Joshua Marcus

Grotesque and beautiful in equal parts

Revisado: 02-21-25

I don't think there's any right words to describe this remarkable book. It's worth reading as long as you can stomach it

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Beautiful writing

Revisado: 05-08-23

The writing is beautiful and the story is very cutting. I'm not a fan of the silent protagonist I'm so many queer novels though, but that's just personal preference

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Not enough substance

Revisado: 04-17-23

The story is interesting, but because there are so few facts to base it on and the central figures are rarely heard from, it ends up feeling like little more than speculation. Whereas other works by Jon Ronson go deeply into the lives of specific individuals, this follows the lines of some conspiracy theories that ultimately come to nought.

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Cult?

Revisado: 02-04-23

Christie Tate did group therapy 3 times a week, spending more than $800 a week. She attributed the therapist, Dr Rosen, for all her successes while blaming herself for anything that went wrong. He gives off cult-leader vibes, especially as he rejects the concept of boundaries.

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A little underwhelming

Revisado: 11-16-20

I love Benjamin Alire Sáenz, and this book was written beautifully and had good characters. But I didn't feel like there was a strong enough storyline or significant enough character growth to keep me interested.

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A must-read for Delany fans

Revisado: 10-12-20

I love Samuel "Chip" Delany's books, and I was quite excited to read this. It definitely surpassed my expectations, with an in-depth exploration of what it was like to be a queer black science-fiction writer (each of these identities significant in their own ways) in the 1960s. It gives a lot of insight into some of the tropes he likes to go back to, and is as relevant as ever in 2020.

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esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

*Ugly Cry*

Revisado: 10-12-20

This book really tore me apart. Zach is an incredibly sympathetic character whose story is tough to digest but nonetheless impossible to put down. Throughout most of the book, I was either on the verge of tears or in tears. Even thinking about it, a couple of months after having listened, I still get emotional.

Great performance as well.

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Excellent blend of story and history

Revisado: 10-12-20

When I started reading about Oscar Wao, I did not expect a lesson in Dominican history. I don't love history, but it is pivotal to the stories of Oscar's family members (and indirectly Oscar himself), and the author does a great job at keeping it compelling throughout.

A couple of notes:
-Oscar is the least interesting character, which is unfortunate. I think he even gets less "screen time" than other characters. This is to the book's detriment, as when you start reading about the others, it feels like you are going on a long detour, when that is the meat of the novel.
-Regarding the Spanish content: it is slightly frustrating at times that there is no English translation for words and phrases, especially because you can't copy/paste it into Google Translate. However, you can get the gist from the context, and it is never all that much of a problem. Don't let that deter you from listening.

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Tough book, beautifully read

Revisado: 03-22-20

I spent a lot of time skipping back 30 seconds, because this book requires a lot of concentration. Colin Farrell is an absolutely brilliant reader. Amazon likes to peddle books they spent a ton of money on getting a celebrity to read, even when that celeb does a terrible job. This time, however, they got it so right. I would listen to Colin Farrell read the menu at the Cheesecake Factory.

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Light and interesting read

Revisado: 03-10-20

Some of the stories are only interesting to a certain type of person, but Parker's excitement is infectious.

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