent on their own merit. We should not be writing smart women as being smart only because the men in their lives are dumb. It would have been worthwhile for Elizabeth to have sustained the claims of genius by outperforming her high-achieving co-workers. Instead, we read about a group of individuals who truly went through years of schooling to not be able to distinguish their rears from holes in the ground. The aspect that I found to be the most troublesome & one that reinforces my original point, is the fact that this entire book covets the point while blissfully flying past it. When Madeline, Elizabeth’s daughter, goes to school she contradicts the teacher who instructs her that the colour blue is being given to boys & the colour pink, to girls. She says that those are not gender-specific colours & at a surface level this is true. What highlights this particular instance as one that should be remarked upon for the sustained ineptitudes of the main character is the fact that she never speaks to her daughter about the very real issues being faced by women across the globe, rather she encourages her to read giant tomes of Classic literature without delving into the specifics of what it all means. Surely, fiction may be interpreted in different ways. However, when referencing books such as “Moby Dick: or The Whale” (1851) by Herman Melville one needs to grant the reader some context. It is not an act of intelligence to be able to regurgitate what one reads; students have been doing it for generations. Elizabeth is, perhaps, simply not smart enough to sit down with her child to speak about the complexities of book plots. On the other hand, perhaps, this is simply par for the course as she allows her child to focus on what is minutely important for her group of women. By this I mean, that the gender assignment of colours is an issue, certainly, but the bigger issue is the sexual violence experienced by hundreds of women that Elizabeth actively ignores. To have the ability to focus on such a minute issue as colour assignment showcases that one is stating to the world that the problems that plague them are minute, at best. This is particularly heinous as Elizabeth is a victim of sexual violence. I do not think it is the responsibility of every victim to spearhead revolutions of change but, if one is a parent one has the responsibility of teaching one’s child about the realities that circulate the world around them. By simply focusing on Madeline’s recall abilities, or her dexterity when it comes to making knots; Elizabeth encourages her child to be ostracized. She is not granting her the privilege of having the information necessary to make her way into the world. Alongside that, she forces her to attend school when it is not legally acceptable to do so. She also allowed her to explore, unsupervised, all the unsafe areas of their home because she wanted to focus on teaching their dog new words or on doing her personal projects. Can I appreciate that it is difficult to be a mother? Of course. However, Madeline did not ask to be born & Elizabeth is deliberately ignoring her parental responsibilities under the guise that her child is highly intelligent. While perusing through life, Elizabeth encounters Calvin Evans who is Madeline’s father. In all their time spent together, neither Calvin nor Elizabeth felt fully ready to discuss the consequences of their childhoods. When she learns that Calvin was orphaned at the age of five (5) & spent his entire youth at a Catholic home for boys, Elizabeth, shockingly, does not react how I would have imagined given the love of her life hinted very pointedly that he was abused by the figureheads of the establishment. Rather than endeavour to place any weight on this, Garmus, once again, keeps the story rolling until it is convenient to explicitly state that Calvin was sexually abused as a child & well into his youth by members of the Catholic church. I find this particularly garish because children will, once again, find themselves reading this book, just as the people & women of earlier, & wonder why the abuse that was experienced is only utilized as a plot device to make the main character—the person who did not experience childhood sexual abuse—seem like a hero for telling the story of someone who has died. It is outlandish to write about childhood abuse in such a flippant manner. To have Elizabeth learn about the explicit details of the abuse through Calvin’s journal entries & take this information to a reporter is beyond comprehension. At every turn, this story highlights itself as more ridiculous, irresponsible, & shortsighted than before. There is never a single moment when a tactful discussion transpires regarding the repercussions of childhood trauma. Yet, almost every character in this book has experienced some level of horror that shaped them into an adult who performs the coping mechanisms that they do. The subplot of Calvin being an orphan who was abandoned by his family is mind-blowing. At this point in the story, it seems that the author has taken it upon themselves to include every trauma known to the species. All the while, vehemently excluding the experiences of BIPOC folks so that the narrative centers on an unlikeable individual who shuns other women & puts her child in peril. This book has no redeeming features; nothing worth the while for any reader seeking to find sensitive subject matters explored with tact, class, & intelligence. The inability to use accurate tonality & vernacular throughout this book renders the plot a muddle of tar on searing cement. Introducing the point of view of the dog spoke truth to my feelings of a lack of casual respect that is necessitated when writing about the topics that are broached in this book. It is ridiculous that the character of the dog & every other tertiary character receive pages at length whereas the subject matter of abuse is sprinkled as though celebrating a quirky aspect of an otherwise stale birthday cake. One does not need to see the term depressed tossed around as an adjective for someone who is unhappy. One does not need to read about a dog with telekinetic abilities speaking to a fetus about the death of its parent. One does not need to read about the exploits of a woman who hates other women simply because she thinks herself above them & their lives. If one chooses to write about abuse, both those experienced in childhood & adulthood, one is expected to be able to write with some level of skill & elegance; presenting words with kindness, dedication, understanding, & importance that the victims of these acts deserve to see presented—even in fictional stories. One needs tact, sensitivity, & poise to explore the truths revealed by those who carry the experiences between their vertebrae in an act of solidarity, strength, & support with each other. This book failed on all accounts & is worthy only as an ember on the collected wood logs of a roast. Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada, & Bonnie Garmus for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Jul 12, 2022
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Apr 04, 2022
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Kindle Edition
| |||||||||||||||
114
| 
| B09B8NJS8C
| 3.63
| 4,389
| Apr 26, 2022
| Apr 26, 2022
|
did not like it
|
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, theref
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on abuse, child endangerment, violence, psychological distress, racially motivated crime, racism, animal neglect, suicide, the death of a child, graphic descriptions of body decomposition, the consequences of war, religious extremism, & others. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines “horror”—when used as a noun—as being a “painful and intense fear, dread, or dismay” (1.a). They also present the option of employing “horror” as an adjective which, in this case, is defined as “calculated to inspire feelings of dread or horror” (2.2). I cite the dictionary in this case because the book I am reviewing does not, in my opinion, fit into the Horror genre of literature. However, based on these two possible uses of the word, dictating the reputable genre I know & love, I acknowledge that it is perhaps I, who is in the wrong. Perhaps selling this book as being a Horror first & a Historical Fiction second was appropriate. Perhaps there is a reason this was not categorized as being Science Fiction? Britannica defines the Science Fiction genre as dealing “[…]principally with the impact of actual or imagined science upon society or individuals” (B.Sterling, 2022) In my humble opinion, Katzu’s work fits chiefly into this genre. The entire subject matter that is approached in this book deals primarily with the impacts of scientific advancements studied & undergone by Wasaburo Oishi. This character’s actions impacted the entirety of a generation & those of futures yet to come in the hopes of deeper scientific understandings & data collections that might reveal accuracies about the world around him. Though it is accurate to observe that this story presents aspects of reality into the narrative, these are never the primary focus. The inclusion of Internment Camps that imprisoned Japanese people in America plays second fiddle to the banal wanderings of a White woman as she seeks to become aware of what has champlained the entire human species since the dawn of time; violence. The disservice that is performed both within this story & in the ways that the book is being presented to readers is abysmal at best & detrimental at worst. I should wonder that there was not a single individual along the line of the efforts to see this work published that thought it perhaps inappropriate to have the narrative of those suffering within Internments Camps be led by the ravings of a woman who would be denied membership to the Scooby-Doo crew’s gang. The story begins with the introduction to a multitude of characters, each of whom is granted their own chapters in which the reader explores their point of view. This is not innately a negative approach but, it is one that left this book a suffering slob of a mess wherein the characters who were indirectly involving themselves in the fantastical occurrences of the plot took precedence over those who were having to maneuver the firsthand terrors of war, racially motivated crime, blatant racism, violence, & illness. Why is that? What part of including an array of characters only to have the narrative thieved by those who brought nothing to the narrative as a whole save the ramblings of arrested mental stamina felt like a good idea? I feel particularly annoyed at the choice to have Fran develop into the unsuspecting main character of this book because that is not why I selected to read this story. I do not care to