Quick reviews #1
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, Cory Doctorow: Evocative, but at no point compelling. I got half a bead on some of the outlying characters, not not on the narrator. Enough to make me download Eastern Standard Tribe for a later viewing, but not enough to make me buy it. His strength lies more in short stories, I guess. 6/10
Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut: I have to offer a huge dollop of thanks to the Vonnegut fans who told me not to start with this book under any circumstances. Cat's Cradle and Breakfast of Champions were far better; the fact that Kilgore Trout makes glancing appearances in this book says nothing in its defense, as he is categorically not the same character in each. Philosophically ill-formed, lacking the sharpened edges of later works. I'll pick up Mother Night next, then Welcome to the Monkey House. 6.5/10
What Do You Care What Other People Think?, Ralph Leighton/Richard Feynman: Good, but disappointing compared to much of the rest of his oeuvre. I dug most the following: the Arlene stories, Appendix F, and the Mr. Lovingood saga. "100%... minus epsilon!" is an excellent catchphrase. 7.5/10
Idoru, William Gibson: My second Gibson book after Neuromancer. I'm not sure I agree with his picture of Japan; I guess his misspelling aidoru in the title was the wrong foot on which to get off. The more I think about the phrase "like the antipole of American Gods," the more I like it, though I don't exactly know why. In both, though, a minor female character is my favorite of the novel. Features a hikikomori. 8/10
Collapse, Jared Diamond: A little patchier than the epic Guns, Germs and Steel -- which is to say, there are actually a few good stopping points in this one. Did well refining my knowledge of history, anthropology and ecology. Hard to describe as anything other than a tour de force; it makes me want to be Jared Diamond, while at the same time evoking a deep certainty that I never will. 9/10
Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut: I have to offer a huge dollop of thanks to the Vonnegut fans who told me not to start with this book under any circumstances. Cat's Cradle and Breakfast of Champions were far better; the fact that Kilgore Trout makes glancing appearances in this book says nothing in its defense, as he is categorically not the same character in each. Philosophically ill-formed, lacking the sharpened edges of later works. I'll pick up Mother Night next, then Welcome to the Monkey House. 6.5/10
What Do You Care What Other People Think?, Ralph Leighton/Richard Feynman: Good, but disappointing compared to much of the rest of his oeuvre. I dug most the following: the Arlene stories, Appendix F, and the Mr. Lovingood saga. "100%... minus epsilon!" is an excellent catchphrase. 7.5/10
Idoru, William Gibson: My second Gibson book after Neuromancer. I'm not sure I agree with his picture of Japan; I guess his misspelling aidoru in the title was the wrong foot on which to get off. The more I think about the phrase "like the antipole of American Gods," the more I like it, though I don't exactly know why. In both, though, a minor female character is my favorite of the novel. Features a hikikomori. 8/10
Collapse, Jared Diamond: A little patchier than the epic Guns, Germs and Steel -- which is to say, there are actually a few good stopping points in this one. Did well refining my knowledge of history, anthropology and ecology. Hard to describe as anything other than a tour de force; it makes me want to be Jared Diamond, while at the same time evoking a deep certainty that I never will. 9/10
posted by volucris at 12:55 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home