Nameless This is one of those books that I've been wanting, no - DYING, to read. The title, the cover, the summary, it all sounded so juicy and amazinNameless This is one of those books that I've been wanting, no - DYING, to read. The title, the cover, the summary, it all sounded so juicy and amazing and I just needed to read it.
At the same time it also ended up falling into another category - books that ended up disappointing me and confusing the heck out of me as well. Already about a quarter of the way in I could feel that this book and I weren't working the way I thought we would and I kept asking "WHY?"
The one plus side of this one was its cast of characters, namely Cami, Ruby, and Ellie. I loved their personalities and the plot that surrounded Cami - at least, I loved it until the "big reveal", which wasn't as big as I anticipated it to be. Ruby and Ellie were also rewritten versions of two fairy tale characters and their personalities were spot on, I think, compared to the original ones, and it's so pleasant to see an author breath a breath of fresh air into some well loved and familiar characters. Nico I was somewhat iffy about, and most of the other characters I didn't develop much of an opinion of, while some like the Seven I didn't understand even when I finished reading, which brings me to the one big downfall of this book:
THE WORLD-BUILDING. It wouldn't be fair to say it was non-existent, but it was rather limited. I barely got my head around the concepts of Twists, Charmers, and jacks, after they came up several times throughout the story. Other terms, like The Kiss, or Borrowing, or what exactly happened to leaders of the Family when they passed on and became Elders/the Seven, or even what the heck was this "whiskey and calf" that kept appearing several times as a small detail. The geography of this dystopian world was the one thing I'd say was non-existent. Yes, you have the rich areas and the Twisted areas where the poor layer lived, but beyond that I had no understanding of the concept the author was pushing forward. The same goes with the history of this world and what was known as "The Reeve" that occurred, from what I understood, after the First World War and was sparked by Tesla. I'm not surprised though if what I understood was, in fact, wrong, but that just goes to show how poorly these concepts were laid out for the reader's understanding.
Another thing though that I enjoyed was the twist that was put on the original story and that, in fact, this was a dystopian version of THE ORIGINAL tale, where there was also the hairpin and the satin ribbon/choker, both of which are commonly omitted from retellings of Snow White. The concept was by far the most original and interesting one that I've seen, and it saddens me that the world building and high level of confusion I felt while reading prevented me from enjoying this book as much as I thought I would. I mean you have an emotional ending, a main character that has a dark past and pains and does break down at times but at the same time also has a backbone and strength of will and the heart.
I will be reading the next book in the series - "Wayfarer" - to see if (hopefully) the level of confusion will decrease and if the wonderful personalities of the characters will be preserved. I also want to find out more about Ellie and Ruby as characters and for that I will persevere. This one, however, ended up to be much duller than the gem I hoped to find.
Merged review:
Nameless This is one of those books that I've been wanting, no - DYING, to read. The title, the cover, the summary, it all sounded so juicy and amazing and I just needed to read it.
At the same time it also ended up falling into another category - books that ended up disappointing me and confusing the heck out of me as well. Already about a quarter of the way in I could feel that this book and I weren't working the way I thought we would and I kept asking "WHY?"
The one plus side of this one was its cast of characters, namely Cami, Ruby, and Ellie. I loved their personalities and the plot that surrounded Cami - at least, I loved it until the "big reveal", which wasn't as big as I anticipated it to be. Ruby and Ellie were also rewritten versions of two fairy tale characters and their personalities were spot on, I think, compared to the original ones, and it's so pleasant to see an author breath a breath of fresh air into some well loved and familiar characters. Nico I was somewhat iffy about, and most of the other characters I didn't develop much of an opinion of, while some like the Seven I didn't understand even when I finished reading, which brings me to the one big downfall of this book:
THE WORLD-BUILDING. It wouldn't be fair to say it was non-existent, but it was rather limited. I barely got my head around the concepts of Twists, Charmers, and jacks, after they came up several times throughout the story. Other terms, like The Kiss, or Borrowing, or what exactly happened to leaders of the Family when they passed on and became Elders/the Seven, or even what the heck was this "whiskey and calf" that kept appearing several times as a small detail. The geography of this dystopian world was the one thing I'd say was non-existent. Yes, you have the rich areas and the Twisted areas where the poor layer lived, but beyond that I had no understanding of the concept the author was pushing forward. The same goes with the history of this world and what was known as "The Reeve" that occurred, from what I understood, after the First World War and was sparked by Tesla. I'm not surprised though if what I understood was, in fact, wrong, but that just goes to show how poorly these concepts were laid out for the reader's understanding.