follow the lead of a person who makes shockingly irresponsible decisions, such as going into the secluded cabin in the woods of two (2) men she was warned were violent & unsafe to be around alone. I do not care to follow the ravings of a person who couldn’t deduce a clue in blue on a tapestry of yellow. There is nothing to admire or like about Fran. I am getting ahead of myself so allow me to start at the beginning. The essence of this plot is the intertwining of folktales & the development of modern science. The journal entries that begin the narrative of this plot are written by Wasaburo as he & his family enter Shikotan Island so that he might pursue his study of jet streams—a profession that everyone, including his supervisors, tells him is worthless. While on the island he is made aware of the state of the residents at the local hospital—something of an Asylum & institute for the ‘undesirables’ of society. Wasaburo is told that those who enter the hospital seldom leave—realistically they have nowhere to go as the community of people have no way of mingling with those experiencing mental unrest or physical ailments. However, here we are presented with the fantastical aspect of Japanese folklore that intermingles with the medical understandings that members of the community held at the time. The ravings of those entrusted to the medical institution & the creeping unease of the staff become something of mass lunacy that is indistinguishable. Wasaburo is told that he should leave the island because residents believe it to be cursed. The overly present waddling bodies of spiders—of a species unknown—transform the island from a place colonized for human existence to the nest of a Matriphagy. As the lore goes, Jorogumo uses the island to nest her spiders. Curiously, though the residents believe the appearance of spiders is a sign of prosperity & luck, these same Araneae are those that are poisoning the bloodstream of the human being in the hospital. Leaving all those with whom they come into contact a mass of violence, peeling skin, tremors, & insanity. At first glance, this appears to be an interesting premise & one that is interestingly tied into the reality of Internment Camps. How will the appearance of this venomous species impact the people who are kept prisoner in a country that, to this day, blames them for the turn of century altercations that the human species has been experiencing since the development of our earth-bound body? That is to say that, for lack of shock or surprise, the disease that is spread through these spiders becomes the blamed responsibility of the Japanese—those same people who are being skinned alive for being from a different part of the world. It’s incredible no one thought to wonder at the level of power one must have had to have the ability to remain in captivity all while infecting the American population at writ large. I digress, people are not very smart, that is no secret to me. Having been sent to America to marry, Wasaburo’s daughter, Meiko, makes her appearance in the story as she walks through the streets reflecting on her responsibility to keep her own daughter, Aiko, safe from the raving altercations produced at the hands of those who mirror the guards at the camps across the pond. I was eager to meet Meiko & have the story explore her experiences. This was, after all the girth of the book—the story centring on the lives of those who were kept, prisoner. However, Meiko soon became a character who was willfully ignorant; someone who boasted about all the intellect she must have had by proxy to her father, the scientist, yet she rambles about things that are blatantly obvious even for those characters that work their magic off-page. From a personal standpoint, I always find it overwhelmingly shocking how few people realize what has taken place against the Indigenous peoples of the world, let alone those of us who are in the continent of North America. Certainly, we as a species cannot be made aware of everything. There will always be something for each of us to learn; knowledge to garner, experiences to be shared. Yet, in all the stories I have read wherein people come to the Americas of the North to find easy living & fair opportunities I am left wondering how no single person was aware of the atrocities that had been taking place for hundreds of years prior to their personal arrival. I appreciate that Meiko was coming from Japan to the United States with the hopes that her forced immigration wouldn’t be a horrible experience. Yet, she sits in an Internment Camp & has the gall to express wonder that the United States would not treat everyone fairly. This must be a joke. Meiko came to America in the middle of Segregation, you cannot rightly expect me to believe that she would never have noticed the mistreatment of Black people who couldn’t even be seen walking on the same sidewalks as White people. I use this example because due to the genocide that was taking place against Indigenous peoples I almost believe that Meiko, being a person considered a non-citizen, might not have crossed paths with those of us who were being obliterated into the ether for being ‘savages’ but, she most certainly crossed the path of a Black person who was being treated like a stain on society. Therefore, how in the author’s right mind am I meant to read this book & accept the willful ignorance of every single person in this story? The repetition of politically correct narratives surrounding the humanitarian violations taking place in North America was ridiculous. The author writes in circles that there is no way that Americans would allow atrocities to happen yet no character was ever granted the illusion to lead them to think this way. Simply stating what people hope to encounter when coming to North America—over & over again—does not grant validity to the point. The point is that this continent has seen horrible things too & simply depicting characters as being cartoonishly shocked all the time is insulting & boring. The aspect of this story that stood aside from the realistic horrors of human action & inaction was the presence of Jorogumo. For those familiar with the lore surrounding the "Woman in White” the Jorogumo will strike a chord of familiarity that leads the reader to link the experiences of the masses in yet another aspect of similarity. The presence of the Demon—for that is how she is known—comes with superstition & imagery shared with children; teaching them lessons about the blindness of man. Jorogumo appears to men while holding a baby, she is crying to them for help & whilst they approach her, feeling worried for the woman & her baby, alone in the middle of the way, she transforms her baby to reveal a nest of spiders. The man is captivated by the change in appearance & doesn’t notice that the woman has shed her female form to reveal herself as the monstrous Matriphagy. She devours the men in a gulp. I would have adored seeing this aspect of the story play a larger role. The Woman in White is an aspect of lore that I have come across ample times in literature & film. It would have been fantastic to include the cultural representation of Jorogumo—something like a Japanese equivalent—in this story wherein women were entrapped & men sent to their deaths in the squalor of WWII. Instead, the spiders are blamed for a virus & then, nothing. There are no details given about the Demon again, she makes seldom appearances to victims before they are consumed by the disease & that is all. This leads me to my feelings, expressed at the beginning of this review. What aspect, save for the real terror of human action, rivets horror throughout this story? The redundancy of information stalled the flow of the plot & arrested the fears that might have manifested, rendering them ash in the spider-infested wind. Was I meant to view Archie—a Christian religious extremist—& his racist wife—who only ate cabbage & seared ground beef—as the real demons in this narrative? Was I meant to be shocked that people treated others horribly? I live in the real world, this is something of which I am acutely aware. What is presented in this story is in no way unique, shocking, or superb. This is a subpar narrative that slits the victims of the events at the knees to allow a rambling idiot to wander around until such a time as she realizes what the reader was aware of since the opening pages. I grew tired of Fran telling the reader that the police would be after her; I was tired of Archie praising Elsie for her bigoted violence only to act appalled when he found himself surrounded by just such supremacist folks. I was overwrought with boredom at the story coveting the point, chapter after chapter, whilst I sat with the information we had been given in the first half of the story. What could have been a superb introduction to the beastly treatment of a community of people, with the inclusion of their striking folktales & lore, became the abysmally boring recounting of Governing bodies in the United States in what reads like a searing propaganda piece from the time in which the story takes place. Ironically, no other aspect of the narrative reflects the timeline; nothing highlights that the world in which the characters live & breathe is that of 1940s America or 1920s Japan. The detrimental lifestyle of mixed-raced marriages was blown over to see the chapters divulge yet another idiotic inner monologue. The perils of Aiko wandering the landscape alone were tossed to give way to the importance of visiting an adulterer in hospital after he beat his wife. Ultimately, I am sure that the author felt strongly about what she had to say in this book as evidenced by her note at the end. However, gasping in the gaping hole of exclusion in this plot are the people who, once again, have been stripped of the freedom of truth. Those who play no role in the ‘big Government Agent’; those who are unseen for lack of necessity by the 'flamboyant news agent’; those for whom ‘the loving Christian pastor’ neglect for God’s love doesn’t extend that far; those who are riled with rocks, firearms, whips, chains, wood, & fire—those who suffer still. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Aug 20, 2022
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Apr 01, 2022
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Kindle Edition
| |||||||||||||||
76
| 
| 0711269041
| 9780711269040
| 0711269041
| 4.40
| 53
| unknown
| May 10, 2022
|
it was amazing
|
The picture that says a thousand words is one that sheds a light on the parts of ourselves which are, oftentimes, more difficult to put into words. In
