Emily

Fictional study of human fallibility

Revisado: 09-09-24

While some of the characters were perhaps too straightforward in who they thought they were, this is ultimately a story about what makes a good person. Is it their intent? Is it how they deal with adversity? Is it the view they hold of themselves? Is is the view of others? What if, when you do well, others suffer? Does doing something honorable offset something bad? Does your history have to follow you? How well do you understand why you do what you do?

O’Hagan offers commentary in the form of character arcs. I don’t think it’s meant to be read quickly, and it will probably be even better the second time around.

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Critical book for all modern parents, teachers, and caregivers

Revisado: 07-27-24

Haidt does a masterful job of walking through the data we have and what we can do to improve our children’s mental health and long range capabilities, and it starts with recognizing we’ve become overprotective in the real world while underestimating the virtual world.

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Bummed.

Revisado: 07-19-24

I loved The Wishing Game. It will forever be one of my favorite books, paying homage to great works of children’s literature in a heartwarming and original tale with an embedded fictional world in Clock Island. So, I was anxiously awaiting The Lost Story’s arrival, and will fully admit that maybe my expectations were simply too high.

This book seems rushed in multiple ways. The first few chapters lay out an interesting cadence and several worthwhile plots from which to choose. But once in the “world,” it also seemed like it was a narrative descriptions of rules and next steps, rather than a rich experience. The interjections on how fairy tales work was humorous at first, but then it became redundant and compounded upon the idea that most of the book was just navigating the world.

Once the characters made their way to resolve the conflict, it was an absolute rush to the end. If you’re going to take the time to build a complex fantastical world, leave time to explore it. Any subplots or worthwhile twists were left on the table in favor of a fairly straightforward love story.

If you compare this to something like “Fairy Tale” by Stephen King, you’ll feel like you’re reading a poorly executed knock off. My guess is that, following The Wishing Game’s commercial success as a debut, an editor hacked at creative originality in favor of mass appeal page count, etc., and Meg’s concept is therefore diluted.

The contemplated world does have potential. This book just didn’t do enough to support it.

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People have so many layers

Revisado: 02-20-20

I remember watching Audrey, entranced, in Sabrina, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Roman Holiday, etc. Her story adds so much depth and humanity to her story. People are not just what we can see.

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Good context

Revisado: 07-05-18

I wanted a better understanding of the Koch’s and their political priorities. While this book is growing outdated (ends 2013), it does a good job of that.

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Won’t soon forget

Revisado: 06-25-18

An incredibly rich and painfully sobering read that could only have been authored by someone with firsthand knowledge of the anguish of chronic mental illness within a family. This book is part memoir and part history lesson. It was far better than I expected, and I won’t soon forget the Powers family or the dozens of names, narratives, and nuances from history to which Mr. Powers exposed me.

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Too Exploratory

Revisado: 06-14-18

This book kept coming up in my recommendations and I finally took the plunge between long reads. There were components of this book I found fascinating, but I didn’t quite expect (or enjoy) the author’s commitment to putting herself in the story. It felt, at times, like a GIRLS-inspired introspective. I appreciate her interest in the topic, but was more interested in the nuance of the subject than her personal saga.

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Pretty twisted

Revisado: 01-24-18

I really enjoyed the narrator and pace of the story, and finished this in one longer travel day at 1.5X. That said, it’s a pretty twisted story. I have a hard time reading about the details of human suffering, even if fictitious, for pleasure. The detailed plot line make it merit 4 stars, but it was a bit more sick than I can appreciate.
In full disclosure, this story not only involves domestic abuse, but also deals with how someone with Downs Syndrome fits into that narrative.

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Russian Adventure

Revisado: 01-23-18

If you like Russian history and character-driven stories, this is an easy read. I’m giving it four stars for two reasons: 1. The journey was better than the ending, and 2. Almost every man Marina encounters is sexually attracted to her, which is not believable and detracts from some of the more substantive plot points. Overall, it’s a great read filled with many cultural oddities of Russia in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It’s focused on the character’s journey, which provides a unique POV on notable historical events (or lack of awareness of them). And the narrator made the Russian phrases flow beautifully.

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Good & Bad Volley

Revisado: 12-11-17

This is one of those quick reads that’s enjoyable, but not a particularly great investment of time. It’s an entertaining story and starts off well, but then it goes in waves. The writing volleys between bad modern dialogue and super interesting historical context setup. If you need a quick listen on a travel day, it may be a good choice, but it’s not something I’d read again.

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