By Douglas Adams (1979, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1992)
Let me begin by clarifying that this is in fact a five book series, the version being reviewed was a combined volume of all stories (in order): Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Life, the Universe and Everything, So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish, and Mostly Harmless.
Douglas Adams' saga begins on an ordinary earth day but quickly leaves all of our earthly reality behind, sending Arthur Dent whirling through the eddies of space on an adventure that you could only imagine being inspired by a dream (one such dream that you would have after consuming a lot of chocolate right before bed). Needless to say, you have to suspend your view of reality to fully engage in the story but it is delightful once you reach that state. The first book is the best one of the saga, with the story dragging along somewhere in the last three books. However, there are gems to be found in any book, from watching Arthur fall in love, to watching him wake up in a cave at the beginning of the world.
I recommend this book for anyone who has watched the movie and enjoyed it (and also because I think you should read the book of any movie you see that was a book first). It will be enjoyed by those who enjoy the slightly bizzare and the otherworld adventures.
If this book was a food, it would be a jumbleberry pie served with a side of hashbrowns and a glass of lemon tea. Not quite what you are expecting, with some bits that don't quite agree with your stomach, but still enjoyable in a slightly odd way.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Neuromancer
By William Gibson (1984)
If a headache could be written down in word format, it would show itself in the book Neuromancer by William Gibson. I expected more out of a book that has been given several awards and lauded among book critics but it completely disappointed me.
His work was groundbreaking, I'll give him that; Gibson used terms such as Artificial Intelligence, and Cyberspace, which were relatively new ideas to the public at the time of his writing (1984), and in true literary fashion, he received several awards due to the uniqueness of his book. His writing is purposely meant to be confusing, so he cannot be faulted for poor execution of his main goal, as the book turned out exactly how he wanted it to.
Perhaps it takes a certain type of person to truly appreciate Gibson's work. I have found that science fiction is often a hit or miss. There are some excellent SciFi books out there, but there are also many books that are not worth the time. It makes one question to what end should new literary styles be used. Does a style wherein the reader feels like they are slightly high and sick indicate a breakthrough in literature? I think not. Gibson tries so hard to give us the experience of the situation that he skips out on the most important parts of story; a plot that is understandable, and characters we care about that are developed through the course of the book.
Because I am an optimist, I will tell you what I have gained from this reading - I can now have status in a crowd of SciFi readers by name dropping this book. In other words, I feel that if I could go back in time, I would chose a book that was worth my time. And, as a side note, if this is any indication of where the internet is heading, I don't want to be a part of it at all.
If this book was a food it would be a cheese, broccoli and mango smoothie, with perhaps some spaghetti with soy sauce and tomato sauce as an entree. I would recommend this book to all who enjoy being in a state of confusion, who like feeling like they are tripping out, or those who enjoy headaches.
If a headache could be written down in word format, it would show itself in the book Neuromancer by William Gibson. I expected more out of a book that has been given several awards and lauded among book critics but it completely disappointed me.
His work was groundbreaking, I'll give him that; Gibson used terms such as Artificial Intelligence, and Cyberspace, which were relatively new ideas to the public at the time of his writing (1984), and in true literary fashion, he received several awards due to the uniqueness of his book. His writing is purposely meant to be confusing, so he cannot be faulted for poor execution of his main goal, as the book turned out exactly how he wanted it to.
Perhaps it takes a certain type of person to truly appreciate Gibson's work. I have found that science fiction is often a hit or miss. There are some excellent SciFi books out there, but there are also many books that are not worth the time. It makes one question to what end should new literary styles be used. Does a style wherein the reader feels like they are slightly high and sick indicate a breakthrough in literature? I think not. Gibson tries so hard to give us the experience of the situation that he skips out on the most important parts of story; a plot that is understandable, and characters we care about that are developed through the course of the book.
Because I am an optimist, I will tell you what I have gained from this reading - I can now have status in a crowd of SciFi readers by name dropping this book. In other words, I feel that if I could go back in time, I would chose a book that was worth my time. And, as a side note, if this is any indication of where the internet is heading, I don't want to be a part of it at all.
If this book was a food it would be a cheese, broccoli and mango smoothie, with perhaps some spaghetti with soy sauce and tomato sauce as an entree. I would recommend this book to all who enjoy being in a state of confusion, who like feeling like they are tripping out, or those who enjoy headaches.