The picture that says a thousand words is one that sheds a light on the parts of ourselves which are, oftentimes, more difficult to put into words. In this short book filled with wonderful illustrations by the author, the reader works their way through key phrases that seek to nestle themselves in those parts of ourselves that could benefit from a bit of kindness. The main character of this picture book, one that adopts the soft & warm characteristics a person can love; Slimy finds themselves in situations that every reader might have as well. How do we begin to work past negative thought patterns? What if the mistakes we made, in ignorance or with intent, cannot be looked past? What if we are not enough? As one looks at this tiny red blob, one that has good intentions & tries its best, the reader acknowledges that these feelings & thoughts do transpire in the minds of those around them as well; it is good to be reminded that the human experience, howsoever singular it may appear, does not render one isolated in their encounters. This is not a book that I would encourage you to fly through & I very much doubt that any reader would hold a desire to speed forth towards the end. The feelings evoked whereupon Slimy is reminded of their worth, leaves one with sentiments of contentment & sympathy. It was difficult for me to motivate myself to finish this short story because I did not want to leave behind the ethereal colour schemes & patterns, delightfully evoked across the pages of Slimy’s adventures. This is a book that will do well to have its place in the library of all. Reminders to be kind, patient, gentle & loving towards our own person are priceless & we would do well to remain steadfast in our admonition of them. Thank you to NetGalley, Quarto Publishing Group – Wide Eyed Editions & Slimy Oddity for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Mar 30, 2022
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Mar 30, 2022
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Hardcover
| |||||||||||||
75
| 
| unknown
| 3.89
| 7,909
| 2014
| unknown
|
did not like it
|
It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on th
It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on suicide, self-mutilation, substance abuse, & others. Scrolling the endless threads which help guide me towards the stories which leave readers feeling more petrified than is humanly natural, I came across several users who bolstered insanely high praise for this short story. I, as well as King himself, acknowledge that fear is a subjective experience. What one finds terrifying might lead another to giggle profusely into cupped hands. I suppose that is what I enjoy the most about the Horror genre — it is truly the luck of the draw. Before reviewing the piece itself, I want to praise Luke Paron who narrated this story. If you have about an hour & twenty-eight minutes to spare, I would highly recommend having Paron’s video play in the background as you allow, what may prove to be a spooky story, to waft into the corners of your mind. I am disappointed but unsurprised by my experience with this story. Perhaps had the environment & time in which I listened been different, I would have reluctantly been making my way through but, it’s a chilly March afternoon & truly, there are no exterior reasons for me to hear this story & encourage me to feel afraid. I suppose when I feel that a selective scene that is drawn-out begins to meander into something that I wanted it to be earlier, I find myself drifting. For example, hearing someone say that their brother was eaten by a pack of wolves—I am meant to picture this happening & yet, I am left, instead, wondering what one expects from moseying around wolf territories. This is completely my own fault. I am often too eager to read a spooky story all the while cognizant that it might probably leave me wanting. I have yet to find the middle ground of feeling excited to read something new without weighing down my own experiences with the insanely high hopes I keep cooped up inside my heart. To whom would I recommend this story? To those who have an afternoon in which the light from the sun is hidden behind rain clouds, perhaps, or, to those who are huddled inside during an overly crisp autumn day. Certainly to those who appreciate & enjoy visual horrors. I have come to learn, most, unfortunately, that I prefer the inducement of fear into my mind—seeping into my psyche like a leaking faucet. Objectively speaking, King’s writing was enticing & intriguing; he’s a good author, I’m sure his reputation precedes him on that front. Other reviewers have stated that they enjoyed the film adaptation of this story & perhaps I will as well. I suppose it takes a special type of reader to fully engulf themselves into the position in which the main character found himself. I would not outwardly dissuade anyone from reading this story. I should hope that you have a better experience than I did. I recognize that I am on the insignificant monitory with my views. Therefore, if you can picture yourself standing in a room in which numerical repetitions are intentioned to haunt the conscious awareness, where wallpaper is porous like the skin draped over your bones; wherein a deformed entity inhabits the invisible, where the mind cannot grasp the red thread of reality, you may certainly enjoy the thrill of this tale. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Mar 28, 2022
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Mar 28, 2022
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78
| 
| 0439568390
| 9780439568395
| 0439568390
| 3.53
| 14,260
| Sep 1992
| Sep 01, 2003
|
it was ok
|
**spoiler alert** In this third instalment of the Goosebumps series, the reader meets Evan, a 12-year-old boy who has been left in the care of his gre
**spoiler alert** In this third instalment of the Goosebumps series, the reader meets Evan, a 12-year-old boy who has been left in the care of his great-aunt for an indistinct amount of time while his parents search the Atlanta housing market for their new home. With his only companion being his 12-year-old dog, Trigger, Evan becomes bored of his circumstances, having pleaded with his parents to bring him with them to look for new houses; reeling from the pain he felt upon being left out of another conversation that directly impacted him. I know that I am reading these books while being very much outside of the target audience. My goal in reading these books is to fulfill some childhood nostalgia; having never read any of the Goosebumps stories as a child & it is now in my abilities to do so, as an adult. With that being said, I know that with any series of books there will be a couple along the way that aren’t as enjoyable as the last one was. Keeping that in mind, I am still eager to fulfill reading as many of the books as I can. There is no way that I would have enjoyed this particular book as a child & I didn’t enjoy it at all as an adult. I found it rather difficult to make my way through a great deal of less than stellar dialogue—a lot of bullying & passive-aggressive speech—which made me feel irritated at the plot in general. This is an instance wherein the story feels very dated. Andy, a 12-year-old neighbour-girl who befriends Evan, is rude off-the-cuff. Her character is meant to be read as sassy & something of a tom-boy but, alongside her actions & the lack of parental presence at large throughout the entire story, I was left feeling rather sad for all the children. When Andy & Evan head to the local ‘indie’ toyshop to buy Andy’s cousin a birthday present, the kids find themselves perusing the shelves & come upon a darkened section of the otherwise out-of-use shop. On one of the dusty shelves is a can of ‘Monster Blood’ which they beg the shopkeeper to sell, even after he nonchalantly tells them it is out of date. Trigger is then seen eating a gloop of the gooey substance & grows substantially in size until the goop takes over & has a mind of its own. We learn that the black cat that Evan’s great-aunt Katheryn had was in fact a witch that was keeping her captive in the house. All in all, a spidery mess of a situation. I appreciated the gist of the plot but found the level of outwardly ‘everything is stupid’ dialogue to be tedious. As a child, I would not have wanted to read about parents ignoring their kid’s request to not be kept in a house with a stranger that they didn’t feel safe around & I didn’t enjoy it now. I am left feeling that much of this aspect of the book could have been presented in a different way. Katheryn is meant to be over 80 years old yet Evan’s parents are quick to leave him there for weeks without worrying about how their child might fare with someone who is in a stage in their life where they can’t be chasing after children. All this is said with something of a grain of salt because I know that this is not a book that is for me. It is not for me because I have aged out of the target audience but it is also not for me because I do not find the rough & tumble characters that slyly bully & express disgust for everything around them, endearing in the least. Therefore, you shouldn’t read this review & let it sway your decision. All the points that I raised are incredibly subjective. There appears to be an enormous level of praise for this particular book & I am truly glad for everyone that has found enjoyment within its pages. At the end of the day, Goosebumps stories are not meant to be taken too seriously. They are written with the ludicrous & unfathomable in mind. The plots follow children around the age of 12 while they try to navigate a supernatural phenomenon that has appeared in their world. It’s hard to regard this book with any level of true displeasure because, ultimately, it’s a quirky story for kids. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Apr 10, 2022
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Mar 27, 2022
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Mass Market Paperback
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73
| 
| 083484415X
| B09J222H4J
| 4.16
| 2,256
| Apr 12, 2022
| Apr 12, 2022
|
it was amazing
|
In reading books that are intended for children I am reminded of the beauty of words. One can say so much & have words carry immense weight, without n