Another thing though that I enjoyed was the twist that was put on the original story and that, in fact, this was a dystopian version of THE ORIGINAL tale, where there was also the hairpin and the satin ribbon/choker, both of which are commonly omitted from retellings of Snow White. The concept was by far the most original and interesting one that I've seen, and it saddens me that the world building and high level of confusion I felt while reading prevented me from enjoying this book as much as I thought I would. I mean you have an emotional ending, a main character that has a dark past and pains and does break down at times but at the same time also has a backbone and strength of will and the heart.
I will be reading the next book in the series - "Wayfarer" - to see if (hopefully) the level of confusion will decrease and if the wonderful personalities of the characters will be preserved. I also want to find out more about Ellie and Ruby as characters and for that I will persevere. This one, however, ended up to be much duller than the gem I hoped to find....more
"In the Wake" is a book you read generously, taking in Sharpe's words rather than trying to extract meaning out of them. The writing is fantastic, whi"In the Wake" is a book you read generously, taking in Sharpe's words rather than trying to extract meaning out of them. The writing is fantastic, which makes the reading itself enjoyable, even though the subject matter is upsetting (and triggering, depending on the reader). Sharpe demonstrates the kind of ethical scholarship that is rooted in empathy and the politics of care that should be practices more, especially in areas of critical theory. The four key concepts Sharpe puts forth in the book -- the wake, the ship, the hold, and weather -- are all defined in various ways, but there isn't a single stable definition like one might expect to find in a dictionary or certain other forms of critical/academic writing. This is an approach Sharpe actively resists, as simply codifying and condensing is to perpetuate the system of oppression and denial of Black life that "In the Wake" is specifically pointing to....more
Because I am picking up this book having already read works on posthumanism and some texts on extinction, there were things that Heise discusses that Because I am picking up this book having already read works on posthumanism and some texts on extinction, there were things that Heise discusses that were already familiar to me, which means there were lengthy sections of the book that I could look over and nod along to without worrying about whether I was reading closely or not. I still think the concept of the "charismatic megafauna" is the biggest takeaway from this book, one I keep referencing in classes and my own work. The rest of the book is enjoyable to read. I did not always spend too much time on the literary discussion and analysis because I was more interested in the framing argument Heise was employing for her ideas. It is a very accessible text, balancing theory with more specific discussions of select literary and cultural examples. ...more
MacAskill's handling of Greek myth was a reminder that there are still innovative approaches to engaging with material that might otherwise seem overuMacAskill's handling of Greek myth was a reminder that there are still innovative approaches to engaging with material that might otherwise seem overused or done to the point of banality. Intimate and haunting collection....more
I heard a lot about this text and was excited to have a reason to read it as part of my field exams. I liked the format and the way Marder mixes the pI heard a lot about this text and was excited to have a reason to read it as part of my field exams. I liked the format and the way Marder mixes the personal/autofictional with the nonfictional/lightly theoretical. This is also a text that was much more personal than I expected it to be because of the subject matter and my cultural background....more
This isn't what I was expecting. The synopsis for this book is accurate but led me to believe there was something more to it. In fact, when the bear sThis isn't what I was expecting. The synopsis for this book is accurate but led me to believe there was something more to it. In fact, when the bear showed up, I kept waiting for some kind of twist, that the bear would have a hidden meaning or alternative form. Even before that, (view spoiler)[ when the man is bitten and receives the infection from which he ultimately dies, I kept waiting for the creature that bit him to turn out to be something more, almost like the Morlocks from H.G. Wells' The Time Machine (hide spoiler)]. I like adult fairytales, but this was too simplistic. It had a bit of the atmosphere of Sweettooth (the TV show - I have not read the comics) but I liked Sweettooth better. It was less...naive? The Bear is a charming book but it doesn't feel like it gives much. The descriptions of nature feel pretty straightforward, the idea of living with nature and listening to it also very surface level. There are a lot of books, movies, and games that feel like they touch on specific themes from this book but go in-depth. It's no a bad read, just not a particularly engaging one. It's easy to monotonously get to the end (which comes very quickly and is also, in some ways, unsatisfying) and put the book away without feeling a lasting impression. Maybe I've just taken in more apocalypse narratives than I realize and have already found my "type."...more
