OYENTE

Robert Kristoffersen

  • 19
  • opiniones
  • 29
  • votos útiles
  • 213
  • calificaciones

“what we pretend to be is fragile in the wake of personal tragedy.”

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 04-09-25

“When you’re young, you do so many things hoping to be noticed. The way you dress or stand, the music played loud enough to catch the attention of another person who might know a song, too. And then there are things you do as you step out into the world, the real world full of strange adults, testing out what it means to be generous or thoughtful. In that instant, before every memory was placed along some narrative arc, before the act of remembering took on a desperate air, I simply felt lucky enough to witness something so effortlessly kind - to see my friend do something that was good.”

There is that infamous quote from Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut that goes, “we are who we pretend to be, so we must be careful about who we pretend to be.” This memoir rewrites that quote a bit: “what we pretend to be is fragile in the wake of personal tragedy.”

I’ll be honest here: Hua Hsu, from this memoir, sounds like an insufferable asshole. His personality reminds me a bit of dudes who put that they’re only interested in deep conversation in their dating profiles, who treat the world around them that doesn’t align as not having value.

That’s probably a little unfair, but I kind of felt annoyed reading this at points. That cult of self really hits on these pages, but it’s one thing to reduce people’s value to the music they like or the content they consume.

Still, I liked this. Quite a bit. I enjoy Hsu’s observations on the facets of grief and other things.

Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Hanx’ Greatest Hits

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 01-29-25

“Kirk, as his defensive stance, pulled out book after book, reading like he was a chain-smoker with a carton of menthols.”

I liked this collection, but I don’t think the gimmick works all that well. The gimmick is, there is a typewriter somewhere in every story, kind of like “Where’s Waldo” for vintage nerds.

If you’re familiar with Tom Hanks’ oeuvre, then you kind of know what’s in store, and in many ways it feels like his “greatest hits.” To me, that’s not a bad thing. Love me some Hanx.

There are many stand out stories in here.

The first, “Three Exhausting Weeks” is a great story about a whirlwind relationship with a person that is “too much.” It ends amicably, and loved it for that. Also connects to the last story, “Steve Wong Is Perfect.”

“Welcome to Mars” is not a space story, but I really liked it a lot. “Alan Bean Plus Four” is the space story, and I really liked it a lot.

“The Past is Important to Us” is a fantastic time travel story that becomes a horror story.

I think the best story is “Go See Kostas, about an immigrant from Bulgaria coming to America. Hanx captures a beautiful vision of what immigration was like in nicer times.

All in all, I dig it. Will reread my favorites.

Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Well written, but the big bad threw me

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 12-17-24

This book has all the hallmarks of a fantastic coming of age story, until the big reveal of who and what the big bad is. I appreciate the want for originality, but that reveal just kind of took the wind out of my sails. Will check out more from this author, though.

Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Peter is a 🥾+ 👅er

Total
2 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
2 out of 5 stars
Historia
2 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 12-06-24

I’m not the biggest fan of possession literature. Evil is tame in these novels more often than not, and the same is the case in this instance.

This book had a chance to really showcase how bad religious trauma is, and to an extent it does, but settled for a redemption arc involving a teenager who chose his abusers over love. What kind of message is that?

Those kids did nothing wrong.

Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

A Grueling, Brutal, Dreamlike Nightmare on the Natute of Grief.

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 10-30-24

As someone who has lost a lot of people, this book is incredible. It portrays grief in all its forms: as relentless guilt; stoic strength in front of people who don’t really want or know how to be there for you; a comforting word which does nothing to reassure you. Life feels dreamlike. This book is brilliant. Highly recommended.

Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

If you enjoyed the Unsolved Mysteries episode, this is a must read!

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 10-25-24

After watching the Unsolved Mysteries episode about the Paranormal Rangers, I wanted to hear more, and I’m so glad Stanley Milford, Jr.’s book is out now. Milford, Jr. does such a wonderful job narrating it, and the stories he tells are endlessly fascinating, full of more details about them. The book is wonderfully interspersed with Navajo lore in between stories of Milford Jr’s time with The Navajo Rangers. This is a must read and a wonderful inclusion to the wide variety of paranormal literature in print.

Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

A really fun mess, part John Dies at the End, part Crank.

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 10-07-24

This book is a mess, but it’s super fun. Its “all over the place” vibe really lends itself to an entertaining story.

Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Two really great novellas.

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 09-27-24

This collection contains two novellas, the first, “When Darkness Loves Us” is good, but “Beauty Is…” is PHENOMENAL. Both are slow burns, but their endings more than make up for it.

Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

A great overview of UFOs and alien contact

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 09-04-24

Greg had been researching this topic for a long time and it comes through. More importantly, Greg presents the UFO phenomenon in as wide a lens as possible and on many continents as possible, an aspect missing from most books on the topic, which are typically Amerocentric. It’s not without its flaws, but its strengths far out measure them.

Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

The Most Affecting Book About Assault I’ve Ever Read

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 03-18-24

This book will not leave my mind ever. As someone who has been assaulted, it felt real reading this.

Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

adbl_web_global_use_to_activate_webcro768_stickypopup