In reading books that are intended for children I am reminded of the beauty of words. One can say so much & have words carry immense weight, without needing every letter in the alphabet to align to do so. How refreshing & hopeful one is left feeling coming across a book such as this wherein the innermost child of many can be seen wandering amongst the pages. I am quiet & so is Emile, the main character of this poetic story that follows him as he details why he does not feel pressured to speak as others do. I do not need to write an essay formatted rationale of why it is important & valuable to have stories reflect the voices of every individual. Should you have ever found yourself humbled by the recognition that an author’s words have granted you, you have felt as I have upon reading this story. In his life, Emile wanders silently. He is not shy, he is not unsure or confused, he is simply quiet. He has parents who reassure him that the way he lives his life is perfectly fine & that he does not need to be as others are; he is enough in all the ways which make him who he is. Emile tells the reader about all the adventures he experiences in his silence; voyages across the vast expanse of the universe & meeting entities unknown. So too does he become acquainted with many of those who are overlooked by the rapidity of speech; the quiet footsteps that Emile takes allow him to meet the creatures that inhabit our world alongside us in intimate ways. Powers has made Emile a real representation of many of us & as a parent with a child who is quiet, & as a grown person who is so themselves, it is a welcome story we read through the peaceful transitions of happiness, hopefulness, love & wonder that Emile experiences in this short poetic book. Should you be seeking to reinforce the validity which is needed to those amongst us who are still growing, to confirm that it is okay to say nothing at all; that the way we communicate does not need to be in words but, with our presence & support & our diligence with showcasing love — this book is one you should invest in reading. The phenomenally painted illustrations highlight the depth which the prose seeks to emit. I am simply astounded by every piece of this book. Thank you to NetGalley, Shambhala Publications, Inc & Andie Powers for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Mar 26, 2022
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Mar 26, 2022
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Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||
127
| 
| 0374298793
| 9780374298791
| 0374298793
| 3.65
| 640
| Nov 10, 2015
| Nov 10, 2015
|
it was ok
|
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, theref
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on the sexual exploitation of a minor, domestic sexual violence, incest, the death of a minor, the rape of a minor, graphic violence, the death of an animal, suicidal ideation, terminal illness, the consequences of war, & others. What are the consequences of a lost thought? Can the brain call to mind the concept it was hoping to think or are the parameters of such a practice lost to the grey matter, swampy in its quicksand—slurping memories like Artax from the 1984 adaptation of “The NeverEnding Story”? What changes when we lose something that felt innate? Does the body harvest a memory in the muscle in the hopes of reproducing a series that plays like plastic pieces on a Monopoly board? Who are we as individuals when we have no concept of ourselves? What role do we play in the filmography of the species; one tethered by bloodshed redder than the rose’s thorn that slit the wrists of the gardener. Memory is a complicated subject because we rely so heavily on its keeper to reveal to us the secrets of its making. People lose the ability to recognize themselves in mirrors & yet request their reflections to hold the agility of exposure—flashcard truths & debonair explanations of themselves. Perhaps, it is ironic to think ourselves of such great intelligence that we might look inward & find what we cannot name & understand it. Within this book, Renner sought to pose many introspective questions to both himself & to whomsoever chose the story as material to read. To his own detriment, he included himself in the plausibility of the unknown whilst attempting to guide the reader through a series of which only he knew as lies. In this book's passages, I found myself drifting from casual annoyance to delicately luscious enjoyment. Pondering in a teeter-totter motion how I might review this book when all was finished & I came to the end of the make-believe world that so resembles my own. Ultimately, I remain in a catatonic stance. It is difficult to know where to begin & even more troublesome to attempt to explain how emaciating I found all of this to be. All the while, I wondered why everything happened the way that it did for, certainly, nothing in life is as difficult as global peace—that is simply not the world we are part of. Yet, here we have the Great Forgetting, a promise to forget everything of terror that the human species ever advocated, to move into life with a fresh set of eyes & a slate so clean, one might call upon a smoothness of brain as the only route to arrive at such sentiments. To begin, we explore the movement that set forth the implausibility of forced forgetfulness; the machine. This book is complicated to review because it ultimately studies revisionist history. It is of no surprise or shock to anyone that the history that we know to be true is only so because of the people who declared it. In a combined statement that has seeped itself into the minds of those who both, understand it & acknowledge its neutrality of truth; Robespierre’s sorrowful parables fly like magnolias in the wind. As Churchill stood in the House of Commons & restated a similar sentiment we see the trajectory of everything this book seeks to escape; the cycle. In the American world of this story, the Second World War was the cataclysm that sent humanity over the edge. Why was it not a war prior or the millions of battles fought on home soil? Why was it not the terrible acts of brutality & violence that saw such a war take place? Perhaps because the greatest villain was not the American people themselves but, a foreign entity. This I cannot state with any certainty but it is one that, ironically or not, is quite heavy-handed in its base in reality. Many people might recall the adage “stranger danger” that was initiated in the United States in the 1960s as a means of reminding children that anyone they did not know was a person unsafe to them. Unfortunately, for all those who were drowned in the untruths of such a stance, the reality revealed itself to be much more morose & detrimental. The home court places the antagonists, the villains, the evils, in the centre field & cheers for them like brothers in arms. Welcoming the perception that the people to whom we are closest cannot be the evils we see out in the world because that would make the world a very unsafe place, indeed. Just as the series of events within this story poses the same premise—that the destruction of safety, amicability, unity, & peace was brought on by the leading hands of a stranger—so too does the story cycle through the demerit of truth. The characters who endeavoured to enforce a mass forgetting did admit to participating in the evils that were taking place, though it seems, reluctantly. Perhaps, I am too gorged by the habitual tenderness that we slash like veins in the forearm but, so much of this story was difficult to stomach. Whether that was intentional or not, it seems that a greater portion of this narrative simply rehashed hard-done beliefs by people who do not venture any further than their own backyard. As wonderful as it was to see Indigenous peoples play a crucial role in the mass migration that saw them venture to another world to remain in peace, these characters were nothing but a reflected means of tossing the old to welcome the new—much as they experienced in real life. Might I reflect upon this instance as one that plays the Stradivarius to a crowd of tone-deaf onlookers as something of a great joke? I would like to think that Renner knew better than to simply have ‘Native Americans’ tossed here & there within the book to act as cushions to the terrors but, I suppose he presented this aspect much as it is present within my world; as a truth revealed in its consistency but rather ignored in it’s lack of appeal to the masses. In that same breath, it was interesting to read a revisionist account of what might have happened had the Treaties been respected. These tribes of people were granted the opportunity to move along so that the transporters of a new age might act on a scale that saw them revolutionize their own perspectives. Did these actors see fit to change what had certainly been a terribly brutal intertwining relationship because they were tired of the violence or because they could not be bothered any longer? This leads me to my next point, who decides? When I referenced Robespierre & Churchill it was not in vain. These men vocalized a truth that is often viewed as too honest, too truthful, too much a neon light over a murky swamp. Victory is known by those who title the fight. Seldom is the truth a one-way street un-walked by prior feet, muddied by the shore whence they drowned the lesser man. If one were to hope that every world leader might come together, even be in the same room, one is wandering in a dream-like state. What would have realistically led so many world leaders to the conclusion that the violence was too much? Whose history are we meant to be referencing when posed with the possibility of a Great Forgetting? Are the American people the deciders? Are we to accept that whatever they say goes; when too much has become too much for them, then, we are at an impasse? What about the people who had been victims in States uncharacteristically terrorized by the same actions that the Americans sought to evade from their reputation? Might this question have been posed when the alleged world leaders gathered to talk? I cannot believe that every single Chancellor, Prime Minister, Chief, & Chairman, came together to sit at a round table like King Arthur & decide that what had taken place was enough. I say this because we see today what happens when we believe that enough has been enough, that war need not be fought, & that violence should die like the carcasses of the brutalized. It happens again & it will keep happening. Who decided that November 11 was a day of remembrance & date which would forever highlight the end of wars? Certainly not those who came for a round two; those who were axed at the heels for their differences & faulted for being the losers. I am not here to necessarily take sides in the great expanse of human history but it is simply impractical to imagine a world without nuance. The idea of a worldwide forgetting of history so that it might be re-written with the possibility of altering human fate is, in & of itself, a complex experiment to ponder & one that requires a larger word count than I am permitted. I am not altogether convinced that a mass understanding might be underway should the topic be broached & therefore, I shall leave off here. I truly enjoyed this story, very much, up until Renner showed his hand & I became annoyed at the crassly corny nature of the plot. Firstly, had this remained a simple play on probability, I