Official academic book review forthcoming. On a more personal level, Breathing Aesthetics was a compelling text, both in its subject matter and also iOfficial academic book review forthcoming. On a more personal level, Breathing Aesthetics was a compelling text, both in its subject matter and also in how it was written. Tremblay's writing is accessible - they regularly signpost and I was especially interested in the more personal tone they occasionally used in certain parts of the book. It made Breathing Aesthetics feel like a living text, something that can expand and breath rather than being constrained by stiff academic conventions. Breathing Aesthetics feels like it will be a foundational text that will be referred to and built on and I myself am excited to revisit it in the future. ...more
Two astounding parallel journeys -one moving directionally down, the other up - that intersect at many points. McCrae's use of language and imagery isTwo astounding parallel journeys -one moving directionally down, the other up - that intersect at many points. McCrae's use of language and imagery is unparalleled in this collection. There are so many moments where one wants to linger, to visualize the lines (especially in the closing poem, "The Ladder to Heaven") but also let the words sink in in their beauty and terror. ...more
I don't think Baggott knew how to end this series. "Burn" undoes many of the things that "Pure" and "Fuse" set out to do. It made Partridge into a chaI don't think Baggott knew how to end this series. "Burn" undoes many of the things that "Pure" and "Fuse" set out to do. It made Partridge into a character I loathed by the end and went the predictable route with Iralene in making her a manipulative, even scheming, character. The worst part for me was I could tell what Baggott was trying to do. "Burn" tries to introduce a complex ethical dilemma about what to do with the Pures and the notion that survival often means that SOMEONE must die. But it didn't work. At all. Similarly, Baggott throws away a lot of the world building up to this point. Ireland and the ending of the second book virtually don't matter, making the flight across the Atlantic and back feel rather pointless. Pressia's father, the plot twists with Ellery Willux that kept springing up from around every corner towards the end of the book; "Burn" is a big and, frankly, burning mess. This probably should've been a four book series instead of a trilogy - it's clear all of the things that Baggott was trying to do but couldn't, and that's what made this book all the more upsetting to read. I liked the ending, even agreed with it - but I felt none of the satisfaction or emotional closure, even from such a cliffhanger of an ending, when virtually everything preceding it was contrived, when the romance between Pressia and Bradwell was spoiled by predictable YA relationship archetypes. It took me years to pick this book up, and only after I reread the two previous ones. I probably wouldn't have minded "Burn" as much if I'd read it when it came out c. 2016, but I've read a lot since then and have a better sense of when an author rushed through the ending because they didn't know how to ease the reader down from the high of the original premise. I think "Burn" is now going to be one of the biggest examples of that for me....more
"My motherland is a raw yolk inside a Faberge egg./ This yolk is what gives gold its color." ("An Attempt at Genealogy," 21)
As well as having beautifu"My motherland is a raw yolk inside a Faberge egg./ This yolk is what gives gold its color." ("An Attempt at Genealogy," 21)
As well as having beautiful lines that stop the reader in their tracks and make them contemplate - as in the quote above, which made me suck my breath in because of how personally it hit - "Music for the Dead and Resurrected" is also rich in affect. There is an atmosphere that hangs over the poems that's impossible to describe. I think part of it is because of how masterfully Mort uses repetition, integrating the same words, phrases, lines across several poems to form links. Even when the same poem repeats the same image - the first example that comes to mind is "State of Light: 1986" - it is a testament to Mort's power as a poet that the poems do not suffer from this. It doesn't feel like repetition but takes on a quality of haunting. I was lost in this collection, marveling at the poems as well as thinking about how some of what Mort describes echoes what I learned from my parents about Ukrainian history. The overlap made the reading experience personal and that much more impactful, but even for those with no knowledge or connection to the events that Mort describes, the poems themselves are enough to make you fall head-over-heels....more