Monday, October 5, 2009
The Memory Keeper's Daughter
By Kim Edwards (2005)
Books have a funny way of sitting quietly for a time only to be discovered on a lazy afternoon. That was how The Memory Keeper's Daughter came into my hands. I saw this book time after time at the library, only to pass it by in hopes of finding a more interesting book. However, on Sunday I happened upon the book in an attempt to entertain my self during lunch and was pleasantly surprised. Lunch turned into the afternoon, which turned into evening and spilled over into the next day. This is the mark of a good book, one that keeps you reading even when homework beckons.
You want to despise some characters right from the outset. The doctor giving away his child; the nurse who goes along with the plan, and the mother who doesn't want to fight for the truth; yet Edwards manages to give us compassion for her characters, making us see the side of them we don't want to understand, the side that makes us identify with them and makes us realize that we could be acting the same way in that situation.
She pulls the story from the viewpoints of several main characters, which adds to the complexity of the plot, twisting in and out of their lives through time. We are also somewhat disconnected from the story itself, as we jump in and out of time, each section of the book separated from the next by several years, with the whole story in itself taking up a quarter of a century. Edwards manages to use this time line and connection to her advantage, giving us enough information to keep us caring about their lives, but not bogging us down with unimportant details.
Rather than focusing on the depression that could have easily taken over the story, I found myself with a sense of hope flowing from under the sadness and regret that covered the surface. The story managed to hold me attentive and paced itself nicely, with no major lulls or speed through events. I also really appreciated that the story didn't get political, as it well could have (dealing with the topic of Down syndrome), but instead focused on the people within the story and their lives as a result their decisions. There was complexity present, but with enough simplicity that you didn't feel as if you needed to exert a lot of extra energy to keep up with what was going on.
I liked this book, I would even go as far to say that it is in the top five list of book that I have read this past year. It touched me emotionally, but didn't drag me down to the depths of despair. The book was light enough that I enjoyed the time spent reading it, making it worth my time, but not so light that I felt unsatisfied at the end.
If this book were a food, it would be fresh baked bread and a bowl of stew - hearty enough to fill you up and satisfy you without stuff yourself. I would recommend this book for a rainy weekend curled up on a chair with an afghan and a mug of tea.
Books have a funny way of sitting quietly for a time only to be discovered on a lazy afternoon. That was how The Memory Keeper's Daughter came into my hands. I saw this book time after time at the library, only to pass it by in hopes of finding a more interesting book. However, on Sunday I happened upon the book in an attempt to entertain my self during lunch and was pleasantly surprised. Lunch turned into the afternoon, which turned into evening and spilled over into the next day. This is the mark of a good book, one that keeps you reading even when homework beckons.
You want to despise some characters right from the outset. The doctor giving away his child; the nurse who goes along with the plan, and the mother who doesn't want to fight for the truth; yet Edwards manages to give us compassion for her characters, making us see the side of them we don't want to understand, the side that makes us identify with them and makes us realize that we could be acting the same way in that situation.
She pulls the story from the viewpoints of several main characters, which adds to the complexity of the plot, twisting in and out of their lives through time. We are also somewhat disconnected from the story itself, as we jump in and out of time, each section of the book separated from the next by several years, with the whole story in itself taking up a quarter of a century. Edwards manages to use this time line and connection to her advantage, giving us enough information to keep us caring about their lives, but not bogging us down with unimportant details.
Rather than focusing on the depression that could have easily taken over the story, I found myself with a sense of hope flowing from under the sadness and regret that covered the surface. The story managed to hold me attentive and paced itself nicely, with no major lulls or speed through events. I also really appreciated that the story didn't get political, as it well could have (dealing with the topic of Down syndrome), but instead focused on the people within the story and their lives as a result their decisions. There was complexity present, but with enough simplicity that you didn't feel as if you needed to exert a lot of extra energy to keep up with what was going on.
I liked this book, I would even go as far to say that it is in the top five list of book that I have read this past year. It touched me emotionally, but didn't drag me down to the depths of despair. The book was light enough that I enjoyed the time spent reading it, making it worth my time, but not so light that I felt unsatisfied at the end.
If this book were a food, it would be fresh baked bread and a bowl of stew - hearty enough to fill you up and satisfy you without stuff yourself. I would recommend this book for a rainy weekend curled up on a chair with an afghan and a mug of tea.
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