would have adored this story to the fullest. Unfortunately, it seems that the author defaulted on his own doubts when leading the reader through catacombs. Why did this story necessitate a love triangle that brought nothing but a cob of stupidity to the conclusion of the story? There was nothing redeeming about Samantha’s character but she was seemingly presented as a nucleus to the whole team. Much of what transpired vis a vis the cast of primary characters was to the detriment of the narrative at play. I do not think that any of the characters were of high enough mental intellect to fathom the Goliath of a problem they were seeking to resolve. To whom are we to reference when deciding what is right & what is wrong in the world? The group led by Jack Felter never wondered what their presence might bring the group of inhabitants of the island—they did not care to wonder. Never is there a moment when the characters pose resistance or present themselves as formidable adversaries—everything is too easy. Their decisions are juvenile & defecate on the complexity of what a more cursive reader might be able to knight in their minds. I found it brilliantly annoying to watch Jack follow suit as those men who decided that the Great Forgetting was worthwhile. This was, most probably, intentional. I would like to grant Renner the benefit of the doubt & believe that the characters were not ill-equipped because he could not write them into dimensional Spartans but because the majority of human beings are coins in the Trevi Fountain. I would have wanted less casual promiscuity in the relationship between Tony, Sam, & Jack & more in terms of their depth as individuals. Why was Tony self-serving? Why was Jack not considered self-serving when every action he took was for his own personal goal—his own idea of high morality? Why was Sam regarded as a chairman of the fragility of mankind & not as a vapid person who sought the validation of skin? Who is Nils? What made him the middle piece in a landscape puzzle that fit everything seamlessly? I didn’t know any of these people well enough to care about them & yet, it was them I was meant to follow through adventure & turmoil. The final scenes of this book saw me almost abandon my reading. I cannot find the terminology in my vocabulary to express how utterly ridiculous these scenes were. I found myself further intrigued by Scopes & could not have cared less about the entire terrorist attacks that the gang convinced themselves were the only way they would see their goals achieved. Again, maybe the point was to see Jack presented with two instances in which a large number of people would die; it was his decision that killed them. In the first instance when Scopes explained that the habitual cycle of human behaviour would see millions perish Jack was appalled. Yet, he chose an action that had zero guarantees of keeping anyone safe. He willingly drove an aeroplane into buildings he knew had thousands of people inside. When all is said & done, there were too many aspects of this book I did not think worked seamlessly into the narrative. Did Mark need to be a devious & perpetual predator against children? What conversation would have taken place between Jean & Sam after she learnt that Jean was having relations with her sexually predatory brother? Tony’s disappearance is a cinch in a long line of grievances that pose no obstacles. Samantha removing money from the accounts as though no one would know it was her was laughable—this is not, the Dark Ages, ever so much as the Great Forgetting would like them to think that it was. Had the novel followed suit with something along the veins of “The Lake House” (2006) I think that Renner might have had a true masterpiece on his hands. The story offers the reader enough information to recognize that everything they are being told is wrong & most probably is existing in the same instance as a truth; seven impossibilities like wonders, all too superb to believe. Instead, we have a question that is posed & an answer within the mind of the reader, should they seek to find it. What happens to a memory when it is lost? Does a forgotten thought, feeling, smell, experience, sound, or action ever disappear; can we really forget who we are? ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Sep 30, 2022
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Mar 16, 2022
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Hardcover
| |||||||||||||
115
| 
| B006ZLA6MU
| 3.62
| 2,363
| Feb 2012
| Feb 28, 2012
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really liked it
|
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, theref
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on the death of an animal, child endangerment, extreme graphic sexual violence against a child, psychological distress, extreme violent crimes against a child, body decomposition, self-mutilation, suicide, mental illness, grief, & others. I would like to highlight the content warning placed at the beginning of this review with great levels of severity. If you are someone for whom reading repeated instances where both graphic descriptions & dedicated insinuations regarding the abuse of children, leads to feelings of overwhelm, triggering sentiments, debilitating emotions and/or train of thought, or others; this is a book I would encourage you to put aside. The subject matter in this book deals entirely with the actions taken by sexual predators. Very little of this story does not impart mental reflection on the realities these children were forcibly subjected to throughout many years. Therefore, please be kind to yourself & do not pursue this book or my review if you are not in a position to be faced with this matter. Our story opens in the middle of an instant, a ticking time slot on the clock, the discovery of the murdered corpse of The Man From Primrose Lane. What ensues is a delectably horrific, morbidly despicable story of David Neff—an author debonair who rose to fame from the single success of his non-fiction work which brought light to the inequities of the United States Justice System & its subsequent reliance on the death penalty. Throughout the time it takes the reader to become acquainted with David we learn that we have known him all along. He was, The Man From Primrose Lane, just as he was the victim of suicide off the Y-Bridge, as well as being Uncle Ira & most probably a jumble of the men our initial main character saw throughout his life. I came upon this book, nestled snuggly, in my ever-growing list of books I want to read. This, after a long couple of weeks wherein I could not seem to get my hands on a good book; a story that would see me flying through the pages no matter the length, unaware of the passage of time. I am glad that a version of me in the past saw fit to add this book to the roster. Had I known there would be a time that my brain would be consumed by the fog of dreadfully dull stories, poor writing, terribly long-drawn-out premises without promise? I should like to say that yes, there I was wandering in the past, eager to give myself the chance to repose the streak of reading that drained me of the enthusiasm I have fostered all the years of my life. In a way, I have become familiar with this book's essence—the premonition of intention for events yet to transpire as well as the precognitive ability to impart alterations in a line that is non-linear whilst remaining transparent to the human eye. The structure that this story takes to transmit its message is gloomy, & riddled with legitimately horrific sentences. Yet, Renner weaves a tapestry that glimmers alone in the dark; blissfully wafting in a stagnant air encumbered by the forgotten memories of a lonesome entity. What the author has accomplished is phenomenal. Renner’s story takes part in the present—the one as we know it—while sifting seamlessly to a time in the past which also imparts droplets of futures yet unknown. In all the travels that the reader undertakes, there was not a single instant in which the story became jumbled—Renner clearly states his intention & follows through in a mind-bending fashion. With that being said, let us begin at the start. The Man From Primrose Lane is a man whom no one knows. He has been living at the house on Primrose Lane for a number of years uncalculatable by locals. He is seldom seen but, when he is, his hands are coated by the warm yarn of Irish knitting. His brutal murder leaves the local policing body muffled by the cause of such graphic violence. The opening scenes depict mounds of larvae swimming in the cavity forced by a bullet in the man’s chest. On the kitchen counter, squashed by razor blades of the subdued blender, are the ten fingers of the unidentifiable resident. Who would do this? There are parts of this story that might require the reader to disregard the other options available to the investigation. Perhaps, one might wonder why fingerprints were the only aspect of identification the police force sought to access. One might wonder why they did not seek dental work or perhaps collect DNA material from the man’s ear. In essence, there are particulars of the plot that saw me pondering the course of action. I do not think this ruined my sense of enjoyment nor did it leave me curious if I should trust the narrative or not. One need not live in the town of this book to understand the complexities that transpire in real-life investigations. Seldom are criminal occurrences as swiftly sealed as they might appear by the brilliantly efficient minds of “Criminal Minds” (2005). Because the identity of the deceased is hidden from the reader for the bulk of the story, the plot drives a swift left & becomes another story entirely. It was at this part where I became confused as to the length that the author was taking to recollect events that transpired during the legal proceedings of Trimble’s acquittal of the charges of the murder of a young child. Of course, everything in this story held a purpose & was certainly tied to something else, even if that particular aspect was not yet revealed. However, the middle section of this book was long—not boring or unpleasantly written but long. That being said, this sequence of events introduces the weaving through time that makes this story pointedly unique. As David Neff is faced with the possibility of endeavouring into a new crime; a new premise to include in a book, a new predator, & a new case file to solve, he remembers how all-encompassing it was for him to write his first work. Certainly, he has fond feelings of those times even if the reality differs quite starkly from the imagined experience. I would like to take this time to include the particulars of the criminal cases that take place in this story. The details of these events are severely