I little different in tone and effect than his other books, "Letters to Camondo" is a book about working things through, which also highlights the powI little different in tone and effect than his other books, "Letters to Camondo" is a book about working things through, which also highlights the powerful possibilities of the epistolary genre. It really helps to have read "The Hare with the Amber Eyes," as de Wall references to the events in it a lot, so while this is by no means a "sequel," the continuity is certainly present. Similarly, having read "The White Road" and some of his exhibition catalogues, or even having heard him speak about art, also contextualizes de Waal's astute observation skills, his ability to see and feel and describe a level of materiality that most would find very difficult to see but which is nonetheless there. Another touching and beautifully written book. I will probably read anything and everything de Waal publishes at this point, it is just too heartwarming and moving from an artistic as well as historical perspective....more
A bit sloppy, mostly from the perspective of copyediting and accuracy (ex. "glory to mankind" was replaced with "glory to man" in this book). "Memory A bit sloppy, mostly from the perspective of copyediting and accuracy (ex. "glory to mankind" was replaced with "glory to man" in this book). "Memory Cage" and "Memory Thorn" could easily have been one story, just told differently. I enjoyed "A Much Too Silent Sea" for what it added to the background info of Nier: Automata but was a bit let down by the ending, which just repeats what those familiar with the game already know about the human server on the moon. A lot of these felt like rehashes and only slight expansions of things that were already known from the game, so this book is probably better for those who haven't/aren't planning to play the game, which means stories like the last one about Emil will summarize that quest/narrative arc for them. The only one that I feel like was near-perfect was "Small Flowers," which gave a glimpse into a different side of machines that is somewhere between good and evil, simply interested in learning from the world....more
I have...no words for what I just read, hence the lack of a rating. This reminded me a bit of "The Vegetarian" but much darker. It would probably be nI have...no words for what I just read, hence the lack of a rating. This reminded me a bit of "The Vegetarian" but much darker. It would probably be nice to add triggers to the beginning of this book, as some reviewers have done in their reviews. The synopsis of the book doesn't convey just how much of a dark thriller this book is, that it deals not just with the theme of society's standards/expectations, particularly of women, but also overlooks the fact that there is rape, incest, gore, and cannibalism, the last of which occurs within the last ~10 pages of the novel. The one thing I liked that Murata did was how she framed the idea of being "broken," the way that Natsuki talks about her mouth and right ear as being "broken" and not tasting or seeing after the sexual abuse and gaslighting that she endured. The hedgehog plushy was another great elements, the 'message' it represented. But it was all wrapped up in a novel that was so medal-to-the-metal that I don't think I can talk about its literary merits without feeling thoroughly disturbed. Recommended to people with stronger stomachs and psyches, who can perhaps talk about it by disentangling the violence from the ideas?...more
“The Rain Heron” is more of a couple of character studies, an exploration of the human condition, than it is a straightforward narrative. What I got i“The Rain Heron” is more of a couple of character studies, an exploration of the human condition, than it is a straightforward narrative. What I got is not what I expected based from the blurb, which made it sounds like it would be more of a dystopian quasi-fabulist tale told in a relatively linear way. While parts zero and one adhered to this initial expectation, it was after finishing part two and beginning part three that I realized I was wrong. Arnott hops around from third- to first-person, from a classical fairytale-like prologue to what feels like an out-of-place mini novella in part two. I enjoyed part two the most. I also understand why it was necessary – to give the reader background on Lieutenant Harker, who is the real protagonist of the story and not Ren, as the blurb promises. Yet that’s what made “The Rain Heron” an unsuccessful book, in my eyes: I didn’t end up feeling sympathy/empathy for the Lieutenant. The background given for Ren was also the bare minimum to make her feel like a complicated character in theory without actually fleshing her out, while Daniel’s chapter was necessary more for advancing the scant plot that there was while trying to get the reader to invest in another character. I liked the rain heron and the meanings and functions that it contains, if one sits and analyses and thinks about it. I also enjoyed the terrifying but engrossing second section, although it felt like it should’ve been its own story, or at least the beginning of a different book. But as it currently is, I was disappointed by “The Rain Heron” and did not end up caring much for it, no matter how much it felt like Arnott was trying to get me to....more
