drplantwrench's reviews
129 reviews

This is the first (and so far only) James Baldwin book I've read. Of course, he is someone whose work I've seen in the public sphere many times before and it was always so illuminating. So, I came into this book with high expectations. And while Baldwin is clearly a very good writer and his point of view is very fresh, this book sorta disappointed me. There were certainly passages that were beautiful, but overall, the plot seemed to drag a bit. It was all a bit forgettable, in my opinion, but I really want to read some of his other work.

This is another one of those books that I really wish Goodreads had a 4.5 star rating for. 4 stars seems very rough for how comical and amusing this book is, but to give it 5 stars would put it on a pedastal I don't think it's even trying for, and would probably mock behind its back. 4.5 stars would be a perfect compromise for this book, considering its humor and innovativeness, but also the fact it is not even trying to be "one of the classics". Overall, highly recommend (obviously a 4.5)

I love Westerns. As a child I would watch John Wayne movies, and later Th Man with No Name, with my dad. At this point of my life I'm a little embarrassed to say how much I still love the idea of the desert, the cowboy, all of it. I came into this book expecting at worst, a guilty pleasure, and at best, an all time favorite. By comparison to those, this book is very disappointing. Instead, this is a grim dark, and violent book without much purpose. It was neither guilty pleasure, nor instant classic. Instead, it became a trudge to get through. Granted there are some interesting points of the book, and I get that the violence and starkness is part of the point. But I don't think they add up to much...

As a huge fan of Radiolab, I came into this book with very high expectations. Knowing Oliver Sacks from that radio show, I knew he was the perfect encapsulation of the Platonic ideal of a professor - bumbling, erudite, and at times, immensely endearing. This book mirrors that in a way that is well-received but not surprising in any way. The stories here start off great, and are truly fascinating, but even I began to run out of steam part way through. Still, an overall pleasant read, but I was expecting a bit more.

This was an exceedingly pleasant read, and had the same warm feeling that I get when viewing an impressionistic painting. I saw some others critiqued this as a "heavy" beach read, which in some ways is true, but also discounts the purpose of this book. In my opinion, each book can have its own "flavor" if you will, and still succeed s a work of art. There is something very breezy about this book, but I think it adds to the experience, not detracts from it. A book about a painter's daughter navigating the final phase of her life should necessarily remind the reader of brush strokes, and I think ads to the genius of Pilcher. Overall, a fun and light read that I think deserves its critical praise.

The weird thing about this book is I rated it pretty high when I finished it internally in my head. But when I decided to add all these books to Goodreads, I remembered that I gave it a 4.25 (don't even get started with me about the lack of half stars on Goodreads), but I didn't remember a single thing about the book.

It's weird because this book is a rollercoaster, with wild narratives, crazed characters and a truly haunting textual reading. After refreshing my mind on Wikipedia, I instantly remember the twists and turns and the spoiler:

Spoiler

the increasing likelihood that Dowell is more monster than victim caught in the crossfire

. I remember reading this book and thinking how fascinating it all was, but about a year later, forgot everything about it entirely. Maybe it's not the best way to judge things, but I think that the lack of long term impact says something to dock down to 4.25 out of 5.

This book reminds me of an experience that goes something like this: my friend and I meet up a larger group of friends at a bar, and a friend tells us we have to listen to this guy's story, it's fascinating. So we get a beer, and this guy tells us a long story. Afterwards we leave the bar and my friend and I turn to each other and say:

Me: What a terrible rambling story!
My friend: What a fascinating story!

The summary of this book is fascinating, and I probably would have this book be my favorite if Milan Kundera wrote it. Instead it is written as if it's the last chapter of Ulysses - rambling, disconnected, purposefully obtuse. The focus shifts chaotically, almost like the meme of a person with ADHD trying to tell a story and getting sidetracked about the time they went to the circus, or the library they went to.

Honestly, I'm even more disappointed that the prose and structure of this book just overall sucks because the premise held such promise.

This is a tough one to rate properly. The other reviews seem to be both right - this is very charmingly written and captures a young girl in a fun, whimsical way, but is also a bit cliche, and the characters leave a sour taste in your mouth, and the plot is a little contrived, etc. I really enjoyed reading it, but there are definitely parts of the book that made me groan and roll my eyes. Pleasant to read, but maybe not a lot of depth to it, and will leave a funny aftertaste in your mouth. I'd give it a 3.5/5, but rounded it up to 4 since it's overall a relatively pleasant read.