unpleasant, dastardly, & revolting; reading about the particulars of the acts committed against children was severely disgusting. What renders stories like this to be so overwhelming is the reality that the instances depicted reflect a truth. They are not confined to the fictional world wherein we might find justice & reprieve. They exist alongside us in this world. Just as the David that we know as the main character became obsessed with the Trimble child abuse case, so too did the David of the past. Every version of David saw him become, literally & technically speaking, obsessed with a young girl who was murdered by a serial killer & violent sexual predator of children. What draws interest within these moments is the oblivious nature that David—in all his alternatives—maintains. Just as we read about David’s overwhelming dedication to being linked romantically to Elizabeth, so too do we see him delve head-first into an aspect of reality for which he is unprepared. Ultimately, the good that David seeks to achieve is what leads the reader to follow his actions. It is not appealing to read about a man bewitched with the details of sexually violent crimes against children, for no reason in particular. What renders these cases so inspiring as to lead David to travel through time with the intent of saving this child? Perhaps this question is better left unanswered for in a different timeline, we see David seek a sexual relationship with the girls who grew into women, having been saved by the alternative David. This might be confusing but, simplistically speaking, Renner incorporates details of Chaos Theory into the plot that linger whilst asking the reader to face a constant overwhelm of moral dilemmas. If we are to follow some of the more condensed explanations of Chaos Theory we know that for every action there is a reaction—we know this thanks to Newton’s Law of Motion. Therefore, a child is killed which sets in motion the synapses in David’s brain that engage his desires for involvement; leading him to act in ways that promote travel through time. When David saves the child that he became obsessed with knowing, the equal & opposite reaction is, that in another timeline an alternative series of events takes place. By saving the child David became obsessed with ultimately gifting himself the ability to fall in love—or infatuation, whichever way you choose to describe his behaviour—with this same person in an alternative timeline. The problem that arises with these scenarios is that we are faced with the impossibility of highlighting an antagonist. Is it wrong for David to love Elizabeth when he actively sought to save her & her twin sister, Elaine, for over 30 years in an alternative timeline? Does that make some form of his mental state as sick for, in all the time he knew Elizabeth for the bulk of his existence to ensure that she survived, she was a child? How can we grant ourselves permission to accept that David’s infatuation with Elizabeth was healthy & not as wildly inappropriate as the predatory stalking that took place by the serial killer? Elizabeth had no free will. Her actions were dictated by what David chose to do & how he chose to behave. In every timeline, David is the driving force behind the explosive wingspan of the butterfly. As if to reinforce this, every interaction David has with a woman is drenched in sexual proclivities. This would be my main qualm with the book given I found the interactions to be as wildly unfounded as could be. For example, the first instance in which Elizabeth & David have a ‘proper’ conversation is during a debate in the class wherein the subject matter of the ‘American Dream’ is put forward & whether or not this is an achievable feat. After they both leave the classroom in a dramatic fashion, David proclaims his love for Elizabeth based solely on the aspects of her that he noticed—none of which are who she is. Elizabeth’s actions are dictated by the world around her & given that David is flying through time a thousand times over, it is not wrong to deduce that much of her actions—coping mechanisms, reactions, behaviours—are founded as a result on a decision that David made. He is in love with the person he shaped Elizabeth to be. This is even more dreadful given the total lack of awareness that David sustains throughout his relationship with Elizabeth who exhibits severe levels of Depression. I am not in a position to comment on the accurate depiction of Depression from either a professional or personal standpoint. However, what I am trying to say is that the introverted nature of Elizabeth’s dissociation from the social world, her clearly necessitated daily structures, her habits, & her reliance on familiarity, all exude a mental state that does not foster calm & healthy living. When Elizabeth’s mother asks David how he hadn’t known that she was mentally ill, he said he just thought she was sad because ultimately, David is not here—in any capacity—because he cares for the people these women are. David is here because he wants to solve a mystery, he wants to be right, & he wants to feel fulfilled in the face of a challenging opponent. The women in this story are calamities that simply get abused, killed, married, deranged, etc. Katy’s character is simply a caricature of Elizabeth. I’m still unsure as to whether or not I was meant to believe that Katy’s blatant talk about ‘jerking off to her Facebook pictures’ was said in irony or earnest. What was the purpose of including Katy’s character in the story except to have a person who grovelled at David’s feet, always wanting to be around for no reason in particular? What aspect of David’s character enticed her in the least? I suppose that what I found to be annoying about these interactions was the fact that all the women were empty—that is probably the goal of this story. Regardless, it was tiring to read about because I wanted the plot to move forward, I didn’t want to have to try & figure out why Katy would be naked with a man who was experiencing medical withdrawal. In tandem with the exploration of moral conundrums posed by the ability to change devastating events, the reader is shown the disparity between what people view as a sober mind & a rotting carcass—the mind of the mentally ill. David is initially accused of murdering his wife—whom we are told was found dead in a car crash but whose neck was evidently strangled…bizarre that no one noted that during the original autopsy but, I digress—because he is not emotionally evocative when told that she has died. During this time, David is on medication set to regulate his emotions due to being diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). While in court, in an attempt to bring justice to the crimes of continued child abductions & murder, David’s testimony & research is invalidated because he was experiencing PTSD throughout the research process & it is therefore deemed inadmissible because he was not in his ‘right mind’. Though some of the aspects of this discourse are presented in extreme ways they are not untrue. There remains a stigma about mental illness that sees people ostracized for things that are set against them, literally what is stuck in the membrane of their most important organ. It is not wrong to admit to needing help, such as David did in court. The jury deemed it wrong in the face of a person for whom circumstantial evidence pointed in excess to their involvement in violent crimes against children. Yet, those crimes were less important than defaming someone who was experiencing mental illness. How much do we value the freedom we have in this life? If we could, what would we change? Would our alterations be accepted? Or would our efforts for a better world be scoffed at by those who view the world in a different way than us? Ultimately, I found this book to be grisly, repugnant, vulgar, & sickening, in the most enthralling way. I am glad to have read this story. I am glad for the effort that is done in this life; those moments of déjà vu. The instances wherein the moral high ground is simply a stilt to the left rather than a Goliath hill to climb. Just as David returned hundreds of times to fix the past, & alter the occurrence of terrible crimes, so too did those around him restart. A new portrait to paint, a new story to write, another day on the job, another missing person. In all the days of our lives, there will be presented to us, riddles, poems, illustrations, & melody, a demand to decode a series of events that have not yet been exposed to us; hidden in the tomorrow of yesterday by the version of ourselves that remembers familiarity, hoping that the intentions we take set the precedence for a more enjoyable today. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
|
Aug 25, 2022
|
Mar 16, 2022
|
Kindle Edition
| |||||||||||||||
70
| 
| B0B61X465R
| unknown
| 3.92
| 821
| unknown
| unknown
|
liked it
|
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, theref
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on the repercussions of war, financial insecurity, grief, physical disabilities, discrimination based on physical ailments, bigotry, & others. In a seaside village recovering from the losses caused by World War II, Olive finds herself grieving the loss of another member of her family, her mother. Orphaned in her late thirties, Olive is unsure of how to proceed. Since the passing of Donald, her brother, in Dunkirk, she has seen her family deteriorate & pass on; facing the world on her own after having remained stagnant her entire life, she is at a loss of where to go to move forward. At the arrival of Margery, her childhood friend, a series of events unfold which sees the main character & a slew of others walk through the doors to Mersea House wherein a surrogate family for all those in transition, seeking final repose, & those in need of love, find themselves settled. This is a book that will very certainly not be for everyone. I say this with no ill-will but, nothing happens in the story. The entirety of the plot is focused on Olive & her repositioning herself in life after being faced with the death of her mother whom she had been caring for. The reader moves through her habitual actions as the housekeeper at Mersea House, which was transformed into a boarding house by Margery, having had it bestowed upon her by her late uncle Milkey. The lodgers, the townsfolk & the primary characters all join together to ensure that this story flows in such a way as to ease any worries the reader might have when entering their fictional world. Any obstacles presented throughout the plot are lessened by the overall sentiment that the author has induced within the story; that of tranquillity, hope, calm & tenderness. I greatly enjoyed reading this book, however, it is not one you choose should