As some of the other reviews have stated, this isn't what I thought it would be. I suspected these might be stories rather than informal essays (whichAs some of the other reviews have stated, this isn't what I thought it would be. I suspected these might be stories rather than informal essays (which makes the comparison to Rebecca Solnit in the inside cover feel misleading) but even then this did not turn out at all how I'd hoped. The Preface was by far the best part of "An Inventory of Losses" as it combined personal essay with elements of non-fiction and philosophical musings. The stories themselves were rather dry and short, beginning and ending seemingly out of nowhere, with no real weight or consequence. Some of them were more literal interpretations of the prompt, like "The Seven Books of Mani" and "Kinau's Selenographs," while others were building around the prompt and trying to write a story about something tangentially related, like the film industry and Greta Garbo in "The Boy in Blue" or a romantic falling-out foregrounded in an economic collapse in "Palace of the Republic." Meanwhile others felt like they were somehow completely out of left field, especially "Tuanaki," "Guericke's Unicorn," and "The Von Behr Palace." The only ones I enjoyed and read without skimming were "Caspian Tiger" and "The Love Songs of Sappho," which are very different stylistically from each other but were the only places where Schalansky's prosaic contemplation actually landed. "An Inventory of Losses" is an otherwise rather dry book, a good premise and beautiful design that failed to deliver the satisfaction and thoughtfulness I'd hoped for....more
It took me longer than it probably should've to get around to reading this book (for school, unsurprisingly), but now I'll at least be able to understIt took me longer than it probably should've to get around to reading this book (for school, unsurprisingly), but now I'll at least be able to understand more specifically what people are talking about when they talk about this novel, more than merely the fact that it is about a man and a portrait of him.
I have ambivalent thoughts on "The Picture of Dorian Gray." Like some reviewers/readers, I couldn't get over how lopsided the narrative was, which is also true of Victorian lit as a whole (hence why it isn't my favourite literary period). I was really invested in the premise and, honestly, in the details of Dorian's evil deeds that led to him having such awful relationships with characters like Alan. Lord Henry/Harry got too much "page time," in my opinion, whereas Basil felt rather neglected, almost unloved, despite him resonating so much with Oscar Wilde himself. I did not care much for the chapter dedicated solely to describing Dorian's descent into Hedonism, from his obsession with a book which he gets nine copies of in different colours, to his study of perfume and jewels. I didn't so much want Wilde to spell out the premise more clearly as I wanted him to at least focus more on it, to get to it quicker and then stick more with it, instead of spending the first quarter on Dorian as a young and his failed romance with Sibyl, to then skipping ahead 18 or so years and dragging it out some more before the dramatic but disappointingly abrupt conclusion.
Similarly, I had a lot of trouble disentangling the words of the characters from the potential views of the author, specifically when it came to women. Misogyny is quite blunt in this novel and most of it comes out of the mouth of Lord Henry. But the way "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is written makes it difficult to tell how much of the character is meant to be "satirical"/critical and how much of those words are just "neutral," existing on the page for the purpose of plot and narrative. Considering Wilde's own thoughts about British society, this question is more important because it extends into another question: was Wilde himself a cherry picker in terms of his beliefs? Was being angry about the pompous aristocrats the only form of "liberalism," whereas viewing men as being above women was still ok?
That said, I cannot deny the wit and cleverness of this novel, especially that opening. There are so many quotable lines in "The Picture of Dorian Gray," many of which (once again) are spoken by Lord Henry. That is the one truly redeeming thing for me in Wilde's novel, much more than the premise, which was cool because it's speculative fiction lite but doesn't go far enough for me even in pushing its own allegorical goal of talking about the corruption of the individual by society. Am I glad I read this? Definitely. There's so much I'll be able to tap into and understand now that I'm not longer confused when people bring up this cultural cornerstone. Will I want to reread it again? Probably not. But I guess such complex feelings might be the best way to approach these kinds of texts, which still have a lot to offer us and should not be "cancelled" for their crimes of anti-Semitism and the like, but should be looked at critically for all the duel beauty-and-ugliness that they contain....more
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