you be seeking a plot-driven story. For example, Juniper has had both her parents pass away in a number of years & finds herself at Mersea House as Margery’s ward. Much of her stay at the house presents the uncertainty of Child Services approving Margery as an appropriate guardian for Juniper. The obstacle presented reflects the possibility that Juniper would be taken back into foster care. Though this possibility is real, it resides alongside other questions the reader might pose & yet not have answered. Such as, why was Margery chosen to be the guardian of her ex-lover’s child. Would Child Protective Services (CPS) allow Olive to adopt Juniper from Margery’s care whilst the case is not completed? There are other such questions that are left unanswered by the end of the book but, as it stands, it appears that Wingate may have left the ending of the book open for the possibility of a second instalment. Should this be the case, I will eagerly await the follow-up. I do not wish to dissuade anyone from choosing to read this book, however, I think that highlighting certain points remains important as, I myself, wondered if something more was going to happen during my read. This does not take away from the enjoyment of reading a story in which nothing ‘bad’ interrupts the flow of the story but, this is not something that every person might seek to want to read & that’s okay. Overall, I found this book to be a breath of fresh air. I adored Olive & rooted for her success from the start. She is a character who is easy to love; she is kind, thoughtful, well-spoken, self-sufficient, motivated & independent. These are qualities I like to see reflected in female characters — someone who is strong-willed without being a bully — & in the 1957 setting, it was wonderful to see a full cast of characters approach topics such as sexuality, parenthood, marital status, etc. in progressive ways. I suppose we might have our own society looked on by future generations with a similar sense to the one we hold for those of the past. It’s easy to assume that the lump sum of people thought or acted a certain way & I’m sure many of them did, such as many still do to this day. However, for the sake of those people who did stand with reason, & for the sake of those who did live differently than the ‘norm’, I am glad to see a story reflect happiness on to their narratives. I am glad to have read a book in which I found myself eager to peek into the lives of lovely characters & their cozy seaside abodes. Thank you to NetGalley, Alcove Press & Marty Wingate for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Mar 16, 2022
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Mar 16, 2022
|
Audiobook
| ||||||||||||||
74
| 
| 0439568455
| 9780439568456
| 0439568455
| 3.69
| 21,522
| Jul 1992
| Jan 01, 1992
|
really liked it
|
In this second instalment of the Goosebumps series, Margaret & Casey notice their father becoming reclusive after his recent dismissal from the Univer
In this second instalment of the Goosebumps series, Margaret & Casey notice their father becoming reclusive after his recent dismissal from the University. These young siblings find themselves questioning how their adult father can spend so many hours locked away in their basement; avoiding sunlight, meals, & time with his children, they grow worrisome towards his newfound behaviours. Yet, it is with all the courage they can muster that they endeavour to discover the truth behind the DNA experiments their dad is conducting downstairs. There is really nothing for me to say about this book beyond stating how extraordinary it is. As a big science geek (if you will)—one who is not educationally invested in the field but who has spent many a long hour reading studies & historical papers—I found this book to be a delicious introduction to the world of genetics. Given the book’s publication took place in 1992, I appreciate that the subject matter was still gathering traction & was certainly not a simple matter to endeavour to incorporate into a book for younger audiences. Yet, Stine was able to seamlessly induce a horror that all might recognize without requiring his audience to be scientists themselves. The aspect that I appreciated the most in this book was the relationship that siblings, Margaret & Casey, had with each other. Being left to their own devices more often than not, we see them lean on one another for comfort, to incite discussion & for support. It’s rather refreshing & nice to read about young siblings who recognize the importance of their relationship with one another & in tune make sure that they do their utmost to respect each other. That is not to say that this book does not have the occasional quip; certain terms are tossed around to tease a character. Regardless, nothing is done in animosity. Both characters are strong-willed, fully developed & intelligent. I am eagerly making my way through the Goosebumps book series & with every book that I read, I am reminded of how wonderful it is to feel fear, hidden in the words on a page, howsoever simple the terror might present itself as being. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Mar 27, 2022
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Mar 11, 2022
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Paperback
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79
| 
| B08JM1BZ8J
| 3.70
| 7,430
| Aug 03, 2021
| Aug 03, 2021
|
it was ok
|
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, theref
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on ideations of bigotry, the suicide of a minor, depictions of slavery, sexual assault of a minor, body mutilation, graphic depictions of rape, graphic depictions of body mutilation, child endangerment, parental neglect, racially motivated crime, & others. Lucky are those who have escaped the confrontation of guilt that sequesters itself deep within the soul. Luckier still are those who have found their way through life without turning back; driven forward by the ability that never necessitates their recollection of first-hand experiences from the past. Should you be amongst those few human beings within our species who do not feel pangs from a time past, I suppose you might view this story as a revolutionary take on a horrific series of events. However, should you find yourself being a person who comes from a people who have lived, overcome or experienced horrid events this story might require you to put aside your personal experiences to follow the privileged ignorance of the main character as she becomes aware of the reality of the human condition; violence has been at the forefront of much of what we know, whether or not we choose to admit it’s volatility. Before endeavouring further into this review I want to encourage any reader to heed the content warning that I put in the introduction. This review will not be delving into detailed critiques of the events that transpired on the Woodsman Plantation but it is important that you know that these events were written about in graphic detail within the book. I will not be critiquing the authenticity of these events. That is to say, I shall not be giving my opinion of their ties to reality as this is not my place. Suffice it to say that I do highlight this particular aspect of the book because atrocities such as the ones depicted in this fictional story have transpired in the past, as well, they take place to this day. Though the events within this plot are pieced together in close sequence to highlight the terror that each character experienced as well as the innate fear felt by Mira as she watched, the human species has known a great deal of violence throughout the years which has presented itself strategically within every group of people. The fictionalized depictions reside in the plot to encourage the ties to the genre but these events also reside heartily in reality. Should the depictions of torture, mutilation, physical violence, graphic abuse, & sexual violence—towards adults & minors—be subject matters that you do not feel able to read about at present, I encourage you to pass on this book. I find the Horror genre one that is difficult to write. I should not ever seek to write a review that looks past the exquisite talent that is required to successfully write a book that flourishes in the Horror genre. With that being said, there are also steps that can be taken to avoid having a book nestled within a genre filled with readers such as myself who find it tedious to read a book that sets itself a task of dedicated world-building whereas the true horror of the plot could have been incorporated with greater force. That is to say, the plot of this book involves Mira, a Black girl who grew up in the town of Kipsen, leaving for college & never looking back at the experiences she had as a child. Mira had two best friends, Jesse—a Black boy—& Celine—a White girl—, both of whom were poor kids who had less than stellar home lives & found comfort in the relationships they held with each other. The Horror genre is one I revel in reading. I enjoy allowing my mind to craft the details given to me, to form a moving picture in my brain that allows me to place myself within the story. Unfortunately, I did not find myself being allowed nor encouraged to do so here. The first qualm I have with this book is the writing style. McQueen ties the plot together with a series of repetitions that render the book to stall heavily in its advancement & quell the ability of the story to exasperate a reader with worry. This is seen in every chapter in which we have to read about something innately obvious. For example, we have several chapters in which Mira is walking around the Plantation on the eve of Celine’s wedding. She notes that all the visitors to the Plantation are people with white skin & that all the ‘employees’ are people with black skin. She remarks that she has not come across any other visitor on the grounds who is Black. This is exhibited to us through the emotional toll this takes on Mira’s mental state as she wanders alone. Yet, while Jesse & Mira are having lunch we read about this, all over again. Mira would have had to be blind or willfully ignorant not to take notice that she was the only Black person not on the grounds under the pretence of ‘work’. Why did we have to read about her taking note of this a second time after spending a couple of chapters reading about her doing just that? McQueen writes as though the reader were unable to grasp the obvious while simultaneously making Mira a character who is unable to do that herself. Having the main character contain the emotional depth of a rain puddle leads the story to falter enormously. Mira wanders around a Plantation that hosts ‘reenactments’ of slave labour & I cannot help but wonder that she would even come back to a place that she sought to readily escape. I wonder that the two (2) main Black characters acted as though they had never lived a day as a Black person in the United States, in all their lives. We see them intend to attend a wedding for a person that they do not know in their adult years—a childhood friend—because this person asked them to come. What did this add to the story? By this I mean, it is hinted at that Celine always got her way but what was the intention of having people you didn’t keep in touch with, attend your wedding? I understand that this is a particularity of the story & one I should simply accept at face value but, I struggle to link logic to many of the decisions made by any & all of the characters in this story. 1Jesse deciding to become ‘employed’ at the Plantation in the hopes of seeing ghosts was a bit banal. What did his worry bring him to in the end, he never saw anyone & instead ‘worked' at a place that he hated because he was held back by his own inability to grow as a person. I am not diminishing that the accusations against him as a teenager were horrible but, it has now been over 10 years since that transpired & Jesse remains on the Plantation in the hopes of seeing a paranormal apparition. This reads as being very sad to me. Mira comes to the Plantation to see Celine & to once again attempt to rekindle a flame that she never vocalized; a love for Jesse that he did not know existed. Yet, Mira is also the most absurdly ignorant person in all the land that I could not grasp the intention in making her the main character & simultaneously the character on whose shoulders the advancement of the plot rested. Mira sees ghosts galore & never once did it dawn on her that any of these things transpired. Did you really need to physically see someone getting skinned alive to believe that it happened? I am aware that much of history is hidden from many. Maybe I am lucky to be aware of so much & have the tools to know where to look to become further informed. But, this leads me back to my original point. Mira had literal family ties to the slaves on the Woodsman Plantation. Many people who have been prevented from connecting to their roots, their family & their heritage, finding it overwhelming to find a starting point. Yet, here is Mira who knows where her family is, albeit, allegedly buried & she takes that information & does nothing with it. She has to literally be placed in the position of a woman on the brink of being raped by the owner of the Plantation to understand that these things happened. I am left feeling baffled. Why was she so incompetent? Why as a Black person did she never glean that the hardships her mother imposed on her as a child to appear ‘clean’ & ‘tidy’ to call on the better nature of social compliance, were coming from a place of lived reality? She lived in a town that was populated by descendants of the Tobacco Plantation, I do not understand her insane levels of ignorance. To top this off we read about Mira & Jesse discussing whether or not they should leave all the wedding guests to be butchered by the ghosts of the slaves on the Plantation ground. Again, how are you not piecing together that as two Black people you would obviously be accused of the crimes? How are you not thinking of the well-being of the ‘employees’ who are also Black & who would be accused of the crime? Why was no one thinking about the obvious? Yet again, we read about seemingly flamboyantly clear events that are going to take place without any of the characters being able to piece these together themselves. I don’t understand why this was entertained as a notion within the story. Jesse was accused of homicide as a teenager & everyone seems to think he did in fact kill Mr. Loomis. Why would you put yourself in the position to be blamed for another murder? Speaking of which, I am astounded that Celine’s murder was touched on so quickly, as though it wasn’t an important factor of the book at all. I had originally appreciated the introduction of varying perspectives of poverty from children that grew up in the same town but quickly became annoyed at the approach that was taken to deal with all the characters. Mira hints that Celine was most probably experiencing physical & sexual abuse at the hands of her father. As an adult, she is simply repulsed that Celine would have her own tormentor attend the wedding yet here is Mira doing the same thing; coming to the grounds for a celebration where her ancestors were kept as slaves. Celine was about as shallow as a character could come. We know nothing about her save for her descriptors of physical attributes; she’s pretty & she’s White--the end. The seeming refusal to add any depth to the characters in this book prevented me from feeling any level of sympathy towards them. From the way the crime scene was described, Celine was probably sexually assaulted after her murder, yet we never touch on this. Her fiancé is simply off in the sunset doing whatever it is murderers do while on the lamb & we never hear about it again. Oh, but don’t worry, Celine’s father is dead so all’s well that ends well…. McQueen had a tremendous idea when they thought of writing this story. They could have crafted a terror from the drums of reality into a fictional world where a character was struggling to move past the detriment caused to him by a false accusation; the morbid nightmares imposed on another character by gleaming the morose ghost of the Plantation owner; the stutter of a character who relied on what was abused of her as a child in a world that treated her by face value. Incorporating the girth of this plot into a book that encouraged every character to be well-developed, settled entities in the storyline allows the reader to surrender their awareness to be totally encompassed by the story. By littering the book with repetitions & flashbacks that touch on situations we already knew the ending to (i.e. the knife on Mrs. Woodsman’s throat—we knew she outlived her husband), robs the story of the validity that it carries & ultimately leaves one pinning for the end in a book that showcases the brutal termination of those without control over the narrative. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Apr 25, 2022
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Mar 09, 2022
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Kindle Edition
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my rating |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
86
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| 4.36
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it was ok
|
May 10, 2022
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May 10, 2022
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|||||
83
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| 4.36
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really liked it
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May 03, 2022
|
May 03, 2022
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|||||
81
|
| 3.97
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it was amazing
|
Apr 29, 2022
|
Apr 29, 2022
|
|||||
80
|
| 4.36
|
it was amazing
|
Apr 26, 2022
|
Apr 26, 2022
|
|||||
98
|
| 3.91
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liked it
|
Jun 23, 2022
|
Apr 18, 2022
|
|||||
82
|
| 4.20
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liked it
|
May 02, 2022
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Apr 16, 2022
|
|||||
101
|
| 3.78
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it was amazing
|
Jul 16, 2022
|
Apr 15, 2022
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|||||
129
|
| 4.01
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did not like it
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Oct 13, 2022
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Apr 11, 2022
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|||||
105
|
| 3.67
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really liked it
|
Jul 29, 2022
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Apr 10, 2022
|
|||||
100
|
| 4.29
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did not like it
|
Jul 12, 2022
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Apr 04, 2022
|
|||||
114
|
| 3.63
|
did not like it
|
Aug 20, 2022
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Apr 01, 2022
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|||||
76
|
| 4.40
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it was amazing
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Mar 30, 2022
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Mar 30, 2022
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|||||
75
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| 3.89
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did not like it
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Mar 28, 2022
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Mar 28, 2022
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|||||
78
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| 3.53
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it was ok
|
Apr 10, 2022
|
Mar 27, 2022
|
|||||
73
|
| 4.16
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it was amazing
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Mar 26, 2022
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Mar 26, 2022
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|||||
127
|
| 3.65
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it was ok
|
Sep 30, 2022
|
Mar 16, 2022
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|||||
115
|
| 3.62
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really liked it
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Aug 25, 2022
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Mar 16, 2022
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|||||
70
|
| 3.92
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liked it
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Mar 16, 2022
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Mar 16, 2022
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|||||
74
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| 3.69
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really liked it
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Mar 27, 2022
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Mar 11, 2022
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|||||
79
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| 3.70
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it was ok
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Apr 25, 2022
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Mar 09, 2022
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